#9 Oregon (47-15) defeated #20 Rice (43-17) 11-0 in a regional matchup on Sunday, proving what a difference a day can make.

After last night’s shutout loss to the Owls, things looked bleak for Oregon. The Ducks were not able to produce any semblance of an offense and it was going to be a challenge for Head Coach George Horton to manage his pitching staff in a double header.
However, after collecting a somewhat comfortable victory against USF, the Oregon bats awoke dramatically against Rice. As a result, Oregon clearly retook the momentum it had lost heading into the regional final tomorrow.

“If 11-0 is not momentum than I don’t know what is,” said Rice Head Coach Wayne Graham.

Rice 3B Shane Hoelscher grounds out to start the fifth inning.

Horton was honest about whether or not he was surprised by his team’s offensive outburst.
“I had no idea where all of the offensive production came from,” said Horton. “My instincts tell me that a little bit of the edge was off.”

Oregon 2B Aaron Payne attempts a bunt in the fifth inning.

Long reliever Jeff Gold was electric in his spot start, pitching five scoreless innings and striking out four with no walks.
“That’s the best I’ve seen Jeff in a long time,” said catcher Shaun Chase. “He hit every single spot. Every curveball was spectacular.”
Chase got the opportunity to start both game and catch all 18 innings after the usual starter Josh Graham arrived late to the ballpark.

After relieving Gold, pitchers Darrell Hunter pitched three perfect innings before Jordan Spencer finished the shutout in the ninth. First baseman Ryon Healy ignited the Ducks’ offense in the first inning with a solo home run and didn’t stop there. Healy finished the game four-for-four with four RBI. The cleanup hitter behind Healy, Mitchell Tolman, added went two-for four with three RBI.

“He’s the monster in the middle of the order,” Horton said of Healy. “Tolman started to look better behind him, which is significant so Healy can get some pitches to hit.”  In a successful effort to spark Oregon’s offense, Assistant Coach Mark Wasikowski huddled his hitters together for a meeting prior to the first game of the day. “We talk to them all the time about guys stepping up and doing things that maybe they haven’t done up to this point,” said Horton.

The players seemed to agree that they felt more relaxed today, which helped them hit much better. “I think the key to some of the success today was that we were just relaxed,” said right fielder Tyler Baumgartner. “You wouldn’t expect it in an elimination game, but I feel like we were a lot looser than last night.”

Leadoff hitter and center fielder Brett Thomas did not play in either game due to an injured hand and hip and will not play tomorrow. After Cole Irvin’s 122 pitch complete game in Game 1 and the excellent combined effort in game two, the pitching staff will not be as tasked as expected after playing four games in three days.

Though Oregon undoubtedly controls the momentum, the Ducks know that they certainly must keep their foot on the gas pedal. “Even excellent hitting is conducive to what kind of pitches you’re getting to hit,” said Horton, implying that the pitching that his team faced today was easier to hit than last night’s. “In the sport of baseball, momentum is only as good as the next day’s pitcher.”

It now comes down to one game to move on to the Super Regionals. The situation draws back memories of the Ducks’ ninth inning loss to Kent State in the Super Regional last season when they were two outs away from going to Omaha.

“Kent state was a heart-breaker for all of us,” said Gold. “None of us want that feeling again.” The Ducks will look to close out Rice and move onto the Super Regionals tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at PK Park.

The Oregon baseball team is built on three pillars: strong pitching, quality defense, and timely hitting. Not one of these three qualities accompanied the Ducks to PK Park on Monday.

With a Super Regional berth on the line, Oregon failed to live up to their No. 8 national seed, losing to the Rice Owls 11-4.

After two convincing wins over San Francisco and Rice the day before, the momentum for Monday night’s game resided in the home team’s dugout. Shortly after Owls third baseman Shane Hoelscher crossed home plate in the first inning to make the score 3-0, the aforementioned momentum abruptly switched from the Ducks to the accepting talons of the Owls.

In the bottom of the first frame Oregon managed to scratch across two runs after RBI’s by both Mitchell Tolman and Scott Heineman, bringing the Ducks deficit to only one. Rice however was quick to respond.

Starting pitcher Jake Reed (6-6) got the first two Owl batters of the inning out, but proceeded to allow back-to-back singles to the next two hitters. Coach George Horton then called upon left-hander Christian Jones to enter the game. Jones, who was making his first post-season appearance, walked the first two batters he faced, including a four-pitch walk to Rice left fielder Keenan Cook that scored catcher Hunter Kopycinski. Following the walk to Cook, Hoelscher hit a slow groundball to third, but Rice second baseman Christian Stringer hustled his way to third base before Ryan Hambright could make the out. Rice ended the frame leading Oregon by a score of 5-2.

Aside from Garett Cleavinger, Oregon pitching was touched up by Rice. Even Golden Spikes award nominee Jimmie Sherfy allowed 3 ER in a single inning pitched.

The offensive attack for Rice was led by the unlikeliest of sources. Backup catcher Kopycinski, who replaced incumbent starter Geoff Perrott due to an injury, was locked in all night. Kopycinski finished the night going 4-5 with 4 RBIs.

Starting pitcher Zech Lemond (7-1), who usually acts as the Owls’ closer, held the Ducks to 4 runs over 6.2 innings and coasted with a comfortable lead until he was pulled in favor of Austin Kubitza in the 7^th inning. Kubitza then carried Rice to the finish line, setting up a super regional matchup with North Carolina State. N.C. State received the No.9 national seed behind Oregon amidst an immense amount of argument and questioning.

The acronym O.M.A.H.A. hangs in the Ducks dugout.

Last season, Oregon, who also had home field advantage into the super regional, fell in three games to Kansas State, missing out on a trip to Omaha by one run. Coach Horton wanted to make a trip to the College World Series the primary objective this season.

Hanging in the Oregon dugout is a sign with the acronym “Omaha”, a mental ploy by Horton to focus his team on one goal and one goal only-to make it to the College World Series by any means necessary. Oregon certainly put themselves in position to make it after a 46-15 regular season that resulted in a home field advantage situation through the super regionals.

In order to utilize that home field advantage in the super regional, Oregon would first have to make it past their other three competitors in their regional matchup. Instead of coasting through their competition, the Ducks ran into a Rice Owls team that pounced on a few Oregon brain lapses and turned those mistakes into 11 runs on the evening.

Oregon baseball, after returning in 2009 from a 28-year absence, is still a relatively young program that has managed to make leaps and bounds from its 14-42 inaugural season in 2009. Coach Horton has managed to take the team to three regional appearances and one super regional loss, but the performance in this year’s regional will surely leave a bad taste in the mouths of the players, and all the Duck fans.

Instead of waiting for the N.C. State Wolfpack to make a trip to Eugene, like many had projected, Oregon will watch the remainder of the NCAA Baseball Tournament from the comfort of their homes. The aspirations that accompanied a season of so much promise for Oregon will forever be a dream that never came into fruition.

At about 6:10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4, Todd P. Walker, 25, of Parkdale, OR was driving a Subaru Impreza eastbound on Highway 126 when it veered several hundred feet off of the roadway. The crash occurred about two miles west of the Beltline interchange.

The driver was trapped in the vehicle after his side of the vehicle collided into a tree. He was extricated from the vehicle by Eugene Fire Department personnel and transported by LifeFlight to RiverBend Hospital in Springfield. His passenger, Jennifer M. Kelley of Camas, WA, was transported by ground ambulance to the same hospital.

Both occupants of the Impreza were wearing safety restraints and the airbags deployed. OSP troopers are continuing the investigation, led by Senior Trooper Rick Hamilton. The highway was blocked for 90 minutes after the accident.

Photo: Oregon State Police

Photo: Oregon State Police

The action continued at Historic Hayward Field as the nation’s best collegiate Division 1 athletes competed against one another Thursday afternoon in the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Most of the day’s events were dedicated to semifinal heats, though there were several finals as well.

Photo: GoDucks.com

The headliner for the day was the men’s 10,000 Meters Final. Arizona’s Lawi Lalang was able to finish first with a time of 29:29.65. Local fans were also able to watch the University of Oregon’s own Parker Stinson and Matthew Melancon compete in the 10,000 as well. Stinson was able to finish sixth.

The race featured 24 competitors starting in a double waterfall. Nate Jewkes of Southern Utah took the lead early, though the early few laps were led by multiple runners. The pace slowed into the third lap as Stinson moved into third place. The race as a whole was very tactical as none of the athletes were willing to push the pace. The main pack started to drop athletes with 12 laps to go as Lalang took the lead. With just five laps to go Lalang continued to push the pack, breaking away from the main group and extending his lead. In the end no other runners were able to hang with him as Lalang claimed first.

Brianna Rollins, junior from Clemson, brought some excitement to the Women’s 100m Hurdle semifinals as she was able to beat the Collegiate record in the event with a time of 12.47. Her time was also the fastest in the world this year. Rollins was able to best the record set by USC’s Virginia Powell back in 2006. There was some thought that Rollins’ time may be voided due to wind assistance, but much to the relief of the fans in the stands the officials declared the wind was within legal parameters.

University of Oregon fans were able to watch as the Duck’s Johnathan Cabral advanced past his Men’s 110m Hurdle semifinals with a time of 13.46. Cabral will compete in the finals Saturday where he is seeded third.

The Ducks also saw both of their Men’s and Women’s 4×400 Meter Relay teams move on to the finals. The Women automatically qualified after finishing in first place in their semifinal heat. The Men were also able to advance after finishing second in their heat. Both will compete next Saturday.

Thursday fans were also able to enjoy three finals from the field.

Women’s Discuss saw a showdown between athletes from the Arizona schools. Anna Jelmini, junior from Arizona State, was able to out-throw Julie Labonte from rival Arizona with a distance of 57.95m. Labonte had a mark of 56.25m.

Despite swirling winds, the competitors in Men’s Long Jump were able to post some solid jumps. Damar Forbes, LSU, was able to win with a jump of 8.35m. His mark was the furthest of any collegiate athlete this year. Raymond Higgs of Arkansas came in second, while Mike Hartfield of Ohio State finished third.

Tomas Kruzliak of Virginia Tech won the Men’s Hammer Throw with a distance of 69.26m. Remy Conaster from USC came in second with a throw of 68.30m. Oregon’s own Greg Skipper finished fourth with a distance of 67.09m.

Check back at Lane Today for more news from the 2013 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships.

On a hot day in Eugene, Oregon, Track fans were able to enjoy plenty of finals at Historic Hayward Field as the NCAA Division I 2013 Outdoor Track and Field Championships continued Friday afternoon.

Elijah Greer after winning the mens 800m
Photo-Joseph Hoyt

Oregon had two great finishes as Duck athletes medaled in both the Men’s and Women’s 800 Meters. Laura Roesler finished second in the Women’s race with a time of 2:00.98, just behind winner Natoya Goule of LSU, who finished in 2:00.06. On the Men’s side Oregon senior Elijah Greer finished first with a time of 1:46.58. Greer looked comfortable throughout the race. “When it became time with 400m to go I felt pretty strong.” He was able to pull into first down the back stretch, and was able to hold on for the victory. The race was the final time Greer would compete for the Ducks.

The final event of the evening was the Women’s 5000 Meters. There was a lot of anticipation from the fans as the race would be Oregon senior Jordan Hasay’s final race as a Duck. Hasay finished a disappointing third with a time of 15:50.78. Abbey D’Agostino of Dartmouth finished first after leading the entire race with a solid time of 15:43.68. The race featured 24 competitors staggered in the double waterfall. Hasay got off to a strong start, positioning herself smartly to avoid being trapped within the pack. For most of the race Hasay found herself in second, content to let others set the pace. On the bell lap Hasay briefly took the lead, only to burn out on the final 200, falling to third place.

The Women’s 400 Meter Hurdles was dominated by the Pac-12 as Stanford, Arizona and UCLA finished in the top three. Kori Carter, junior for the Cardinal, set a new collegiate record with her time of 53.21, beating out Sheena Johnson’s time that has stood since 2004. Carter made her push coming around the Bowerman curve.  When asked how she felt setting the collegiate record, she was understandably happy. “I dream of it,” Carter said “but I expected it my senior year. So for it to come as a junior is crazy.” Georganne Moline for the Wildcats finished second while Turquoise Thompson of the Bruins finished in a distant third.

English Gardner after receiving her 1st place trophy for the Women’s 100m
Photo-Joseph Hoyt

The highlight of the night came for the University of Oregon when English Gardner won the Women’s 100m Dash with a blistering time of 10.96. Gardner has been battling foot problems, and there was some thought coming into the race today that the injury might slow her down. “I call myself a Spartan. I just went out there and did the best I could.” The time marks her first finish under 11 seconds. After crossing the line she celebrated on the track as the hometown fans showered her with cheers. “This is the icing on top of the cake,” said Gardner, “I love my fans and I love Hayward Field. To finally break 10 at home, I am very pleased and happy.” Teammate Jenna Prandini finished seventh with a time of 11.43.

Both Gardner and Prandini will be competing in relays tomorrow. Gardner confirmed she will be running both the 4×100 and the 4×400. Prandini will run the 4×100 and is on the alternate list for the 4×400.

In the Men’s 400 Meter Hurdles favorite Reggie Wyatt from USC was able to easily take first place running a quick 48.58. He had a clean race from start to finish, and was able to pull ahead early. Michael Stigler from Kansas came in second with a time of 49.19.

Shanieka Thomas, from San Diego State, won Women’s Triple Jump with a distance of 14.14m.

Julian Wruck, UCLA, won Men’s Discuss with a throw of 64.94.

The final event featuring Oregon was the Women’s 400 Meter Dash. The race was won by Ashley Spencer of Illinois with a time of 50.28. Shaunae Miller, freshman from Georgia finished second with a time of 50.70 while Duck Phyllis Francis finished third with a time of 50.86. Francis worked to get herself back into the race after falling behind early, fighting her way onto the podium on the final stretch.

Bethany Buell of South Dakota won the Women’s Pole Vault, jumping 4.45m. Two competitors finished tied for second with a final mark of 4.40; Jade Riebold of Eastern Illinois and Natalia Bartnovskaya of Kansas.

Men’s High Jump saw Indiana’s Derek Drouin claim first with a jump of 2.34m. Erik Kynard of Kansas State finished second, jumping 2.31m.

The Men’s 100 Meter finals featured a tight finish amongst the top three. Favorite Charles Silmon, TCU, finished first with a time of 9.89. Dentarius Locke of Florida State finished second with a time of 9.91 while Isiah Young of Mississippi finished third with a time of 9.96.

UTEP’s Anthony Rotich, a sophomore, won the Men’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase crossing the line in 8:21.19.

Check back tomorrow at Lane Today where the sports team will bring you all the news from the final day of the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Mark Lavis: Contributing Writer, Joseph Hoyt: Photographer

The final day of the NCAA 2013 Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place Saturday afternoon at the Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The day featured numerous finals as the competition came to a close.

Oregon had a great showing at the meet as the Women finished third overall and the men finished fourth. Kansas won the Women’s competition, while interestingly, Texas A&M and Florida tied for first in points at the end of competition.

Oregon women take home the 3rd place trophy
Photo-Joseph Hoyt

The first two track events of the day were the Men’s and Women’s 4×100 Meter Relays. Oregon was represented in the Women’s event by Phyllis Francis, Jenna Prandini, English Gardner and Chizoba Okodogbe. The race was won by Texas A&M with a strong time of 42:88. UCF finished second with a time of 43:36. Oregon crossed the line a disappointing fourth after falling behind on the final leg. Prandini and Okodogbe struggled with the final handoff, erasing the lead Gardner had built running the second leg.

The Men’s side came down to a photo finish between the SEC schools as Florida, Alabama and Auburn all finished in the top three. Alabama looked to have a slight lead crossing the finish line, but it was a last second effort by Florida that pushed them into first place with a time of 38:53. Alabama ended with a time of 38:54.

The Women’s 1500 Meter Run featured two more Oregon athletes, seniors Anne Kesselring and Becca Friday. The race had huge implications towards the team competition as second place Oregon looked to catch up to first place Kansas. Kesselring looked to be in good position going into the final 100 meters when she tripped up and fell to the track. Race favorite Natalja Piliusina of Oklahoma State finished the race in first with a time of 4:13.25 while Cory McGee finished second with a time of 4:13.94. Friday crossed 11^th with a time of 4:20.85 and Kesselring finished last with a time of 4:28.17. Despite losing out in the team competition, Friday was still positive after the race. “I’m still proud of our girls,” said Friday.

Men’s 1500 Meter Run saw Oregon’s Mac Fleet coming in as the favorite after finishing with the fastest time in the prelims. He was content to run from the back of the pack for most of the race in order to avoid being caught up in the pack. Patrick McGregor of Texas led for most of the race, setting the pace. The final lap was when Fleet finally made his moving, slowly working his way up towards the front until he finally took the lead on the Bowerman Curve. He was able to hold on for the win, pointing towards the sky as he crossed the line 3:50.25. When asked if he thought Alex Rovello is smiling down on them, Fleet said “I think so, yes. We’ve all been competing for him the last few weeks after our UO program took a hit with his passing.” Rovello was an Oregon tennis player who died earlier this year. Members of the track team have been wearing a patch in his honor. Zach Perkins, Air Force, finished second with a time of 3:50.39.

Kimberlyn Duncan, senior for LSU, won the Women’s 200 Meter Dash with a collegiate record tying time of 22.04. With the victory she becomes the first ever athlete to win the event at the NCAA Championships three times in a row. “I’m very satisfied,” said Duncan who was very emotional after the race, “right now I am just trying to hold back tears.”

Ameer Webb of Texas A&M won the Men’s 200 Meter Dash with a time of 20.10. With the victory Webb completed the Indoor/Outdoor double. Isiah Young of Mississippi finished second in 20.17. Bryshon Nellum of USC finished third in 20.27.

Another Texas A&M athlete won when Sam Humphreys claimed first in the Men’s Javelin. His best mark was 77.95m. Oregon’s Sam Crouser, a sophomore, finished third. Crowser was unhappy with his placing because his season best would have won the event. “It was disappointing, especially in front of this home crowd.” Crowser’s best throw was 73.07m.

Tia Brooks of Oklahoma set a new NCAA Meet record in the Women’s Shot Put with a throw of 18.91. Her mark beat Tressa Thompson record that has stood since 1998.

Colorado’s Emma Coburn, a senior, won the Women’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase with a strong time of 9:35.38. Colleen Quigley came in second for Florida State with a time of 9:38.23 while Amber Henry of Weber State finished in third, crossing the line in 9:43.39.

Clemson’s Brianna Rollins continued her huge performance her at the Championships by besting her record time in the Women’s 100 Meter Hurdles, a time she set in the prelims Thursday. Rollins finished first with a time of 12.39, the best time ever by a collegiate runner as well as a Historic Hayward Field track record. Rollins’ time was only 0.06 seconds off of the American record held by Gail Devers.

Wayne Davis II of Texas A&M won the Men’s 110 Meter Hurdles with a time of 13.14. Eddie Lovett of Florida finished second in 13.32 while Spencer Adams of Clemson came in third with a time of 13.34. Oregon’s Johnathan Cabral crossed the line fifth with a time of 13.41.

Photo-Joseph Hoyt

Oregon went into the Men’s and Women’s 4×400 Meter Relays looking to place high and win some points towards the team competitions. The Women came into the race seeded first after a great time in the prelims. They struggled early, falling behind as Texas took a huge lead during the second leg. Arkansas slowly worked their way back into the race, eventually overtaking Texas in the final leg to claim first, finishing in 3:27.09. Oregon ended up finishing in fourth with a time of 3:28.24 after a strong final leg.

In the Men’s Relay the Texas A&M team dropped the baton, allowing Florida to win easily with a time of 3:01.34. Arkansas claimed second with a time of 3:02.89 while Oregon fought their way into third after falling behind early. The Ducks crossed the line in 3:03.61.

Mark Lavis: Contributing Writer, Joseph Hoyt: Photographer

The decision between staying in school and going professional has become a lot more interesting for Oregon first-baseman Ryon Healy. Healy, a junior for the Ducks, was selected with the 100th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics.

Ryon Healy: senior season or Oakland?
Photo-Joseph Hoyt

While always being a consistent hitter for Oregon, Healy really developed as a power hitting first baseman this year. The Ducks’ slugger swatted 11 home runs this season and batted a career high .333 during the regular season. On a team where singles, bunts, and stolen bases are the norm, Healy became the lone source of power for coach George Horton’s club.

If Healy were to make the jump to the professional ranks, he would leave a gaping hole in the middle of the Oregon lineup.

While his statistics place him as one of the best hitters in college baseball, Healy saw ninety-nine other players selected before hearing his name called.

So now the question looms: will Healy stay in school for another season, or will he take the $476,500 from the A’s?

“I don’t know what my future’s going to hold now. This week will determine it,” Healy said. “But whether I leave or whether I stay, the University of Oregon was by far the best thing that’s ever happened to my life and baseball career.”

Healy wasn’t the only Oregon player selected to join the road to the major leagues.

Two-hundred selections after Healy, Oregon closer Jimmie Sherfy was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rated as a top-100 prospect by Baseball America, Sherfy’s slide was a tad unexpected. The “Wild Thing” as Oregon fans fondly know him, is up for multiple awards this off-season including the College Baseball Writers Stopper of the Year, an award given to the best reliever in college baseball.

Picked before any current Duck was St. Ignatius College Prep’s Matt Krook, a left-handed pitcher committed to play for Oregon next year. The 6-foot-2 lefty was selected thirty-fifth overall by the Miami Marlins. Krook would be a huge loss for Oregon if he decides to skip out on college and enter professional baseball, he finished his senior season with a dismal 1.65 ERA.

Other Oregon players selected include:

Cole Wiper RHP (310-Texas Rangers)

JJ Altobelli SS (545-St.Louis Cardinals)

Christian Jones LHP (552-San Francisco Giants)

Brett Thomas LF (627-Seattle Mariners)

By Ben Deatherage

The Cottage Grove Speedway had another wonderful installment to the 2013 season on Saturday, June 8th.  The Northwest Wingless Tour returned to the ¼-mile clay oval for the third time this year at CGS.  Also in competition were Late Models, Dwarf Cars, and Hornets.

Kyle Miller of Eugene picked up from where he left off the last time he was in a Non-Wing Sprint Car.  Grabbing the lead on Lap five, Miller would dominate the Northwest Wingless feature to earn his second win of the year with the series, and his eighth career victory with the NWWT when they have visited “The Grove”.  It marked just the second time he has hopped into the Gary’s Subaru Service/Oregon West RV/Finest Detail #10 XXX machine during the current campaign.

Photo: Madman Photography

Ariel, Washington’s Pat Canfield finished second in the Van Raden Industries #25 XXX, followed by the Extremeturborsystems.com/Fast Racing Engines #7K XXX of Kyle Mehner from Clackamas.  The rest of the top five finishers would consist of Wilsonville driver Rob Lindsey in his Maxline Cases/Competition Suspensions Inc. #23 XXX in fourth and the Fuel Injection Enterprises #89 XXX of Albany’s Sterling Kane in fifth.

Kyle Miller was fast time of the night with at time of 12.657 seconds.  Heat race winners were Miller, the 4 His Glory Racing/1st Choice Construction #4E Rocket of Nathan Ellertson of Fall Creek, and La Pine native Vern Scevers in the #15R Maxim.  Kyle Mehner would win the trophy dash.

Collen Winebarger made the trip down to Cottage Grove from his hometown of Corbett to look for his third straight Late Model win at the venue.  Cottage Grove’s Mike Peters was the early leader in his Send Transportation/Interstate Cargo #88 Swartz, but lost the lead shortly after a restart to the Redwood Northwest/Coleen’s One Stop Bird Shop #422 GRT of Chuck Christian from Eugene.  Christian would lead for a few laps, but he too was overtaken after a restart.

That driver would be Winebarger, taking the lead in his crate-engine powered Discount Car Parts/All In Property Investments #1 MasterSbilt.   He went on to lead the rest of the distance without any troubles to earn his third straight win at the bullring clay oval.

Shaun Mayea of Bend would earn the runner-up position in his Cold Springs Resort/R.G. Remanufacturing #36 Rocket followed by Chuck Christian in third.  Finishing the evening in fourth was the Visitlapine.com/Country Financial/Sharc Aquatic Center of Sun River #4E Victory Circle of Trent Elliott from La Pine while the X-Factor Race Cars/All Pro Steel #42 X-Factor of Springfield’s Paul Culp was fifth.  Trent Elliott was quickest in qualifying at 12.975 seconds, Winebarger won the heat race, and Elliott was the victor in trophy dash action.

Robert O’Neil of Waldport dominated the Dwarf Car ranks.  O’Neil, in the Hicks Family Racing/Lynch Brothers Proformence Products #14, would have no issues in the main event, as it was more about the race for second place than for the lead.  O’Neil would become the second different Dwarf Car winner in as many races.

The Wright Shop/Cindy Sew-It #78 of Kevin Hicks from Creswell was second in the end, while third place went to the #48 of Neal Hopwood from Gresham.  Hicks would win the heat race while victorious in the trophy dash was Hopwood.

After a couple of different leaders in the first ten laps or so of the Hornet main event, Veneta’s Joe Maricle made his move to the front.  Maricle, in the Ram Jack Foundation Repair #11, set a rapid pace in the main event once he got to the front, and led the rest of the distance to return to victory lane.  It would mark the third time he has hoisted a main event trophy this year which makes him the most triumphant Hornet driver so far in 2013.

Josh Corley of Veneta in the #7C would end the night second, while finishing third was Cottage Grove’s James Deatherage in his D&D Automotive/Harris Machine and Design #7D.  Kolby Clay of Junction City was fourth in the West End Performance/Team S.D.M.F. #8 followed by the Small Town Treasures/Nichol’s Napa Auto Parts #89 of Jim Simmons from Cottage Grove in fifth.  Taunton Swaim of Dexter, in the Randy Kuhl owned Big Dog Recycling/A-1 Auto Supply #17, would win the trophy dash while earning heat race victories were Corley and Clay.

The Cottage Grove Speedway will be back in action next Friday June 14th for the Kage Karts, and Saturday the 15th for Relay For Life Night.  Classes in action on the 15th will consist of the Northwest Extreme Sprints, Street Stocks, and the Pro-4’s, while both 360 Sprints and Late Models have been added to the schedule.  Also, Wednesday June 19, the Wild Wild Modified Shootout will return to CGS.  A high car count is expected for this race, and it is a chance for the local IMCA Modified stars to shine again completion from all over the Pacific Northwest.  For more information log on to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.

Race Summary

Saturday June 8th, 2013

Cottage Grove Speedway

Cottage Grove, Oregon

Northwest Wingless Tour

20 Entries

Fast Time: Kyle Miller, 12.657

Trophy Dash Winner: Kyle Mehner

Heat Race Winners: Kyle Miller (1), Nathan Ellertson (2), Vern Scevers (3)

A-Feature: 1. Kyle Miller, 2. Pat Canfield, 3. Kyle Mehner, 4. Rob Lindsey, 5. Sterling Kane, 6. Tim Alberding, 7. Andrew Reitman, 8. Nathan Ellertson, 9. Bill Winsley, 10. Mark Herz, 11. Mike Griffith, 12. Jesse Thistle, 13. Dusty Redmond, 14. Darren Rothe, 15. Kady Adelman, 16. Brad Rhodes, 17. Vern Scevers, 18. Garret Johnson, 19. Guy Weedman, 20. Joe Bosso Jr.

Late Models

8 Entries

Fast Time: Trent Elliott, 12.975

Trophy Dash Winner: Trent Elliott

Heat Race Winner: Collen Winebarger (1)

A-Feature: 1. Collen Winebarger, 2. Shaun Mayea, 3. Chuck Christian, 4. Trent Elliott, 5. Paul Culp, 6. Mike Peters, 7. Skeet Phillips, 8. Kreg Britton

Dwarf Cars

4 Entries

Trophy Dash Winner: Neal Hopwood

Heat Race Winner: Kevin Hicks (1)

A-Feature: 1. Robert O’Neil, 2. Kevin Hicks, 3. Neal Hopwood, DNS Brian Hicks

Hornets

Trophy Dash Winner: Taunton Swaim

Heat Race Winners: Josh Corley (1), Kolby Clay (2)

A-Feature: 1. Joe Maricle, 2. Josh Corley, 3. James Deatherage, 4. Kolby Clay, 5. Jim Simmons, 6. Evan Britton, 7. James Donaldson, 8. Mike Simmons, 9. James Simmons, 10. Kayla Simmons, 11. Mike Swaim, 12. Dan Maricle, 13. Taunton Swaim, 14. Chris Pierce

Since we last updated Lane County residents on gas prices on June 2, gas prices in the Eugene-Springfield area have dropped six cents to $3.83 per gallon.

The gap between the lowest and highest gas prices in the area has shrunk considerably, with the cheapest gas available for $3.73 at Space Age on W. 11th Ave. in Eugene, and the most expensive unleaded being dispensed at the two Chevron stations in Cottage Grove for $3.99.

Photo: Scott Reynolds – Lane Today

Motorists headed out to the coast can expect to pay between $3.73 and $3.89 at the stations along Highway 101 in Florence, and $3.79 at the two gas stations on Highway 58 in Oakridge.

Local gas prices are essentially on par with the statewide average of $3.82, but 20 cents above the national average of $3.63.

Below is a list of what travelers can expect to pay for unleaded in other parts of Oregon.

Seaside: $3.45 – $3.99. The $3.45 price is available at the 76 station at S. Roosevelt Dr. and Avenue U.

Portland Area: $3.56 – 3.79. The cheaper stations are mostly located in Beaverton and Hillsboro.

Salem: $3.59 – $4.09.

Medford: $3.58 – 3.98.

Bend: $3.73 – $3.99.

Klamath Falls: $3.81 – $3.99.

Coos Bay: $3.81 – $3.85.

The Dalles: $3.85 – $3.94.

La Grande: $3.85 – $.

Oregon Lacrosse Head Coach Jen Larsen Beck announced the signing of Janelle Parker, who started as goalie all four years at Williston Northampton School in Danvers, MA.

Parker was the team’s MVP three consecutive times during her high school years, leading her team to three Northeastern Conference Championships. She also lettered in ice hockey and was a member of the National Honor Society.

The Ducks’ 2014 class consists of six midfielders and two goalies. Three of the recruits are from Maryland, two are from Colorado and one each are from Oregon, California and Massachusetts.

The Ducks look to improve on last season’s 8-9 record.

Northwest Christian University announced it will host the 2013 Barnstorm All-Star Game on Sunday, June 30 at 7:00 p.m.

A lot of well-known Oregon stars will be playing in the game, including new NCU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Luke Jackson, current NBA players Luke Ridnour, Kyle Singler and Aaron Brooks and former Oregon standouts E.J. Singler, Bryce Taylor, Tajuan Porter and Garrett Sim. Complimenting this cast of superstars is former NCU All-American Ben Voogd and current NCU assistant coach Josh Harbert.

Going up against the All-Stars are a team of high-school players from all over the state including McDonald’s High School All-American Mercedes Russell of Springfield High and NCU recruits Calvin Anderson (Horizon Christian HS), Nathaniel Sutherland (Westside Christian) and Keidren Johnson of Churchill.

The game will be played at Churchill High School, and money raised will benefit the NCU Athletic Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $25 for preferred seating. They will go on sale Monday, June 24 at the Bi-Mart location at 18th Ave. and Chambers St. Tickets will also be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

For a few weeks now, I have been seeing ads for the new movie starring Brad Pitt called “World War Z.” I will admit I was intrigued by what I saw, and when I did some further probing and found out it is a zombie movie, I felt I had to go see it. It is rated PG-13, and therefore I decided to take 3 of my kids along. It looked somewhat intense from what I had seen in the previews, however I made a choice that my kids could handle it. After all, they watch the show “The Walking Dead.”

The first few opening scenes of this movie are depictions of normal, day to day life for people. Brad Pitt plays a married man with a family, which includes his wife and two daughters. A few minutes into the movie, he gets a phone call from someone who seems official, telling him he is needed for something of the utmost importance. Pitt is playing a man who was once a very integral figure in the government, specifically the U.N., and has no choice but to do what is asked of him.

Photo: World War Z Official Site

He loads up his family into the car and heads into Philadelphia. Shortly into the jaunt down the highway, traffic is at a standstill. A speeding police motorcycle comes too close to the family car and consequently breaks off the sideview mirror. Pitt decides to get out of his car and pick up the broken mirror. No sooner does he do this than another officer yells at him to get back into his car. It is at this moment that all out chaos ensues and several things happen very quickly. Pitt observes a family in a vehicle nearby, and all of a sudden, a wild, animal-like person attacks this group and he watches in horror as the vicious attack is happening. One of the victims is bitten and within seconds, turns into what looks like a zombie, only this monster moves with lighting fast precision in his quest for a victim.

I do not want to describe too much for fear of spoiling the story for those who have yet to see it. The main part of the movie after the scene described above involves Pitt going on his mission to find a way to develop a vaccine to protect the remaining people on earth from this insidious illness. The illness is a pandemic, meaning it has spread all over the world and is affecting multiple areas. On the quest, he faces danger at every turn and this movie definitely does not disappoint. It is almost non-stop, edge of your seat action.

I would give this movie a 4 star review and as a fan of zombie movies, it is up there as a favorite. It contains elements that remind me of “28 Days Later” and “I Am Legend,” but is original enough to stand on its own. It is clever in the way the zombies are portrayed in this movie and they are not your typical zombies in any way, shape, or form.

World War Z is showing locally at Regal Valley River Center Stadium 15 in Eugene, Cinemark 17 at Gateway Mall in Springfield and Florence Cinemas in Florence. Click here for showtimes.

Gas prices in the Eugene-Springfield area have continued a slow and gradual decline, with unleaded selling for an average of $3.78 per gallon locally according to EugeneGasPrices.com.

The cheapest gas in the area is in Cottage Grove, with the Safeway on Main St. and the Conoco at 9th St. and Gibbs Ave. selling unleaded for $3.59, closely followed by 76 on Highway 99 for $3.61. In Eugene, Costco in North Eugene and the 76 and Conoco stations on Highway 99 are pumping gas for $3.64.

The most expensive gas is found in the usual places, which are the two Chevron stations in Cottage Grove right off I-5 and the 76 station at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Coburg Rd. in Eugene; all three sell unleaded for $3.99.

Motorists headed out to the coast can expect to pay between $3.67 and $3.79 at the stations along Highway 101 in Florence, and $3.79 at the two gas stations on Highway 58 in Oakridge.Local gas prices are in line with the statewide average of $3.77, but 22 cents above the national average of $3.56.

Photo: Scott Reynolds – Lane Today

Below is a list of what travelers can expect to pay for unleaded in other parts of Oregon.

Medford: $3.73

Portland: $3.78

Salem: $3.67

Newport: $3.87 – 3.89

Bend: $3.66 – 3.89

Corvallis: $3.79 – 3.89

This morning, the University of Oregon Ducks football program learned its fate from the NCAA Infractions Committee for recruiting violations, mainly relating to its use of a recruiting service run by Wil Lyles.

Speculation about the possible sanctions the Ducks could have faced were rampant in sports reports and Twitter, ranging from a possible ban on participation in a bowl game, all the way down to reductions in the number of permissible uniform combinations and making Puddles the Duck do his after-touchdown push ups with one hand.

All kidding aside, The NCAA Infractions Committee instead decided to remove one scholarship from the program for the next two years, reducing from 25 to 24 the number of scholarships during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years; reducing the number of total financial aid awards for the program by one from 85 to 84 for the academic years between 2012-13 and 2014-15; and three years probation.

“Throughout this process, there has been speculation and innuendo regarding the nature and severity of potential violations, much of which was unfounded.  As stated by the NCAA Enforcement Staff, the violations committed in this case were unintentional.,” said Rob Mullens, Director of Athletics for the University of Oregon. “The University of Oregon remains committed to fair play, integrity and the best interests of our student-athletes.  We have all learned from this experience and look forward to continuing the progress of broad-based excellence in Oregon athletics.”

Additionally, former head coach Chip Kelly, now with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, was found by the committee to have failed to monitor his program as it relates to the recruiting services improper contact with prospective student-athletes. The committee imposed an 18-month show cause on Kelly, which would require him to appear before the committee should he be hired by any NCAA member in an athletic-related capacity.

The full report from the NCAA can be viewed here.

In the continuing saga of whether Jacob Daniels will take another stab at the legislature, Lane Today came across information from Daniels’ Facebook page indicating that he was meeting on Wednesday with GOP House Leadership to discuss Oregon’s future.

When asked whether he will run for the State Legislature, Daniels continued to play-down his potential candidacy and instead emphasized his work as Creswell’s City Council President.

“I’m friends with the majority leader and the minority leader.  I have visited both of their offices this session and appreciate the hard work of Oregon’s citizen legislators,” said Daniels.  “I’m concerned about soft treatment for sexual offenders and kicking today’s problems down the road.  As a 28-year-old attorney, I’m part of the generation that will eventual have to pick up those pieces.  I’d rather fix the problems now, rather than later.  Do I need to be a legislator to help with those efforts? No.”

A source close to Daniels, however, indicated that a 2014 Daniels candidacy is not out of the question.  “Jacob frequently gets requests from people across the Oregon political spectrum to run for the legislature including Tea Partiers, Moderate Republicans, Independents, and some Democrats.”  The source went on further to say that “Jacob understands that timing is everything in politics, and that this may be the right time to run.”

Daniels said that he likes to leave his options open, but added, “My job and my commitment is to my neighbors in Creswell.  We have a lot of work to do.  We have achieved a lot this year and there are still plenty of things to achieve.”

University of Oregon pitcher Cole Irvin has been named to Baseball America’s All-America Freshman First Team, according to Baseball America magazine.

Cole Irvin
Photo: Joseph Hoyt – Lane Today

This is Irvin’s third accolade this summer, also having been named to the Louisville Slugger and NCBWA freshman All-America teams. The Yorba Linda, CA standout won 12 games in 2013, setting a program record, and pitched to a 2.48 ERA with four complete games.

During the season, Irvin was twice named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week and struck out 9 batters in his start during the NCAA Regionals held in Eugene.

On Tuesday, the Oregon House passed House Bill 3194, which is also referred to as the Legislature’s public safety package. The bill will increase funding for the Community Corrections Act (CCA), which will enhance the ability of Lane County, and all Oregon counties, to hold and supervise local offenders.

Lane County has been receiving about $900,000 annually in CCA funding, and with passage of HB 3194, this amount will increase about 33%, bringing the expected amount of CCA funding for Lane County to roughly $1.2 million per year. With improvements to the state’s economy and quality of grant proposals submitted to the Department of Corrections, this funding could possibly amount to as much as $2.5 million per year.

“This bill couldn’t have come at a better time for our County, and I believe it will help us leverage the federal action we need to fully restore public safety adequacy that Lane County residents clearly expect their government to provide,” said Lane County Board Chair Sid Leiken in a letter distributed to every member of the House.

Some of the functions provided by the CCA are supervision and monitoring of local offenders on parole or probation; community-based sanctions such as electronic surveillance, community work crews and day reporting centers; and services such as drug and alcohol treatment, sex offender treatment and employment and mental health support services.

Lane County officials are “hopefully optimistic,” however, as the measure passed the Senate one vote short of a two-thirds majority, and the dollars are not allowed to be spent on prosecution services.

“The Community Corrections Act dollars are distributed based on a formula that includes the number of individuals under supervision,” said Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner. “While the Budget Committee did a remarkable job ensuring that 5 prosecutors in my office kept their jobs, the level of staffing in the DA’s office is still very low. If we cannot prosecute cases, that ultimately impacts the CCA funding formula in such a way that future years funding will most certainly drop.”

The 77th Oregon Legislature adjourned today in Salem at 2:48 p.m., culminating months of wrangling over issues such as public safety, economic development, education and PERS reform.

Artist’s rendering of Oregon State Hospital – Junction City
Photo: State of Oregon

The legislature passed House Bill 5008, which authorizes $79 million in funding for the construction of Oregon State Hospital – Junction City. The economic impact of the project is estimated to create 2,300 construction jobs between now and 2015, with 500-600 permanent local living wage jobs after that, according to Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Eugene), who served on the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Sub-Committee on Capital Construction.

In a Lane Today phone interview, Hoyle gave kudos to several people for helping to make the funding a reality.  Hoyle also lobbied heavily in Salem and spent time talking to those opposed to the project.  Hoyle hailed herself as “an all in kind of gal.”  But her largest compliment was given to the people of Junction City who worked to make it happen.

Hoyle credits Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney citing him as fabulous partner and Governor John Kitzhaber, who was also praised for his support.

On Lane Today’s Facebook page, readers responses were varied.

“Why is the state willing to pay out 80 million dollars to build a new mental facility in Junction City for 130 inmates when sitting in Madras at DRCI is a beautiful facility that has never been opened? The state says it would cost 1 million to get it open and staffed.. Well that is a savings of 79 million?” asked Donna Traw.  “The state says it would cost 1 million to get it open and staffed.. Well that is a savings of 79 million.”

Hoyle responded when asked saying, “The Junction City facility is an acute care psychiatric facility for people who are severely mentally ill, some of them have committed crimes but have been found guilty except for insanity or are so severely ill that they can’t aid or assist in their defense because they don’t have the ability to understand the charges against them.”

“People who are convicted of a crime deserve to be incarcerated, people who are a danger to themselves and others because of a severe mental illness, need to be in a psychiatric facility to get the care they need. Being mentally ill is not a crime and mentally I’ll people shouldn’t be housed in a prison,” said Hoyle.

Still, Traw and others are concerned about the cost and believe that there are other more cost effective solutions out there.

The Junction City facility is an acute care psychiatric facility for people who are severely mentally I’ll, some if them have committed crimes but have been found guilty except for insanity or are so severely ill that they can’t aid or assist in their defense because they don’t have the ability to understand the charges against them. People who are convicted of a crime deserve to be incarcerated, people who are a danger to themselves and others because of a severe mental illness, need to be in a psychiatric facility to get the care they need. Being mentally ill is not a crime and mentally I’ll people shouldn’t be housed in a prison.

Also of local significance with to regards to HB 5008 is the allocation of over $12.2 million for disbursement to Lane Transit District’s West Eugene EmX extension project. The project, scheduled to be completed in 2017, is currently in the engineering phase, and is also being challenged in U.S. Federal Court by local transit watchdog group, Our Money Our Transit.

Other highlights from the 2013 session include the Legislature passing a $6.55 billion education budget, with $200 million in savings from pension reductions added to that. Lawmakers had an eye on health issues as well, making it harder for parents to prevent children from being vaccinated, minors will no longer be allowed to use tanning beds and smoking in a vehicle with a child present can now lead to a citation. All of these laws take effect Jan. 1, 2014, along with new mothers being permitted to take their placentas home with their newborns when they leave the hospital.

Wednesday morning, new Northwest Christian University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Luke Jackson unveiled his first recruiting class, who will all start play this fall for the 2013-14 season.

Photo: GoBeacons.com

Letters of intent have been signed by 10 players, including two transfers from the University of Oregon and three freshmen.

“First and foremost, I am excited about the character of these guys,” said Jackson. “We have brought good people into our University who are going to make great classmates and be good role models on this campus. There is a lot more to coming to NCU than just what happens on the basketball court and I am excited for these guys to experience that.”

With eight seniors who completed their collegiate careers last season, Jackson had a lot of restocking to do, and brought in some big men, saying, “From a basketball standpoint, I’m excited to be a big team. We have three guys coming in over 6’9” and we have some athletic perimeter players. We are going to be long and athletic on both sides of the ball and I am looking forward to seeing how these guys gel together.”

The list of new recruits is as follows, listed by name, class and hometown.

Coleton Baker – Sr. – Sutherlin, OR – Played in 10 games in the 2012-13 season for Oregon after transferring from Umpqua Community College.

Austen Kuemper – Soph. – Portland  - Played in nine games last season at Oregon. Led Westview High to consecutive appearances in the 6A Title Game.

Ted Wang – Sr. – Zhe Jiang, China –  In 2010, his first year at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, he was one of only two Chinese nationals playing Division I basketball.

Harley Turner – Jr. – Eugene (Sheldon HS) – Transferring from New Hope Christian College. Averaged 11.1 points and shot 46% from three-point range.

Forest Stolk – Jr. – Averaged over six points and six rebounds per game last season at New Hope Christian College.

Javonte Byrd – Jr. San Diego – Played at Pima Community College last season.

Chris Lang – Jr. – Fort Worth, TX – Played two seasons at the College of Eastern Utah.

NCU also recruited some talented athletes straight out of high school. “These freshmen are the future of NCU. They are great character guys with good backgrounds. They are young and I expect them to grow and mature in the next few years,” said Jackson.

Keidren Johnson – Fr. – Eugene (Churchill HS) – Johnson led Churchill to the 5A state Title Game, averaging 10 points per game along the way.

Calvin Anderson – Fr. – Newberg – Anderson led Horizon Christian to three state 3A titles in his four years, and is a 6’5″ forward.

Nathan Sunderland – Fr. – Westside Christian – Sunderland was a First-Team All-West Valley League and plays forward.

“There are some great players returning,” said Jackson. “These guys are quality men and they can play the game. They have experience in this league and they will still have a role in everything we do,” said Jackson of the six returning players his new recruits will be joining this season.

NCU’s first home game is a Tuesday, Nov. 26 against Simpson University and they kick off the season on the road Friday, Nov. 1 at Portland State.

Coach Jackson said, “I’m looking forward to start working with the guys and pushing them and hopefully helping them become the best versions of themselves. I want us to be mentally and physically tough out on the court and I want to represent our school to the highest standard. There is a long tradition here at NCU and I want the alumni and faculty and students to be proud of the way we carry ourselves on and off the court.”

Since January, ODOT has been busy constructing an adaptive ramp meter system along Randy Papé Beltline (OR 569), which is now complete and will begin operation next week.

The ramp meter signals at the westbound on-ramps to Beltline from Green Acres Rd./Delta Hwy. and Coburg Rd. exits will be activated during the afternoon on Wednesday, July 17, and the signals at the eastbound on-ramps from River Rd. and River Ave. will be activated in the morning on Thursday, July 18.

Ramp Meter Construction

ODOT says the new ramp meter signals are a short-term, low-cost solution installed with the purpose of improving safety, decreasing fuel consumption and reducing traffic delays during morning and afternoon rush-hour travel times.

The $2 million project was funded by the Oregon Jobs and Transportation Act.

Although the meters are triggered by congestion levels in Beltline, it is expected the eastbound ramp meters will generally be activated between 6:30 – 9:30 a.m., with the westbound meters mostly being used from 3:00 – 6:45 p.m. Other times motorists may see the ramp meters activated are during other periods of heavy traffic such as events or traffic incidents such as accidents.

The Beltline ramp meters are the first installed in the Eugene-Springfield area, but have been in use in the Portland metropolitan area since 1981.

Randy Pape Beltline Sign

Knowing that many commuters in the Eugene-Springfield area may not be familiar with the new traffic control devices, ODOT has shared some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which are answered below:

What is an adaptive ramp meter? It’s a traffic signal that, as part of a coordinated system, controls the rate at which vehicles enter a highway. The signal has only two colors: green for go and red for stop. The metering rate adjusts as traffic conditions change along the freeway corridor. With heavy traffic on Beltline, the metering rate slows down to let fewer cars merge. With lighter traffic, the rate increases to allow more vehicles to merge.

How does it work? The signals can be set for different stop and go ranges to optimize traffic flow and minimize congestion. Regulating the timing of vehicles entering a highway avoids large groups of vehicles joining traffic all at once, which causes traffic flow to slow down on the highway behind the merge point. Signal timing will be adjusted for more effective results based on real-time data from mainline loop detectors.

Do they work? Yes! Ramp metering has increased traffic flow by 30 percent and increased peak period speeds by 60 percent at other sites. The time and length of congestion along the Beltline Highway will be reduced through ramp metering treatments.

Why do they work? The system responds to actual traffic conditions and regulates the number of cars and truck that enter a highway at one time. As a result, traffic flow is smoother and more vehicles can actually go through a corridor in less time than if a ramp meter was not present.

When there is less traffic on a highway, metering rates are increased to let more cars merge onto the roadway.

The Beltline ramp meter project is funded by the Oregon Jobs and Transportation Act. To learn more about the project, visit: http://oregonjta.org/region2/?p=beltline-delta&expandable=0

To see comparison videos of how Beltline would function with and without ramp meters, visit: http://video_comparison.kaiproject.com/index.html
To learn more about ramp meters in Oregon, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/docs/rampmeters.pdf