March Madness Contagious in TD
Travis Nelson Imagined the Beavers kissing the NCAA trophy this morning. The OSU Alumnus said the hype around the cinderella men’s team reaching the Sweet 16 had him feeling good and dreaming of them triumphing in the finals on April 5. The 12th-ranked Beavers play on Saturday, March 27, against the 8th-ranked Loyola Ramblers Chicago University at 11:40 a.m. on CBS
By Tom Peterson
Locals have some pride on the line when it comes to the March Madness NCAA tournament this weekend with both Oregon State Beavers and University of Oregon Ducks in play.
The Beavers’ men’s team, considered a cinderella story, are grabbing a lot of the limelight as they have bested top-25 teams in Oregon, Colorado, Oklahoma State and Tennessee during their past five games.
“I hope they win,” said Travis Nelson on Friday morning. “When I was growing up in the 80s, the Beavers were an elite team in college basketball with superstars like Gary Payton. It’s been a long time since we had this much hype for a Beaver basketball team. I’m liking the feeling.”
Lex and Michael Willard said they were excited to see the Oregon Beavers make into the Sweet 16 this weekend.
“I think it is going to be awesome,” said Lex Willard.
“My dad has been a Beaver fan forever,” added husband, Michael Willard.
Mitchell Sundstrom and Katie Arstingstall of Corvallis, sitting above, happened to be enjoying lunch at the Rivertap this morning on a trip to Spokane.
“It’s crazy they have come this far,” said Sundstrom of the Beavers. “And they are not just winning, they are kicking butt. My dream is to have Gonzaga (of Spokane) meet the Beavs in the final. Could you imagine?”
Heather Fritz-Gustafson can not and would not imagine such an atrocity.
Heather Fritz-Gustafson, an alumnus of the University of Oregon said she was stoked to watch the women’s team play against Louisiana on Sunday. The Duck’s men team will be in action thereafter against USC.
“I’m a Duck,” she said, noting Fritz-Gustafson said, adding that she and her sister both ran track and cross country for the university.
The Ducks have both men’s and women’s basketball teams in the Sweet 16. The women play Louisville on Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN and the Men face off against No. 2 USC at 6:45 p.m. on TBS.
It’s a bummer Pac-12 is playing Pac-12. It kind of sucks. But I am stocked for the Ducks this weekend.”
