A couple Oregon teams out there are representing this school well despite falling under the radar screen for most of their seasons.
These athletes may not have the presence of football, basketball, or even the track and field athletes when you walk around campus. Their fan base is probably smaller than your average crowd for a local high school basketball or football game. Or, to put it in perspective, their crowd for each home game is probably less than 5 percent of a sold-out McArthur Court.
Which teams and what sport is this, you ask?
The Oregon men’s and women’s tennis teams, who will compete in the upcoming Pacific-10 Conference Championships in Ojai, Calif., beginning today.
After having the chance to cover the tennis teams during the past year, the competitive spirit each of these athletes exudes closely parallels those of any other sport. Their matches can be decided by mere inches on the court. The climax can be as exciting and anticipation-filled as the final minute of a deadlocked hard-fought basketball game or a crucial last-minute drive on the gridiron to capture an important victory.
They also enjoy the same hated rivalry with our pals up north in Washington. Oregon’s men earned bragging rights for a short period this season when they defeated the Huskies for only the sixth time in Oregon history — out of 113 attempts. Their losing streak to Washington at the time simply “haunted” the Ducks over the years, according to head coach Chris Russell. However, that victory was as compelling as any other when the dual match tiebreaker came down to each team’s No.1 player.
The women are also engaging in their greatest success in more than a decade. Their record of 16-8 and winning percentage of .667 is their best since the 1992-93 campaign. That year, the Ducks won 24 of their 29 dual matches to finish second overall in the conference.
Behind the success of both squads are a couple special players and rare talents who don’t come by too often. They are athletes you want to build your program around.
For the women, Daria Panova is arguably one of the top 10 players in the entire country. Panova is currently 10th in the nation, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. She is the reigning Pacific-10 Conference Women’s Player of the Year, holds the Oregon record for most wins in a season with 32 and has won three straight conference championships as a singles competitor.
She is only a junior.
“She’s pretty much one of the ten people in the country who can win a national championship,” women’s head coach Nils Schyllander said in the fall. “She’s a world-class player.”
On the men’s side, junior Sven Swinnen is ranked at No. 17 in the country, according to the ITA. Swinnen, one of three Swiss natives on the men’s squad, has been a model of consistency all year long at the top of the lineup. One of his most impressive wins this season came against UCLA’s 6th-ranked Tobias Clemens in an intense three-setter, 0-6, 6-4, (11-9).
And the best thing for Oregon, both will be able to return next season and fans can watch them at the Student Tennis Center, free of charge.
With no long wait in line required.