Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2001)
b__________ Sports WedNEsdAy, FebRUARy 28, 2001 TI he CI ac I< amas P rínt Clackamas runner goes national MAGGIE JIRASEK old and attending the Senior National on,” explained Kezes. Championships is an outstanding Since Hickey started coaching at achievement since distance running Clackamas about three years ago, is mostly dominated by runners be As one of the youngest participants Kezes has been the only runner to at at the Winter Cross Country Champi tween ages 25 and 29. tend the Senior National Cross Coun onships in Vancouver, Wash., 21 -year- try Championships. ‘To have a runner that’s 21 years old Clackamas student Paul Kezes “He was the first guy I thought was old attending the championships was placed 30th while ready to race at really special. It was exciting because that level,” a couple of guys Paul raced, I have competing with top raced back in my college days,” said College long dis stated Hickey. Hickey. “He is a pretty tance runners all driven young Having the opportunity to race with throughout the U.S. the top runners in the U.S. was an ex man and I know Kezes started run- citing experience for Kezes, and of that he has very ning competitively course, preparation was necessary. high goals. It during his junior year “I cut back a little bit. I went would be very in high school and down to 78 miles that week. My exciting to see continued when he mileage had been 100 miles the him achieve was recruited at week before,” explained Kezes. “If these.” Clackamas in 1998. Paul Kezes I had used up myself completely, I At the “He was my first Cougar Cross Country might have been a little burned Championships, recruit and right after out.” Kezes raced 69 that I knew that he After Clackamas, Kezes is plan other top run would be a pretty tal ning on transferring to Western ners in the4000m ented runner,” said run and placed 30th withatimeof 12:01. State College in Colorado where Mike Hickey, cross-country coach. he wants to continue running. “It was one of my best races ever,” WhiIc attending Clackamas, Kezes “I love running. It gives me a lot stated Kezes. “I have raced with the has shown continuous hard work as to think about when I run and I top American distance runners. I have well as good running ethics. solved a lot of my problems in life gone with them for four km and I had “I have learned a lotso far. I learned that way. I also meet a lot of people. how to compete with the team better fun.” I have friends all over the nation.” AccoidingtoHickey,being21 years and it was a good opportunity to move Feature Editor "it gives me a lot to think about when I run and I solved a lot of my problems in life that way." MIKE HICKEY / Clackamas Print Paul Kezes runs at a Cross Country competition. The 21- year-old runner placed 30th Of 69 against men four to eight years older. Crouching Tiger isn’t draggin’ I don’t mean to be overly critical of money earner at $9,030,821. Phil the media, but I have a brief statement Mickelson, one of the most consis to all of the golf writers, commenta tent players on tour year after year, tors, and late night sportscaster^ placed second on the year’s final who’ve seemed to prema money list, nearly $4.3 mil turely designate 2001 as lion behind. In just two full “The Year ofTiger’s Slump.” seasons, Woods has won You’re all idiots. more total money in his ca Because Tiger Woods reer than anyone... ever. has yet to win this year on If that wasn’t the PGA Tour, many who good enough, Tiger also follow golf have began to won three of the four tour- suggest that he has some naments that the golf how fallen from grace. RYAN BRINKLEY world terms “The Majors.” These are the same writers With victories last year at Sports Columnist that, last year, ran out of su The British Open, The U.S. perlatives to describe Tiger’s achieve Open, The PGA Championship, and ments. How soon they forget his 1999 win at The Masters, Woods It’s baffling really when you think completed golf s “career grand slam.” about it Why have the media and Woods is only the fifth player in his fans come to expect so much from tory to accomplish tiusTeat and the those who have already elevated them youngest... ever. selves to greatness? Tiger Woods is many things. He’s Think about it: Mark McGwire hits one of the most marketable personali 70 home runs; the next year what do ties in sports history. He’s arguably WEB PHOTO Tiger Woods crouches to judge his putt. reporters hound him about? Hitting 71. Last year, Tiger Woods played in 19 of the PGA Tour’s 55 events. He won nine times and was the top the best golfer ever. Moreover, he’s been able to do the unthinkable: make golf cool. One thing that Tiger isn’t though is content. Last year, during his extraor- dinary domination of what we know to be professional golf, Woods’ coach, Butch Harmon, said in an interview that Tiger has only reached about 75 per cent of his potential as a golfer. At age 25, Woods has five years before he is, according to the golf world, “in his prime.” Woods said in recent interviews that he approaches the major tournaments like “the playoffs.” While many have always held the major championships as special, this type of attitude is some what of a novel approach. I’m sure that Woods wants to win every time he plays, in fact he’s said so. But it is going to be interesting to see how Woods' determination to improve will manifest itself when the majors appear on the schedule. My guess is that by the time April rolls around and golf’s best head to Augusta for The Masters, Woods will be back on his game and on top of the leader-board. Other pros will rack their brains try ing to figure out how to beat him and golf writers will spend all day trying to come up with another word for “incredible.” Women Cougars place third, prepare for NWAACC ELENA BORYSKA Utaff Writer During the last week of league play in the 2000-2001 season, the Kooch finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Next up for the Cougars was a home game against Linn Benton. As the last regular season game Cougar women’s basketball team was able to come up with two of the year, it is very easy to sometimes overlook a team while more wins. The first game, which was at Portland, was against the lowly P.C.C. Panthers. Once again, it focusing on the post season. This was not the case for the Cougars. They stayed in this was an easy victory for Clackamas, 88-64. Mercedes Juarez was the top scorer with 21. Kathryn Kettles had 15, Kayla Steen scored 13 and Jennie game up until the very end when they finally pulled away. Kayla Steen had a great game, finish ing the night with 27 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Mercedes Juarez had 19 points and Amanda Lee scored 14 ¿points and grabbed eight boards. With that final win, the Cou gars ended the season at 10-4 in league and 21-8 overall. They also hold the third place spot in the Southern region. Now that the regular season is over, it is time to look ahead to the NWAACC Championships. As the Cougars prepare for that, they are enjoying the calm be fore the storm. “This is a good .time to take a break and get healthy,” said As sistant Coach P.J. Martineau. And healthy is what they will need to get, especially since right now, 3 or 4 key players are fighting colds, including Head Coach Jim Martineau. Even so, confidence in this Cougar team is running pretty high. “We have just as good a chance as anybody,” said Martineau. “We already beat quite a few better ranked teams.” That is the attitude the Cou gars are going to need to bring to this tournament March 8-11, at Mt. Vernon, Wash. Going into the Championships, the Cougars have already done better than last year, improving from fourth place in the divi sion to third. “We definitely have a better record,” said Martineau. “We are all-around an improved team in basically every posi tion” The Cougars don’t know whom they will play first, but they are ex pecting to find out on Thursday. No matter who it is, they will be prepared.
