You see them everywhere.
Strolling down campus. Eating in the EMU. Sitting two rows down from you in class.
And many of them are usually sporting some sort of Oregon athletics apparel, such as a sweatshirt, sweatpants, hat, etc.
They are, of course, Oregon athletes.
You might seem them, recognize them and think nothing else. Or maybe you secretly whisper into your friend’s ear, and tell your buddy who he/she is and how great a game they had the other day.
But have you ever wondered what it means to the actual athlete to be who they are? To walk into a situation and immediately be known as that “sports player.”
Well, we here at the Emerald decided to go to the athletes and ask them to define what being a part of the Oregon athletic program means to them.
Our survey included a wide range of “local celebrities” in order to best present a well-rounded point of view.

Jenny Mowe, senior,

women’s basketball center
Jenny Mowe admits that there was a big adjustment for her back in the fall of 1996 when she came into Eugene as one the most decorated Oregon recruits ever. She was coming from tiny 1A Powers High School in teeny, yet enchanting Powers, Ore, — population 740.
She was one of only seven girls who graduated in the same class.
“Yeah, it was hard at first with so many people here, and everyone would always be staring at me because of my height,” said the 6-foot-5 Mowe.
Mowe certainly did have options coming out of high school. The center could have gone to Connecticut or Georgia — both perennial powerhouses — but she chose Oregon. Why?
“By far, just the fan support and the way the community responds to women’s basketball,” said Mowe, who was seen last year on a 40-foot poster on the outside corner of McArthur Court. “When you compare it to other Pac-10 schools, it’s ridiculous. UCLA only averages 500 fans per game. We get 5,000.”
Mowe enjoys all the sports, but wishes they were more recognized by the public.
“The biggest change I would make would just to get all of the athletes more involved in the community,” Mowe said. “The awareness factor is so crucial to each sport.”

Chris Carnahan,

sophomore, men’s golfer
“I hate to say it, but I grew up in Beaver country,” Chris Carnahan said. “But I’ve always been a Duck fan.”
Carnahan was raised in Albany, and earned all-state honors during his junior year of high school at West Albany in 1997.
He was recruited by such schools as Notre Dame and Indiana, but he knew there was something special brewing down here in Eugene, and he wanted to be a part of it.
“Honestly, the relationships between all the sports is really special and very unique,” Carnahan said. “It’s an honor to be a part of it. I think the program is perfect.”
So perfect, in fact, that he wouldn’t want to alter it a bit.
“I wouldn’t change one thing,” Carnahan said. “This is everything I expected it to be and even more so. All of the sports are together as one here.”
He points to his freshman living situation at the University Inn as one of the key reasons why the Duck athletic program is so tight-knit.
“By having all the athletes in one place, it gave us all a great chance to bond,” he said. “Everyone genuinely cares about how people are doing in their sports. It’s pretty rare in college these days to see a golfer hanging out with football players, but that’s what happens here.”
As evidence to that, he points out that his roommates are current football team members Rasuli Webster and Adam Kennybrew.

Kelly Planche,

senior, softball catcher
It wasn’t the prototypical beginning for a softball player, but Kelly Planche wouldn’t change a thing.
Back when she was 11 years old, her dad put her on the baseball team because he wasn’t sure about the softball system.
“I was the only girl on my team for two years and then I played softball,” said Planche, who grew up in Encinidas, Calif. “It forced me to learn the game and play at a higher intensity and there’s no doubt that’s why I’m here today.”
And you better believe she’s grateful for the opportunity to play collegiate softball in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
“I feel so fortunate to be here,” Planche said. “I had never been to Oregon before my recruiting trip and I felt so comfortable here.
“Being an athlete here means that I get to represent my school by doing something that I love. What’s better than that?”
The only thing she’d change would just be a little more support for other sports besides football and basketball.

Marshaun Tucker,

senior, football wide receiver
A big part of Oregon athletics is tradition. Anybody who has walked through the Casanova Center and looked at all of the trophies, pictures, medals, etc., can attest to the fact that the Duck history is loaded with great athletes.
For Oregon football’s starting wide receiver Marshaun Tucker, that’s one of the reasons he is proud to be a Duck.
He knows that a lot is expected of him when he goes out on that playing field every Saturday wearing the green, yellow and white jersey.
“I think being a Duck is all about just coming out and performing,” said Tucker, who is one of the main go-to guys down the field in Oregon’s potent passing attack. “Being a Duck and being a wide receiver has me coming out here and trying to match up with those great receivers of the past.”
The Chula Vista, Calif., native went to Southwestern junior college after high school and was looking for just the right Division I school to continue playing the game he loves.

“I think the University of Oregon has always established themselves as having good wide receivers and that’s one of the major things that attracted me here,” Tucker said. “I mean, the list goes on and on. You have Patrick Johnson, Damon Griffin and Tony Hartley, and then you have so many guys before that. When I’m through, it’d be great to have my name mentioned alongside those names.”

Lacy Erickson,

freshman, women’s golfer
Without a doubt, Lacy Ericksonwill tell you, Oregon is a premier athletic school.
The Austin, Minn., native got a first-hand look at athletically gifted Michigan in her recruiting visit and still had this to say about the rainy school out west that led her away from her hometown area.
“This, right here, is the best athletic program that I’ve ever seen,” Erickson said. “Michigan is comparative, but I strongly believe that Oregon has a much better program. And then for me to be a part of it is something I’m so proud of.”
With success comes pressure, she admits, but that’s something that she expected.
“Yeah, I think sometimes the fun gets neglected a bit because the intensity level is so high,” Erickson said. “But it certainly does raise your game and when you reach that level of balance between intensity and fun, it’s amazing.”

Oded Teig, sophomore,

men’s tennis player
Being an athlete at Oregon requires spending most of your free time outside of the classroom in your particular sport.
It means missing out on seeing that big movie on the night it opens because you’re in Washington for a tournament. It means not hanging out with your friends after class because you have practice.
And that’s just fine with Oded Teig, the sophomore from Holon, Israel who chose to come to Oregon “because I was looking for a good school that has both academics and tennis at a high level.”
“I am happy and proud to be an athlete,” Teig said. “It means sleep, eat and dream as an athlete. It takes a lot of time, determination and hard work on and off the court, but you can’t compare the feeling after a big win to anything in the world.”
Teig didn’t know much about Oregon, but after talking to coach Chris Russ
el he decided to give it a try and he has no regrets. He loves it here, but he would change one thing if he could.
“I would spread the amount of scholarships between all the sports more equally,” Teig said.

Luke Jackson, freshman,

men’s basketball forward
The decision was a tough one. When you’re a two-time Oregon 3A state player of the year in basketball there are bound to be high profile schools wanting to entice you.
For Luke Jackson, the choices were Arizona, Gonzaga, Utah and Oregon. The Creswell native knew he wanted to stay on the west coast, but had no idea he’d be going to the school that he followed his whole life.
“Eugene is really an ideal town for me and I think deep down I’ve always wanted to come here,” said Jackson, who is one of four key recruits who helped Oregon earn the number one recruiting class on the west coast. “To be a Duck is something that I take a lot of pride in. I also enjoy it because I don’t feel like a small person in a big school. I immediately feel a part of the community.”
Jackson admits it was intriguing to leave Oregon and try something new, but he knew there was something unique about Duck athletics.
“I was drawn into it, and I’m glad I was,” Jackson said. “The excitement of playing at Mac Court will just be awesome.”

Katie Crabb, senior, cross

country runner
It’s been a dream come true for one of the most recognizable Oregon women’s track and cross country members.
“When I was in high school I always wanted to someday be a runner at Oregon,” said Katie Crabb, who attended Pleasant Valley High in Chico, Calif. “When I first walked onto Hayward Field on my recruiting visit I was like, ‘Whooooa!’ So to me, wearing the Oregon uniform is very special. And when I walk around in different cities with Oregon clothing, I get a lot of respect and compliments. It’s really neat.”
Crabb admits that she was drawn into the Oregon program by the rich track history, but says that since she’s been here it’s been the “support network” of the entire athletic program that has enchanted her.
“There is a chemistry amongst teams and it takes a lot to facilitate an athletic department,” Crabb said. “It’s a combination of the dedicated student-athletes, a staff that is willing to put in the long hours necessary and the fans for coming out and giving us their support.”
Last spring was Crabb’s final outdoor track season, and this fall she competes in her final cross country season before wrapping up her collegiate career with the indoor track season in the winter.
“It’s sad in a way because these special times go by so fast,” Crabb said.
Any regrets or anything you would like to see different in the years to come?
“Hey, don’t fix anything that’s not broken,” she concludes.