For junior Kirsten Riley, life can be just as busy off the track as on it.
Riley, a third-year pole vaulter, held a bridal shower on Sunday with her track friends to celebrate her upcoming marriage in July. The Eugene native would not disclose any of the gifts presented at the bridal shower.
“It was a time to come together and be spoiled,” Riley said.
The 21-year-old will marry sophomore Luke Larwin, a wrestler for Oregon, in July.
“We understand each other,” Riley said. “Maybe some college couples struggle, but we understand the demands of school and sports.”
Riley and Larwin were engaged after about a year of seeing one another, and even early in the relationship, Riley said she knew that marriage was in their future.
Even with the stresses of an upcoming marriage, Riley has continued to excel on the track. She ranks third all-time at Oregon and has successfully cleared 13 feet, 3 1/2 inches this season. Riley was an NCAA provisional qualifier and Pacific-10 conference scorer in 2002.
As Riley’s happy day lies ahead, redshirt senior Niki McEwen has had the time to enjoy the early days of marriage. McEwen was married to Duck defensive line starter Seth McEwen last summer.
“In a way, it’s easier that we live together,” McEwen said of balancing track and field and a marriage. “I really enjoy being married. It’s like living with your best friend.”
The former Niki Reed and McEwen were engaged and married all within a year. McEwen said that it isn’t as difficult as one might think to juggle a marriage, track and field and school all at the same time.
“He does a lot of homework and cooks the dinner,” she said. “I don’t really do so much homework.”
McEwen said her husband does all the little things around the house, such as walking their two dogs and cleaning up while she is in the heart of track season.
How the Ducks stack up
In the April 20 release of Pac-10 Conference outdoor track and field bests, Oregon still dominates in field events.
In the pole vault category, redshirt senior Becky Holliday and McEwen rank first and third, respectively. Holliday holds the top position by a narrow 1/4-inch margin over Arizona’s Amy Linnen.
The Duck javelin duo of sophomores Elisa Crumley and Roslyn Lundeen hold the second and third positions with marks near 158 feet. Julia Demarni of Arizona leads the way at 159-9.
In other field rankings, senior Mary Etter has earned the third position in the discus while senior Amanda Brown holds down fourth in the triple jump.
Oregon does represent with athletes on the oval, including senior Eri Macdonald, who stands at third in the 800 meters. Redshirt junior Abby Andrus holds the fourth position in the 400 hurdles at 59.9 seconds.
Trojans stand strong
In the third edition of the Pac-10 2003 Athlete of the Week awards, USC’s Julianna Tudja won the honor for the third-straight week in the women’s field category.
The senior from Veszprem, Hungary, is the only woman thus far to win the award, all for her remarkable accomplishments in the hammer.
Tudja recently threw 218-5 inches at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays, which shatters the previous conference best mark, held by UCLA’s Christina Tolson. It is the second-farthest mark in the nation this year.
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