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INSIDE: CLASSIFIEDS, MARKET RECAP & WEATHER B S PORTS THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2021 bendbulletin.com/sports COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL Alpine Skiing Ducks men’s milers set indoor records The top-ranked Oregon men’s track and field team continued to rewrite the collegiate record book Friday after- noon. Two weeks after the men’s distance medley relay team ran the fast- est time in NCAA history, the Ducks’ distance crew pulled off an even bigger stunner. Senior Cooper Teare and sophomore Cole Hocker recorded the two fastest indoor collegiate miles, with junior Charlie Hunter just seconds be- hind, during the opening day of the Tyson Invita- tional in Fayetteville, Ark. Teare finished in 3 min- utes, 50.39 seconds, just a couple steps ahead of Hocker, who finished in 3:50.55. Both times broke for- mer Oregon star Edward Cheserek’s previous col- legiate record of 3:52.01 from 2017. Hunter, who ran a then-NCAA-leading and Australian record of 3:54.54 on the same track during the Razorback In- vitational on Jan. 30, reset his personal best with a time of 3:53.49. Those four are now No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, on the colle- giate all-time list. Teare also became the seventh-fastest man in the indoor mile in world history, and Hocker eighth fastest. The men’s invitational mile on Friday was Ore- gon-only race and set up to get Teare and Hocker the U.S. Olympic Trials standard in the 1,500 of 3:37.50. Mission accom- plished and then some, as Teare’s time converts to 3:33.32 and Hocker’s con- verts to 3:33.47. On Saturday, Hunter overcame teammate Luis Peralta and ran right to the top of the Ducks’ re- cord book in the 800 me- ters during the final day of the meet . Hunter’s time of 1 min- ute, 45.59 seconds was good enough for the win and the school record, bettering Andrew Wheat- ing’s previous record of 1:46.36. Hunter also be- came the No. 5 collegiate performer all-time in the indoor 800. The victory was one of three individual wins Sat- urday for the Ducks, who finished fifth in the men’s team standings with 60 points and third in the women’s standings with 62 points. Texas (82) and Arkan- sas (140) won the men’s and women’s titles, re- spectively. Freshman Emmanuel Ihemeje continued his impressive Oregon debut with his second straight win in the men’s triple jump. Ihemeje jumped 53 feet, 7¾ inches to get the victory. The only other mark in Oregon history longer than that came when Ihemeje set the school record two weeks ago at the Razorback Invi- tational when he jumped 53-10¼. Hannah Reinhardt won the women’s 5,000 in a personal best of 16:01.67. — The (Eugene) Register-Guard SOFTBALL INSIDE • Ducks continue hot start in opening week- end tournament. Sports briefing, B2 Duarte’s 3 lifts Oregon to 63-61 win over Arizona BY JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer Rest and recovery Gabriele Facciotti/AP file Tommy Ford, of Bend, prepares to start the second run of a World Cup giant slalom in Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, in December. On Jan. 9, Ford suffered multiple injuries during a crash at a World Cup race in Adelboden, Switzerland. After a violent crash cut short his stellar World Cup season, Tommy Ford has been home in Bend nursing multiple injuries INSIDE BY MARK MORICAL The Bulletin T • Switzerland’s Corinne Suter takes gold in women’s downhill at world championships in Italy, B3 ommy Ford has no memory of the horrific crash that ended his World Cup skiing season on Jan. 9. He does remember waking up in a Bern, Switzerland hospital, and learning of the injuries to his head, right knee and left wrist. “I don’t remember the crash at Sarah Anne Brunson/U.S. Ski Team all or the next hour,” Ford said in an interview with The Bulletin last week. “I don’t remember the helicopter ride that I apparently had.” Bend’s Tommy Ford, left, celebrated with girlfriend Laurenne Ross after Ford won a giant slalom World Cup race in Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December 2019. Ford, who can get around on crutches but cannot stay on his feet for long, has been back home in Bend for the past few weeks, getting help and support from his parents and his older brother. “You learn what a support system is, or become more aware of it, when you’re less capable,” Ford said. The 31-year-old Ford — a two-time Olympian who was born and raised in Bend — was in the midst of a banner 2020-21 season, posting four World Cup top-10 results in giant slalom, in- cluding a podium finish in Santa Cater- ina, Italy. He had qualified for the alpine skiing world championships, currently being staged in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. One of the top ranked racers at the World Cup giant slalom race in Adel- boden, Switzerland, Ford crashed three gates from the finish after going wide into rough snow beside the course, ac- cording to the Associated Press. His skis touched and he fell forward, sliding down the hill first on his neck and left shoulder. Ford knocked over a course-side worker before coming to a stop close to safety nets beside the finish. See Ford / B3 TUCSON, Ariz. — Oregon’s final shot was supposed to be by Will Richardson in the lane. When things broke down, the Ducks worked the ball around to Chris Duarte. Left open, the senior guard delivered, giving Oregon a six-game winning streak against one of the Pac-12’s top teams. Duarte hit a 3-pointer with 15.6 seconds left, Eu- gene Omoruyi scored 19 points and the Ducks held on to beat Arizona 63-61 on Saturday. “The play broke down. We were trying to get Will in the paint to make a play,” Oregon coach Dana Alt- man. “Will made a good read and Chris made a big shot.” The Ducks and Wildcats have played some high- level, high-scoring games in recent years. The Ducks (12-4, 7-3 Pac-12) made the last stand. With Oregon trailing 61- 60, Richardson drove along the baseline and kicked the ball out to the wing, where Duarte knocked down a 3-pointer in front of the Ducks’ bench. Oregon in- tentionally fouled with 1.1 seconds left and Arizona got the ball to Kerr Kriisa, who missed a 3-pointer af- ter being harassed by L.J. Figueroa. “It was a contested shot,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “The problem with Chris Duarte’s shot in front of their bench, it wasn’t con- tested. He was wide open. He makes a contested shot, which he probably would have, that’s fine, but you can’t be wide open and he was.” Azuolas Tubelis had 20 points to lead the Wildcats (14-7, 8-7). See Ducks / B3 TENNIS | AUSTRALIAN OPEN NASCAR | DAYTONA 500 Is facing a Grand Slam great a dream come true? A big loss? Both? BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer Ahead of his match against Rafael Nadal at the Austra- lian Open, Cameron Nor- rie hit what sounded like all of the right notes, the sorts of sentiments that express a healthy blend of respect and confidence. A bit intimidated, but not too intimidated. A bit in awe, but not too in awe. It is a tricky balance when someone of Norrie’s ilk — ranked 69th and, until this week, the owner of a grand total of six wins in Grand Slam matches — goes up against someone of Nadal’s stature on one of their sport’s biggest stages. Facing a great — any mem- ber of the Big Three, say, or Serena Williams — at a major tournament offers plenty of opportunity, of course: a mo- ment in the spotlight; an en- counter with an idol; a way to measure yourself against the best; a chance for a career-al- tering result. Or, more than likely, a lopsided loss. And to some, John Raoux/AP Denny Hamlin, left, and Kyle Busch joke around in the garages during a Daytona 500 practice session on Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Florida. Andy Brownbill/AP Cameron Norrie hits a forehand to Rafael Nadal during their third- round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday. that’s OK. Norrie, a 25-year-old left- hander who went to Texas Christian University and rep- resents Britain, spoke before taking on Nadal at Rod Laver Arena about the prospect of “an unbelievable experience.” About needing “to go after it and enjoy every minute” of Saturday’s third-round en- counter. He acknowledged Nadal is “a legend” in one breath, and in the next called the 2009 champion at Melbourne Park “just another player” and vowed to “show him what I’ve got.” See Tennis / B3 Denny Hamlin looking for historic 3rd straight victory BY JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Denny Hamlin, considered perhaps the best NASCAR driver without a Cup Series championship, can look past that hole on his record. He in- stead points to a pair of South- ern 500 trophies, a Bristol night race victory, three road course wins, six at Pocono and the big daddy of them all, the Daytona 500. Hamlin has won NASCAR’s crown jewel, the one race that can define a driver’s career, three different times and the last two years. On Sunday, he will attempt to become the first to win three consecutive Day- tona 500s, a feat that would forever dull the disappoint- ment of his championship fail- ures. See Daytona / B2