Men’s Most Valuable Player: Aaron Brooks, men’s basketball
Up until the very end, a narrow loss in the Elite Eight to eventual champion Florida in which he scored 27 points, Aaron Brooks had one amazing season as the catalyst for Oregon’s run in 2006-07. He led the Pac-10 in scoring at 17.7 points per game, joined the 1,000-points club with a team-high 621 points in 06-07, and finished his career ranked among the top 10 in school history in scoring, assists and steals. The All-American also cracked the record books in three pointers, free-throw percentage, and field goals made. But a true measure of his importance? Brooks hit six shots last season in the final minute or in overtime that either won or tied the game. Now he’s eyeing a shot in the NBA.
Women’s Most Valuable Player: Nicole Garbin, women’s soccer
It’s going to be difficult for any female athlete to replicate what Garbin achieved in her six years at Oregon.
Garbin finished her career as the most decorated player in Oregon soccer history, with 19 school records including career goals (34), career points (83), game-winning goals (22) and shots (257).
She is also the first player in Pac-10 history to win Pac-10 Conference Player of the Week honors three times in a season.
Garbin also ended the season as the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year.
With all the records and accolades she has garnered over the last six years, Garbin could arguably be considered the most decorated athlete – man or woman – in Oregon school history.
Best Play: Galen Rupp at the Oregon Invitational
The race was over with 200 meters to go. The race was over with 100 meters to go. Heck, the race was over with 50 meters to go. Wisconsin senior Chris Solinsky, the 2006 NCAA champion, had an insurmountable lead in the men’s 5,000 meters. But Galen Rupp kept digging. As 5,191 screaming Hayward Field partisans worked themselves into a frenzy with every stride Rupp took, the Duck junior overcame a 15-meter deficit with 200 meters to go to nip Solinsky with a lunge at the tape. Rupp crossed in 13:30.49, while Solinsky tumbled across in 13:30.54. The gutsy effort was the fastest by a Duck in 25 years as Rupp jumped to sixth on Oregon’s all-time list.
Biggest Disappointment: NCAA snubs women’s soccer
After years of languishing at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings, the Ducks finally had a breakout year. Oregon won eight of its final 10 games, beat UCLA, the No. 3 team in the country, and finished the season ranked No. 17 in the country. The Ducks finished second in the Pac-10 with a 12-6-2 overall record. But for the NCAA tournament selection committee, that somehow wasn’t enough. To the surprise of both the Ducks and the rest of the soccer community, Oregon was left out of the national tournament. Former athletic director Bill Moos heralded the Ducks’ omission from the tournament as “perhaps the biggest injustice to any of our programs” in his 12 years as athletic director.
Best Individual Performance: Bryce Taylor, men’s basketball
Perfection is something rarely achieved in sports, but for one night Bryce Taylor could do no wrong. In the championship game of the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament against USC, Taylor was perfect from the field scoring 32 points on 11-of-11 shooting, 7-of-7 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the line. His perfection powered Oregon to an 81-57 victory, giving the Ducks an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. Taylor broke the tournament’s record for field-goal percentage in one game (.917) set by Arizona’s Anthony Cook in 1989, and his seven three-pointers tied the record set by Arizona’s Salim Stoudamire in 2005.
Best Game: Oregon vs. Oklahoma, football
This game had it all: a dramatic comeback, controversy, and a thrilling finish. It’s one game that will likely never be replicated. In front of the largest crowd ever to witness a college football game at Autzen Stadium as well as the state of Oregon (59,269), the Ducks fell behind 33-20 with 3:12 remaining in the game but cut the deficit to six with 1:12 left. That’s when the controversy ensued. Oregon’s onside kick attempt appeared to be touched before the requisite ten yards and Oklahoma also recovered the football, though Pac-10 officials awarded the ball to Oregon, thus making that portion not reviewable. The play was reviewed to see if Oregon touched the ball before 10 yards, but replay official Gordon Riese ruled that there was no conclusive video evidence to overturn the ruling, which started a wave of backlash that eventually cost Riese his job. Oregon took over the football, scoring with 46 seconds remaining to take the lead 34-33. The Sooners got in position for a game-winning field goal after a 55-yard kickoff return, but the Ducks blocked it to end the game.
Best coaching performance: (tie) Jim Moore, volleyball & Tara Erickson, soccer
Moore, in just his second year in Eugene, guided the Oregon volleyball team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989. Moore helped bring in the pieces, including Sonja Newcombe, Nevena Djordjevic, and Neticia Enesi. Moore changed a culture of losing and created an environment where winning is expected. Oregon survived a seven-match losing streak to close out Pacific-10 Conference play and made the NCAA Tournament. Oregon lost in the first round to Hawaii in three games, but ended the season with a winning record of 17-12. Erickson, also in her second year at Oregon, led a squad that exceeded preseason expectations and finished second in the Pac-10 with a 6-1-2 conference record. But even with wins against UCLA and USC to end conference play and second place Pac-10 finish, the Ducks were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Oregon ended the season with a 12-6-2 overall record and marked a three-win improvement over the 2005 final record of 9-9-1. Erickson earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year for her efforts.
Top Male Newcomer: Tajuan Porter, men’s basketball
Despite being largely unhyped, Tajuan Porter changed a lot of minds about the capabilities of an undersized guard. Known for his three-point scoring capabilities, Porter hit 110 for the season, breaking Oregon’s record of 94 as well as the freshman three-point record of 82 set by UCLA’s Jason Kapono, the 2007 NBA three-point champion. Porter set the Oregon freshman points record with 512, becoming the first to surpass the 500 mark. His 33 points against UNLV broke Fred Jones’ Oregon record of most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game. Aside from the statistics, Porter’s contribution at the point-guard position allowed Aaron Brooks to find more open space in games and allowed the senior to not worry about being the Ducks’ main driving force. “We’ll be talking about him for a long time to come,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “He’s one of those special basketball players. The only credit that goes to us is recruiting him.”
Top Female Newcomer: Jenn Salling, softball
The redshirt freshman became the first Oregon softball player since 1991, and the third all time, to be named to the All-America first team. Salling, the Pac-10’s Newcomer of the Year, took the nation’s best softball conference by storm, hitting a school record .481 in 2007. The Port Coquitlam, B.C. native set four other Oregon school records last season, including RBIs (73), total bases (138), slugging percentage (.873), and walks (46). Salling, also a solid defensive player at shortstop, managed 19 multiple-RBI games and had a 13-game hitting streak, leading Oregon back into the postseason.
Most Improved Male: Bryce Taylor, men’s basketball
Bryce Taylor suffered from a knee injury and struggled to find his shot in 2005-06 as his production decreased following an encouraging freshman season. He played fewer minutes, scored fewer points per game and his three-point percentage dipped more than 100 percentage points. The following offseason, Taylor returned home to Southern California to refine his game and recapture his
shooting touch. And to symbolize change, Taylor shed his famous “Sideshow Bob” hairstyle. This season he set career highs in points per game (14.1), rebounds per game (4.6), field goal percentage (.517) and three-point percentage (.422), becoming one of the key components to the Ducks’ 29-8 record and run to the Elite Eight.
Most Improved female: Eleanor Haring, women’s basketball
The slender forward found herself pushed into the spotlight when teammate and close friend Gabrielle Richards left the women’s basketball team and returned to Australia. Haring embraced the role of go-to player and led Oregon with 12.6 points a game. Haring relied on an effective fade-away jumper and veteran poise to guide Oregon to a 17-14 record and a berth in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. She had 16 points and eight rebounds in Oregon’s 70-63 win against Oregon State in Corvallis. The win started a three-game winning streak, including wins over UCLA and USC. Haring joined Oregon’s 1,000 point club on Senior Day against Stanford on Feb. 17 with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Toughest Male: Brent Haberly, football
Haberly defines determination. The undersized and not very speedy linebacker came out of Cottage Grove High School as a walk-on, once receiving a concussion in practice, but became a 12-game starter in 2005-06. Haberly was a key ingredient to Oregon’s defense, even scoring the deciding touchdown in a critical victory against Arizona. He started last year as well before breaking his arm against Oklahoma, which many thought would keep him out for the remainder of the season. But Haberly, like so many times before, defied the odds and quieted the doubters by returning to play in the final three games of the season.
Toughest Female: Anna Poponyak, lacrosse
After Oregon goalkeeper Anna Poponyak tore her right ACL during her second week in Eugene as a freshman, she told herself that if it happened again she might stop playing. Promises are sometimes made to be broken, though. Poponyak, a redshirt sophomore this season, started in the first six games of 2007 before partially tearing her left ACL. She refused to stop battling, hobbling around on crutches for several weeks before making a late-March trip to the East Coast with her squad. She made her triumphant return against Columbia by earning four saves and a victory. Poponyak went on to push the Ducks to a 4-3 record while ignoring the occasional pain that accompanied the tear. On the season, Poponyak made 77 saves and tallied a .458 save percentage. Against Stanford in the MPSF Tournament in Davis, Calif., she recorded eight saves in Oregon’s 8-2 loss and recorded 10 saves against the Golden Bears in a consolation win.
Most Entertaining Male: Tajuan Porter, men’s basketball
After dropping 33 points against UNLV in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, the national media became infatuated with the Ducks’ 5-foot-6 point guard. When Porter attempted his first three-pointer against Florida in the Elite Eight, the crowd collectively gasped in anticipation of another nothing-but-net shot from 30 feet out. While it took time for the nation to catch on to Porter-mania, Duck fans knew the diminutive guard was something special by the time he had finished his first collegiate game with 27 points. The following two games, Porter scored 28 and a season-high 38 and was named MVP in those three games of the Basketball Travelers Classic. And to demonstrate his limitless range, Porter made a 65-foot buzzer beater before halftime against Portland State.
Most Entertaining Female: Mira Djuric, volleyball
Djuric always grabbed fans’ attention with her tremendous power. Djuric’s reactions after big kills and aces on serves left fans and the growing volleyball Pit Crew yearning for more. Djuric slammed home 359 kills last season – second on the team behind freshman sensation Sonja Newcombe. The Belgrade, Serbia native led the team with 44 service aces. Djuric helped Oregon make the NCAA Tournament, but has since transferred to Florida State University.
Best Female Athlete Under the Radar: Brooke Dieringer, lacrosse
Senior graduate student Brooke Dieringer brought a little bit of the East Coast to Oregon this year, displaying an aggressiveness on offense that helped propel Oregon to its best record ever. The transfer midfielder from North Carolina scored 29 goals – as well as two in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals against Northwestern last year, as a Tar Heel, and her assertiveness continued as a Duck. Dieringer was second on the team in goals and points with 32 and 42, respectively. She netted two goals in the consolation match in the MPSF Tournament against California and set an NCAA record for the fastest hat trick ever when she scored three goals within a span of 1:02 in an 11-8 loss to Georgetown early in the season.
Best Male Athlete Under the Radar: Ronnie Lee, wrestling
The redshirt freshman from Medford, Ore. finished fifth in his weight class (174 pounds) at the Pac-10 tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament before falling in the first round after making it as an alternate. Lee finished the season 18-18 but also suffered a broken leg that kept him out of wrestling for a little more than a month. The experienced gained this season could lead to a breakout year in 2007-08.