In a season of highs and lows, the 2000 Oregon cross country team didn’t end out on top.
Troubles for the Oregon women’s team began even before the end of last track season. Freshman Tara Struyk, who was Oregon’s second runner and big scorer for the Ducks in 1999, was lost for the season due to a stress fracture.
On the flip side of the coin, Tom Heinonen learned that senior Hanna Smedstad, a two-time All-American from Oklahoma State, was transferring to Oregon for graduate studies. The pick-up of Smedstad, a Sundsvall, Sweden native, essentially replaced Struyk.
But more bad news came over the summer. Oregon’s top returner — sophomore Amy Nickerson — left the team, and stayed in her home town of Coquille. It is rumored that Nickerson may join the Arizona or Arizona State teams, both of whom she was heavily recruited by.
The veteran squad — now left with three seniors, three sophomores and a freshman — regrouped for the season, eager to succeed. But success didn’t come easy for Oregon.
After beginning the season with a No. 12 ranking, the Ducks struggled, falling all the way out of the national polls. It looked as if Oregon might miss the NCAA meet for the first time since 1996.
Fortunately, the Ducks performed when it counted, placing fourth at the NCAA Western Regional Meet. Oregon received an at-large bid and advanced to its fourth straight national meet in Ames, Iowa.
The season finished on a low note for the Ducks, who were greeted with a nasty, minus 15-degree wind chill and 21-mile-per-hour winds. Already hampered by sickness, Oregon responded poorly to the conditions and finished a disappointing 28 out of 31 teams.
The future is uncertain for Heinonen and his team. With Smedstad, Katie Crabb and Rhiannon Glenn all graduating, the returning runners will have expectations to step up their level of running without help from the team’s three best runners.
Two sophomores with significant varsity and NCAA experience are Eri MacDonald and Erinn Gulbrandsen. Freshman Laura Harmon competed in every meet for the Ducks this season. Waiting in the wings are sophomores Carrie Zografos, Annie Davis and freshman Annette Mosey.
The future is much brighter for the Oregon men. Despite failing to qualify for the NCAA meet, the men had a successful season, earning a No. 10 ranking at the high water mark.
The Ducks, led by All-American Jason Hartmann and senior Michael Kasahun, finished well all season, placing second at the Pacific-10 Conference Championships and eighth at the Iowa State Memorial Classic.
Unfortunately, the Ducks stumbled at the Western Regional meet, finishing fourth. That finish would normally have been good enough for an NCAA bid, but instead the selection committee picked 12 other teams that Oregon defeated during the regular season for the national meet instead the Ducks.
“I’m not pleased that we weren’t [at the NCAA’s],” Head coach Martin Smith said. “The goal of any program is to be at the national championship, but we’ll build off what we accomplished this year and move forward.”
Hartmann, a sophomore and returning All-American, and Kasahun both qualified to the NCAA meets as individuals. Hartmann placed 35th, while Kasahun was 65th.
“This year, our team was unique and the highlight was our second-place Pac-10 finish,” Smith said. “Every competition, we ran steady and improved throughout the season, and there are things to be proud of.”
With five of the top-seven runners returning for Oregon, the best is yet to come. Not only has Smith landed a top recruit in South Eugene High School’s Erik Heinonen — Son of Oregon women’s coach Tom Heinonen — but he will have five other freshmen returning as true freshmen next season.