NCAAs Least Valuable Player- Oregon's Chris Winter

second that, he walked it in the last 10 meters. And he didnt know there were two guys behind him, what an idiot!

UO senior Chris Winter put forth a gutsy effort, moving into seventh place on the last lap, but less than five meters from the finish line, he was passed by two runners, and he was forced to settle for a non-scoring ninth.

“I came in with high expectations, and I didn’t want to put any limitations on what I could do today,” Winter said.

“I knew I could run with the best guys in the country, so I went out and gave it a try. … I’m a little devastated right now, I lost two points for the team in those last five meters. I didn’t know those guys were there, and that was my fault.”

He and JMac can hash out their respective team title costing performances over a bottle of JD and a bowl full of tears for the next 9 months. I know Jordan ended up with a lot of pressure on his shoulders and his 1 point wouldn't have saved Oregon..but absolutely disgusting on both accounts.

Uh, are you forgetting Centro? I don't care what injury he had. If youre at that level you should be able to at least get into the final. He gave up and got last place in the prelims. Oh but wait, he is a choke artist. The only reason he made the mile final indoors was because he goes to Oregon and they complained, he should have missed out on that final fair and square.

Here's how I see it:

-Centro got injured. Can't blame him.

-McNamara wouldn't have made the final if Centro did and McN didn't necessarily choke. He wasn't expected to score and shouldn't have made the final.

-The guys in the 10k definitely let the team down big time. Those guys should have been able to pick up 5 points. Puskedra is the biggest disappointment there. He placed higher at NCAA cross than he did in the 10k.

-Biwott definitely came up a little short in the 5k. He should have at least scored another point or 2.

-BUT, Winter pissed those 2 points away and he knows it. There is a giant screen on the first turn. The athletes can see what they're doing. And, it doesn't matter if you didn't know guys were there or not. It's NCAAs. Your team is trying and favored to win. You just don't do that at any level in this sport. I'm sure he feels like a big enough piece of cr#p that he doesn't need to be told this.

-I would not want to be Chris Winter right now.

Yep that was my first thought when I saw the final team results..Chris Winter was the difference between Oregon being tied with A&M for the National Title or tied with 3 for runner-up. I did not expect anything from McNamara. Rupp should have tripled! lol I bet he could have scored a few points.

Guys Guys...wait...

Winters yes. Its his fault. Its also Jordan's. Its also Centro's. Its also Puskedras. Its also the Mercado's. Biwott could have done better too.

Vin could have put Rupp or Wheating in the 15, which would have been terrible on Rupp...and Wheating but might have won.

Wheating and Rupp did their jobs though, as did the field guys for the most part.

It was the number 3-5 guys on this distance team that sucked terribly and ruined Oregon only shot at a team title.

They cost themselves the title. And tonight and for the next few nights they will be served a nice big slice of Humble Pie.

Ivory wrote:

It was the number 3-5 guys on this distance team that sucked terribly and ruined Oregon only shot at a team title.

True, but the argument against Winter is that he got 7th place and handed it away. A lot of guys came up short, but Winter took the biggest piss.

Winter ran 8:54.94 in 2004 while he was in high school. I hope this guy wasn't on a huge scholarship. I don't want to hate the guy, but he has only improved 12 seconds in 5 years. The things is: He didn't necessarily choke in the final. He had 7th. He just chose to walk across the line. He had the points in the friggin bag.

Holla Back Boy wrote:

Ivory wrote:

It was the number 3-5 guys on this distance team that sucked terribly and ruined Oregon only shot at a team title.

True, but the argument against Winter is that he got 7th place and handed it away. A lot of guys came up short, but Winter took the biggest piss.

Yes, Winter did have the biggest shit laying demonstration, but the other guys pussing it up did nearly as much damage. Its hard to determine who laid the biggest one here, Winter may have won by less than a 10th of a Kurik in this situation. For example, if Centro just made the final, Oregon probably would have won. Puskedra is another close example. Jordan did the best he could but could have gotten those guys at the end. All of their craps were large and each one of them are responsible.

Rupp and Wheating though, those 2 are phenomenal. And Ashton could end up at World's in the decathlon. Those 3 did so well, we couldn't expect more of them.

Ivory wrote:

Guys Guys...wait...

Winters yes. Its his fault. Its also Jordan's. Its also Centro's. Its also Puskedras. Its also the Mercado's. Biwott could have done better too.

Vin could have put Rupp or Wheating in the 15, which would have been terrible on Rupp...and Wheating but might have won.

Wheating and Rupp did their jobs though, as did the field guys for the most part.

It was the number 3-5 guys on this distance team that sucked terribly and ruined Oregon only shot at a team title.

They cost themselves the title. And tonight and for the next few nights they will be served a nice big slice of Humble Pie.

Jav. should have been 2nd and 6th, got 4th and the other not in the final. It happened here just as bad as the distances. To be fair to Biwott, there were a bunch of guys capable of anywhere from 3rd to 9th. It is a shame he didn't pick up a few but the guys that beat him I believe have all run faster than he has. I'd like to see that steeple replayed because the way I remember seeing it, winter was damn near crumpled over a couple meters from the line. Reminded me of Pre at the olympics. I think he finished and thought he could have done more (like we all have done) but very possibly couldn't have. Seemed like he used everything he had to put him in that position and had nothing left to defend it, whether he knew they were coming or not.

Uf had a valuable player

MEN 100M

-- Jeremy Hall JR Florida FS

MEN 200M

9 Jeremy Hal JR Florida 21.30 -1.6

Ivory wrote:

Puskedra is another close example.

I'll admit that Puskedra, in terms of points he should have scored, probably let the team down the most. It's not unreasonable to think that he could have finished 6th.

Right, so that's 5 points instead of 11. All around, too many guys didn't come through this week. Maybe it was Wolff's kit with those giant Michael Jordan shorts.

Ivory wrote:

Guys Guys...wait...

Wheating and Rupp did their jobs though, as did the field guys for the most part.

I'm sorry, but you are forgetting that Cyrus Hostetler who was ranked #1 in the nation at 272 feet had a big choke and horrible day only throwing a mere 238-06 for 4th place points.

If he throws just 10 more feet he grabs another 3 points for OREGON and the Championship!

Pac-10 Man wrote:

Ivory wrote:

Guys Guys...wait...

Wheating and Rupp did their jobs though, as did the field guys for the most part.

I'm sorry, but you are forgetting that Cyrus Hostetler who was ranked #1 in the nation at 272 feet had a big choke and horrible day only throwing a mere 238-06 for 4th place points.

If he throws just 10 more feet he grabs another 3 points for OREGON and the Championship!

Ok, this is true. The Oregon field guys could have done better, but given the level of comp in the Jav he wasn't going to get 1st. He sucked too, but I feel like blaming him is inappropriate as I don't do the throws, I only know distance. I blame what I see as Epic Fail, and the distance guys were Epic Fail.

It is a little weeny to blame one Field Guy, for the short comings of an entire team. How many distance guys are we blaming here? At least 3. 6 if you include Acosta and the Mercados.

You're talking about 6 guys, to 1. Distance was supposed to have some sort of honor about them at UO as well. Only Rupp and Wheating ran with any. If just one of the other UO distance guys gave the effort Wheating did, commensurate with their talent (and they DO have it) Oregon wins.

Distance, cmon you guys. Lets put blame where it belongs.

The Ducks distance squad scored 21 points. 20 by Rupp. The group as a whole choked. Fact. They choked more than 2 throwers. They choke more than the A+M 4x100m. They choked big time.

On a side note, I feel terrible for Vin, best coach throughout this thing.

Would putting Rupp in the 15 have been wise in hind sight? Maybe. But the 15 semi's could have cost Rupp the 10k and the 5k if he got spiked bad or strained a muscle. Wasn't worth the risk.

Same with Wheating, the 800 prelims and semi's are enough. Putting him through two more races, could have been extremely risky as well.

Vin played it the best he could, the safest he could, with the Athletes health in mind. Its not his fault the entire distance team decided not to step on, on such an occasion. As a coach, you can't impart will to win on an athlete. They either have it or don't.

jesus christ folks.....winters is a good kid.....and I'll bet that the rest of the UO guys who underachieved are also in shock....give them a break....it's just a frickin track meet....at least they showed up to compete:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."