b_________
Sports
Softball prepares for 2001 season opener
WedNEsdAy, M arc I i 07, 2001
DAISY BAIN
Business Manager
The Cougar Women's Softball
team will play a preseason game
here at Clackamas on March 18,
against Columbia Basin College at
noon.
“We have been practicing long
enough,” said Coach Fiskum. “The
girls have been practicing hard and
are ready to play. We have had a
good winter of conditioning.”
However, they are suffering with
some injuries, including one of their
leading pitchers, sophomore
Darby Needham. Needham has
tendonitis in her throwing hand.
According to Fiskum, it doesn’t
look like it is going to get better
before the season starts.
Not to worry however, “If any
body can get well, it’s Darby,” said
Fiskum.
The team has three other pitch
ers prepared to step up to the
pitcher’s mound. They are: Fresh
man Casey Lapp, Forest Grove;
Freshman
Vanessa
Holm,
Willamina; and Sophomore Mel
issa Borde, West Albany.
The CÌAckAMAs P rìnt
“Vanessa and Casey are both
looking good,” said Fiskum.
“Borde is also starting to come
around,” he said. “She may start
throwing in about two weeks.”
Fiskum said he feels the team is
strong in all aspects of the play
ing field. The Cougars are deep
with quality catchers. Sophomore
Julia Driggers was catcher half of
last year ’s season and Sophomore
Darcy Hertel, who transferred from
Willamette University, was an all
conference player as a freshman.
The Lady Cougars also like to
go at least two deep in all infield
positions.
“It looks like we are solid all
over,” said Fiskum.
He also feels confident on the
offensive side.
“At least half a dozen of our
girls are hitting the ball real well,”
he said.
The Cougar team has also added
three more members to their staff.
Kim Ostlund is the new pitching
coach. She played in 1992 with Fis
kum and was the starting pitcher
for three years at PSU.
“We are really excited at what
An untimely debate
In a rural North Carolina home, a
suitcase waits to be unpacked with
care. It’s filled with the belongings of
Dale Earnhardt
Last weekend in Las Vegas,
Earnhardt’s widow Teresa
said that she hasn’t had
time to grieve for her de
ceased husband, let
alone unpack his suit
Florida, Judge Joseph Will said that
the photos have no “bona fide
newsworthiness” and could cause the
family “additional anguish and grief.”
Just before her son Dale Jr. strapped
himself into his racecar on
Sunday, he sat by his mother,
Teresa, as she made a public
appeal forherfamily’s privacy.
“We can’t believe and are
case from Daytona.
saddened that anyone would
Not only is Mrs.
invade our privacy during this
Earnhardt dealing with
time of grief. I want to let you
the loss of her husband
know that if access to the
and supporting her rac RYAN BRINKLEY photos is allowed, others will
Sports Columnist demand them, too. And make
ing family, but she also
finds herself embroiled in
no mistake, sooner or later the
a First Amendment controversy.
photos will end up unprotected and
published... and most certainly on the
The Orlando Sentinel lias requested
to view photographs, from Dale
Internet”
Earnhardt’s autopsy. The newspaper
The Sentinel has said repeatedly
stated that they want to have the im
that they have no intention of pub
ages examined by an independent ex
pert on head trauma to determine the
lishing the photos. Additionally, the
newspaper said that it would allow the
cause of death.
Earnhardt family to review the photos
In the days following Dale
Earnhardt's fatal crash at the Daytona
500 NASCAR race, a dispute has
grown as to what actually caused the
death of the sport’s most prolific star.
According to the Sentinel, experts
say that the medical examiner’s deter
mination of Earnhardt’s cause of death
as a “basal skull fracture” was not con
sistent with NASCAR’s findings that
Earnhardt’s seatbelt broke, causing him
to hit the steering wheel.
with them to ensure that they would
not be published.
Sentinel Editor Tim Franklin said in
a statement released last weekend,
“We want to have a national expert
review these photographs to determine
whether the physical evidence is con
sistent with NASCAR’s explanation of
Dale Earnhardt’s death. We want our
expert to examine the failed seatbelt
theory.”
Teresa Earnhardt has sued Volusia
County in Florida to stop the release
of the photos. While the images of
any autopsy not involved in a criminal
investigation are public record in
FILE PHOTO
The Cougars have added three new members to their coaching staff in preparation for a tough
league.
she’s bringing to the team,” said
Fiskum.
New Defensive Coach Charlie
Tropp, was the head coach at
Canby High School for two years
and was an American Softball As
sociation softball coach for 30
years. Hitting Coach Bob Rapp
has been around the team for years
at different times.
“Bob Rapp is a longtime friend
of the college,” said Fiskum “We
have all been in touch over the
years. They all bring a lot of expe-
rience and expertise to the team.”
said.
Lower Columbia will be a dif
ficult team to beat this year.
They won the championship
game last year, however
Clackamas was one of only two
teams to defeat Columbia. Fis
kum believes that Mount Hood
It will be a tough but excit
ing season ahead for the Lady
Cougars.
“There are nine teams in our
league and I think seven of
and Centralia will also be tough
teams to beat.
He believes Centralia will be
particularly hard. “They have
got a veteran coach who
knows what he is doing,” he
flosci than you think
Bachelor of Science:
as a way to contribute to the debate
on how racecar driving can be made
safer. The photos may help resolve a
conflict over how Earnhardt died.”
In a society where we’ve grown ac
customed to being suspicious, I’m
wondering if it’s the job of The Or
lando Sentinel, or any news organiza
tion for thru matter, to question the find
ings of medical professionals?
One can only hope that question is
answered soon and Mrs. Earnhardt is
able to go about unpacking that suit
case, on her own terms.
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A hearing is seUfor tomorrow to
determine whether or not the photos
will remain sealed.
While I’m all for the freedom of the
press, I can’t help think of how unfor
tunate it is for the Earnhardt family to
have to relive their tragic loss in the
media, let alone a courtroom.
According to officials of the news
paper, “the Sentinel has sought access
them are really good,” said Fis
kum.
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