Cross'.'"countrywraps up season Cabrini question?

Chris Callinan, '92 alumnus, ran under O'Hora for four years and now coaches a high school team. He disagreed that there is a dearth of runners. His high school has 280 students. Last year,12 went out for crosscountry. This year,23 went out for the team.

Everyone agrees recruitment is the main answer to "Where do runners come from?"

"The hardest part of this job is recruiting," O'Hora said. "It takes hours and hours, and it doesn't pay off as much as you'd like it to.''

Callinan said there has to be hands-on recruiting, instead of over the phone. He said, "You have to get these people to realize they're athletes, not just runners on the side. Make them feel special."

Cabrini's expense was cited as a reason some recruits would not attend the college.

Jason Chaya. a sophomore runner,- said, "At some point. there was a drop off, and now • that we don't have enough, it's hard to convince people to come to a program that's rebuilding."

The up-side of the picture for potential runners is that they will run, instead of sitting on a bench, watching someone else run.

Cross-country must keep the runners when the arrive. The cross-country team has been making some internal adjustments recently.

0 ·Hora believes running is fundamentally an individual activity. He said coaching a college team requires a different tactic than a high school teain. High school coaches are usually present at every practice. Cabrini's team has only two formal practices per week.

"I'm not a baby-sitter," O'Hora said. "I have a game plan. If you follow it, I gtlarantee you'll be a winner."

Sophomore runner Margit Karlsen said she agrees with O'Hora' s decisions concern-

SPRINGBRFAK 7 nights from $299 ing practices. "I think he goes out of his way and cares about how everyone does," Karlsen said. "If he hadn't trained us as he did, we wouldn't have won the PAC championship."

Several runners wanted more team practices with the coach present. They approached both O'Hora and Dzik with their concerns.

The response to their complaints is where one can see the germ of some juicy, fuzzcovered flesh. O'Hora responded well to the team's input.

"I've seen a difference in his attitude," Kristen Vento, a first-year runner, said. "I think he just needed to see that we care."

"If you never had complaints, that would be wrong," O'Hora said. ''When I ran at the college level, you didn't question the coach. That was wrong. The only way to straighten things out is to have a dialogue."

"Now be explains where he's coming from, why we do what we do in practice," Vento said.

Kate Spires, a first-year runner, went from thinking Cabrini's program should be different to re-evaluating expectations. "It took me a while to see where he· s coming from," she said. "Making the transition from high school to college was hard."

"I had to get used to Coach O'Hora's way of doing things," Vento said. "But I'm starting to come around."

Some runners would like more practices. Don Little, a first-year runner, said, "I'm satisfied with the coaching, but I think thert: should be more than two practices per week."

Several runners pointed out it is easier to skip individual practice than group practice.

The difficulty with group practice is finding a time when everyone is free. O'lfora said he would encourage the runners to contact one another to run in small groups.

It seems that the more expe_riencea runner has with O'Hora, the more he or she appreciates him.

"He helped me a lot with my running skills and my self-esteem as a runner," Lori Staneruck, a senior and captain of the women's team, said. "I don't think we would have been able to win championships without his coaching."

"He took me from an average runner to an -.. above-average runner," Melanie Bruno, a junior , said.

Karlsen said, "I attribute all my success to the coach."' Communications seems to have been the worst problem in the past. O'Hora acknowledged he may need to make some changes.

"I'm trying to change with the times," he said. "You've got to try to change with your athletes. The athletes today need to understand more of what's going on."

by Jane S. Vanlngen

staff writer

The Chicago Bullsmay bethe defendingchampions,buttheykeeplosinggarnes, andtheyjustaren'tthesamewithoutMictJael Joroan.

MattCraig,ajunior,said, "l don'tthlnk they'llmakeittothechampicfnshipsatthis rate."

ThecountrywasshockedwhenMichael Jordan announced he was leaving the NBA. Still in the height of his career, he felt he had nothing left to prove. He was also critical of the press and of his lack of privacy. He also was still grieving over the murder of his father, James Jordan, with whom he was very close. As it stands, many feel he might return to the NBA someday, although he won't be back this sea.son.

It was only two summers ago that no one would have thought Jordan, Magic Johnson and Latry Bird would all retire within two years. To be sure, the NBA willsufferwithouttheseimmonals.However, the NBA nowadays may not need a leader, as it once did. The three players strengthenedthe leagueto the point where the NBA could withstand their absence.

Some people were happy to see Jordan go.

Joe Opiela, a senior, said; "Michael Jordan is like cancer. They got rid of the tumor,but the cancer's stillthere."

Edie Lamberti, a sophomore, said, "I alwayshatedMichaelJordan,andl'mglad he's gone.He'sa ball,-hogger.Anyonecan replacehim." •

Most people feel differently. LindoSabatini, a junior, said, "Scottie Pippencould, but) don't he will be replaced."

RichardGrace, a sophomore,said. "In terms of the team, Pippen could. He's secondplace il1the team. Outsideof the Bulls though, no one has the same leadership skillsasJoroan.ButShaquilleO'Nealofthe OrlandoMagics<X>Ulddoagoodjob. Someone will come up."

According to ChrisSantamira, a oontinuingeducationstudent,said, "Shaquille O'Nealoouldreplacehim,becausehe's got the total talentpackage.There's just something about him He plays wel~ he has a gentle side and he has a good television personality."

JuniorMarkSpringersummedupwhat manypeoplefeel towardsthe retirementof MichaelJordan."ldon 'tthinkanyoneoould ever replacehim," he said.

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