Sports
The Clackamas Print ^7
Wednesday, November 1,1995 /
Burck finishes runner-up, leads men's cross
country team to second place at regional meet
Jesse Sowa
Sports Editor
Results were mixed at the
Southern Regional Champion
ships for the Clackamas Cross
Country teams on Saturday at Pier
Park in Portland.
The Clackamas men’s team
finished second, while the women
were third. Only some of the com
petitors on both teams ran well,
but it was good enough for sec
ond and third, overall.
The men’s team from Clark
College was the favorite and
backed up their lofty status as they
won the meet with 33 points, fol
lowed by Clackamas (51), Lane
Community College (61), Mt.
Hood CC (84), Chemeketa CC
(145), Umpqua CC (164) and
Lower Columbia was incomplete.
The Cougars were ahead of
Clark near the midpoint of the
8,000-meter race, but Clackamas
dropped off and ended up with
second.
Clackamas sophomore Ryan
Burck led the Cougars with sec
ond overall in 26 minutes, 23 sec
onds. Burck led the race just after
the midway point, but was passed
by eventual winner James
Longoria of Lane with just over a
mile to go. The regional meet
marked the first time that Burck
had defeated all of the Clark com
petitors in the same race;
Dean Rowell was fifth in
26:53, trailed by Jon Cox in 13th
(27:26), Evan Goin in 15th
(27:47), Juan Sanchez in 16th
(28:05) and Jon Gotchall in 25th
(29:17).
The Cougars competed with
out Travis Armstrong, their num
ber-one runner, who is still out
with mononucleosis, or mono. His
availability for the Northwest
meet is still unknown.
Clackamas proved that they
could beat Clark without
Armstrong.
Clackamas coach Mike
Hodges believes the Cougars
might have been too aggressive at
the beginning of the race, which
might have caused them to fall off
slightly near the end.
Hodges gave credit to
Gotchall, who ran his best race of
the year and placed higher on the
team than he has all year.
The Clackamas women took
third with 69 points, behind re
gional champion Mt. Hood CC
(39) and Lane CC (44). Clark CC
was fourth (83), followed by
Chemeketa CC (105), with
Umpqua CC and Lower Colum
bia being incomplete.
“Lane was the big surprise,”
Hodges said. Clackamas had not
competed against Lane this sea
son before the regional meet, but
the Titans were not expected to
be as strong as they were.
Hodges said that it wasn’t
that the Clackamas women ran
bad, but that Lane came up with
their best performance of the year
in order to defeat the Cougars.
Sophomore standout Jaime
Fairchild finished fifth in 19:53.
Jenny Newell was 13th in 20:46,
trailed by Heather Peterson in
14th (20:51), Becky White in 21st
(21:45), Mishe Simantel in 24th
(22:03) and Shannon Henley in
27th (22:29).
Hodges had high compli
ments for Newell, who’s recover
ing from a stress fracture in her
foot, and Simantel.
“She’s the one that showed
the most,” Hodges said of Newell.
“She had one of her best races of
the year,” he said about Simantel,
a first-year Clackamas runner.
The Cougars will now pre
pare for the Northwest Athletic
Association of Community Col
leges (NWAACC) Championship
Meet at Lane CC on Nov 11.
The Clackamas women
would like to finish in the top
three to take home their ninth tro
phy in 10 years. Bellevue CC and
Spokane CC could join the race
along for the women’s NWAACC
title along with the top teams
from the Southern Region.
The Clackamas men hope to
knock off Clark CC, the top team
in the region, at the NWAACC
meet. Skagit Valley CC and
Highline CC, along with Bellevue
and Spokane, will be near the top
at the NWAACC meet, along with
Clark and Clackamas.
photo by Lora Wahrgren
The Clackamas Cross Country teams prepare for the
Northwest meet at Lane Community College after a strong
showing at the regional meet on Saturday.
Dominant football teams continue to be 'no shows' in current NFL season
Jesse Sowa
Sports Editor
The 1995 National Football
League season has turned out to
be anything but normal with up
sets and disappointments occur
ring every weekend, so far.
An increase in free agents
over the past few years has cre
ated a time of mediocrity through
out the league.
The expansion Jacksonville
Jaguars and Carolina Panthers are
easily the biggest surprise in the
NFL this year. Jacksonville (3-6)
was not expected to do this well.
Knocking off Pittsburgh and
Cleveland made the league stand
up and take motice of the Jags. A
win by the Panthers (3-5) against
New England made Carolina the
first expansion team ever to win
three games in a row. Carolina
will face its first real test this Sun
day at San Francisco.
The biggest disappointment
has been the play of the New York
Giants. New York (3-5) was ex
pected to challenge Dallas for the
NFC East title, but a lack in per
formance by quarterback Dave
Brown and a usually powerful
defensive line has knocked the
Giants to the bottom of the divi
sion. A win at Seattle on Sunday
could turn their season around.
In the AFC, the Kansas City
Chiefs (7-1) have played to their
level of potential and are scoring
points at just about every oppor
tunity. With Marcus Allen run
ning the ball well and Derrick
Thomas continuing to be a domi 23 of 40 passes for 262 yards. But day brought Atlanta back to earth.
Green Bay (5-3) is having an
nant force on defense, the Chiefs their loss to Carolina put them
Former Oregon coach Rich average year for them. Losing
are well on their way to locking back on the skids.
Brooks has made the St Louis Sterling Sharpe gives quarterback
Indianapolis (5-3) has played Rams (5-3) a winner. The 44-10
up a playoff spot.
Brett Farve fewer options, but the
The Oakland Raiders (6-2) well at times, but when the offense defeat to San Francisco and an Packers seen to be making up for
are a Super Bowl-type team when and Marshall Faulk go, so do the other loss to Philadelphia hit the that with a decent running game.
they are at their best. Although, Colts. Miami (5-3) has what it Rams hard.
Favre passed for over 300 yards
the Raiders don’t play well when takes to reach the Super Bowl, but
The 49ers (5-3) were down at Detroit on Sunday, but it wasn't
it hasn’t been able to put the on their luck until a big win in
they’re up against the wall.
enough to keep the Packers from
The AFC East teams have pieces together so that everything St. Louis seemed to put them back dropping another division game.
been dominated
on
the
Tampa Bay (5-4) could be on
by the rest of the
right track. their way to a winning record for
league with only
The loss of the first time in quite a while. The
the Steelers and
Steve Bucs are definitely in the race for
the Browns,
Young has a playoff spot. Head Coach Sam
both 4-4, reach
affected Wyche has finally found success
ing the .500
their after so many losing seasons with
mark.
Pitts
strong of the Bengals and the Bucs.
burgh has not
fense as
The Dallas Cowboys (7-1)
scored
the
Elvis seem to be rolling right along.
points when
Grbac took Deion Sanders will play this
they needed to
over. San weekend to help out a struggling
and the Cleve
Francisco Cowboys’ defense. A win against
land defense has
fell to New the 49ers on Nov. 12 in Dallas will
been unable to
Orleans at be crucial if the Cowboys plan to
stop even weak
home on beat San Francisco in the NFC
offenses.
Sunday, Championship Game (also known
Buffalo (5-
showing as the REAL Super Bowl) in
3) is suffering
that Young January.
through the loss
is
defi
The Eagles (4-3) are in an
of Andre Reed
nitely the awkward situation with two
to injury, which
key to the strong quarterbacks and a head
slows down the
offfense;
coach who won’t pick Rodney
Bills’ offensive
The Chi Peete or Randall Cunningham for
threat as shown
cago Bears the starting job.
in their Monday night matchup fits.
(6-2) are playing well, although
With the season nearly half
In the NFC, Atlanta (5-3) has their defense has not been as
against New England.
over, no dominant team ¿as sepa
The Patriots (2-6) showed been a big surprise to many, but strong as in previous years. rated themselves from the rest of
signs of new life with a strong not to Head Coach June Jones. Rookie running back Rashaan the league. A champion will be
performance against Buffalo. Jones and quarterback Jeff Salaam is racking up a lot of yards decided during the last three
Drew Bledsoe played his best George have the Falcons playing behind a tough Chicago offensive weeks of the regular season when
game of the season, completing well. Their loss to Dallas last Sun line.
the top teams will be at their best.