Oregon's Skipper to concentrate on track

EUGENE – University of Oregon pole vault standout Tommy Skipper has decided curtail his experiment with the Ducks’ football team in order to devote his full attention to track and field, according to head football coach Mike Bellotti.

Skipper, who had last played football at Sandy (OR) High School in 2002, had been working out with the school’s football team since Thursday, Sept. 22, and was looked upon as a punter, cornerback or wide receiver. Bellotti said that Skipper had offered his services if he could be of immediate help but admitted that he might be better off concentrating on only one sport.

Skipper, who captured NCAA pole vault titles in 2004 (outdoors) and 2005 (indoors), missed the majority of the 2005 outdoor track season while recovering from a knee injury. The Ducks’ pole vault school record-holder (18-10 1/4) also established the Pacific-10 Conference record as a freshman in 2004.

He also claimed Pac-10 pole vault and decathlon titles his freshman season.