Athlete of the Week:
Ryan Warren
Senior
Midfielder and co-captain
Club men’s lacrosse
Oregon Daily Emerald: You were one win away from winning a National Championship. Did that loss conclude a successful season?
Ryan Warren: The season overall was definitely a successful one. The team got further than it ever has in the history of the U of O … I had the best game of my life against Colorado State. And BYU was a good team so we can’t complain about that.
ODE: What do you say to the NCAA Division-I fans who don’t take the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association seriously?
Warren: There are definitely some legit teams (in the MCLA). And it gives all the players and schools who don’t have D1 programs the chance to play lacrosse. At the same time, it is extremely competitive. Most of the MCLA teams can compete with D2, D3 teams, and maybe the bottom tier of D1. It is definitely not a joke, and I don’t see a need to bash on other leagues.
ODE: Toughest opponent this year and why?
Warren: Definitely BYU. Our final game, they looked fresher and faster.
ODE: Favorite cartoon character?
Warren: Goofy.
ODE: Who is the biggest jokester on the team?
Warren: I think I am up there but I am gonna have to go with “Jolly” Julian Coffman. We both like to goof off. He is a character.
ODE: Favorite athlete?
Warren: I’ll go hockey and Peter Forsberg. My brother went to college at Denver and got me hooked on the Avalanche. He is just such a tough player.
ODE: Describe the feeling of seeing yourself in instant replay on the giant video board last week inside Pizza Hut Stadium in Texas?
Warren: It was pretty over-the-top. I had never played in a stadium that you’ve seen on TV; 25,000-seat stadium, the FC Dallas soccer team plays there, the instant replays, it was amazing. It was a life experience … Right when you are on the field you don’t think about that stuff anymore.
-Dan Jones