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.