At The Register Guard, we produce a year end “Top 10 local stories” feature. Having just been hired there this time last year, I was too late to the party to vote — but this year I got a ballot, and what a year to vote on! The feature isn’t due out for another week or two (I’ll link to it when it’s available), but the following are my top 10 stories for Eugene, Oregon in 2007.

1. “Highest highs, lowest lows” — The Oregon Football Season.

   

   Is there really any question on this one? The Ducks quickly became media darlings with their entertaining style of play after defeating Michigan in the second week of the season. ESPN’s College Game Day visited Eugene twice in one season, for the California and Arizona State games; their last and only previous visit came in 2000.

   Despite an early season loss to Cal, the Ducks weathered the storm of upsets that had hit college football this season, climbing all the way to the cursed number two ranking. It was then that the season went down hill, fast. Then Heisman Trophy front runner Dennis Dixon twisted his knee, exposing an ACL tear and the season finished with three straight losses that began that November night on national television against Arizona. The Ducks have never come so close to a National Title, and may never again as this was a crazy year in college football.

2. “Track Town, forever” — Eugene gets 2012 Olympic Trials.
   

   In a stunning move, USA Track & Field awarded Eugene and the University of Oregon not only the 2009 and 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, but the 2012 Olympic Trials. This came before Eugene even had to prove itself with its staging of the 2008 Olympic Trials next summer.

   “Eugene, the University of Oregon and Hayward Field are sacred ground for our sport,” said Craig Masback CEO of the USA Track & Field. “The opportunity to come here for multiple years provides a generation of our athletes the thrill of visiting and competing in a setting that is unequaled around the world…and let me assure you, the world will be watching.”

3. “In the on-deck circle: Oregon” — The Ducks bring back baseball.
   For me personally being the huge fan of baseball that I am, this is probably the story with the most impact on the future. While Oregon football was the biggest story this year, the revival of Oregon baseball — which discontinued the sport in 1981 for financial and Title IX reasons — is the years big story.

   (The administration cited) the interest of fans and the growing success of the College World Series. A couple of national titles won by their Civil War rivals up the road just might have nudged the Ducks as well, though they wouldn’t admit it.

   Oregon’s intentions to become a contender as quickly as possible was demonstrated by the hiring of coach George Horton, who led Cal State-Fullerton to a national championship.

4. “Champions, once again” — The OSU Beavers win the NCAA baseball Title.
   When the Oregon State Beavers reached the College World Series in 2005, it was said that a team from the Northwest would never be able to repeat such a successful season. In 2006 the Beavers were the only squad to return to the eight team double elimination tournament for the national title — they won. Again, it was a “one year wonder,” something that could never occur again. In 2007, they repeated as champions — proving that colleges located in the northern part of the United States can not only compete, but can win despite playing an outdoor sport in the rainy spring months.While personally a fan of the Ducks, it was a joy to watch the Beavers, a team made of mostly local Oregon and Washington kids, win two national titles. I’ll still be a Beaver baseball believer for one more season, until the Ducks take the field in 2009.
5. “A pick outside the box” — Ducks hire Kilkenny as AD.
   While generally something not of great concern to most fans, this Athletic Director hire for Oregon was truly an “outside the box” pick, and one that’s had a far reaching impact on Duck sports.Pat Kilkenny, a longtime donor to Oregon athletics was hired largely to finish fundraising and plans for the new basketball arena. However, he didn’t stop there. He listened to donors and fans who have fought for years to bring Baseball back to the school, and he quickly became a student favorite when in his first month as Athletic Director, paid for more than 50 students to travel to Spokane, Washington to witness the Oregon men’s basketball team in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
6. “Elite, once again” — UO men’s basketball reaches Elite Eight.
   

   One of the last undefeated teams in the nation in January, the Oregon men’s basketball team seemed inching back toward the NCAA tournament bubble in late February. However, the Ducks won the Pac-10 Conference tournament, defeating USC in the title game behind the perfect shooting of wing Bryce Taylor, and then defeated Miami (Ohio), Wintrop and UNLV before falling to Florida, the defending and (eventual) national champions.

   It was a fantastic run in March for the Ducks, who returned to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2002 when they were led by Luke Ridenour and Luke Jackson.

7. Long run to the future” — UO men win NCAA cross country title.
   

   With a second-place finish by Galen Rupp, and a ninth-place finish by teammate Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, the Oregon men’s cross country team won the NCAA title in Terr Haute, Ind., the Ducks first national cross country championship in 30 years.

8. “Title Town” — Local prep teams win trophies.
   Three local high schools won state football championships at their respective class levels, Sheldon (6A), Marist (4A), and Mohawk (1A). My alma mater, North Eugene, won the 5A state basketball title in March. In addition, there were various individual championships, overall a strong performance for the Eugene metro area in 2007.
9. “Sweet season, Sweet 16″ — Success, and fans, for UO volleyball.
   

   The Ducks ended the season 22-11 overall…It was an amazing season for Oregon, a team that just two years ago recorded its seventh straight last-place finish in the Pac-10 with a mark of 1-17, and that had won just three Pac-10 matches over a span of five seasons.

10. “Knights in shining armor” — A major gift for Oregon athletics.
    

    In late summer, the 1959 uo grad announced to UO officials and key Oregon donors, in a gathering at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, that he and Penny had decided to contribute $100 million to establish the endowment to support UO athletics. With the financial security provided by the gift, Oregon was, at year’s end, pushing forward with plans to construct a new basketball arena to replace McArthur Court.

So there we have the top ten local stories. Anyone from (or with knowledge) of the area think I missed anything? Those outside the area, are there any of these local stories that had an impact on your sports consumption? Were there any big stories in your community?

All block quotes in this piece are directly quoted from The Register Guard.

This post is tagged 2007 recap, 2008 Olympics, Baseball, College Basketball, College Football, Olympic Trials, Oregon Baseball, Oregon Basketball, Oregon Ducks, Oregon Football, OSU Baseball, Pat Kilkenny, Phil Knight, Register Guard, Sports, Top Ten, Track & Field