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S. Oregon athletes are among state's best By FRANK SILOW There are is a better reason to read this week's Sports Illustrated than for the inflammatory comments of Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker. The issue ranks the top 50 sports figures of all time in each state, and goes so far as to give each state its own cover. Thus, the magazine you'll find in these parts is emblazoned with `OREGON' across the front. Inside, Southern Oregon athletes dot the top-50 list. Of them, Dick Fosbury received the highest ranking at No. 9. The Medford High high jumper revolutionized the event with the now-standard Fosbury Flop jumping technique. Fosbury is credited with originating the back-first approach to high jumping. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics with a world record mark of 7-feet-4 inches. Close behind at No. 10 is Dan O'Brien, from Klamath Falls. The decathlete set a world record in his specialty in 1992 and won the Olympic gold medal in 1996. Medford's Marshall Holman is No. 20. Holman became one of the most dynamic bowlers on the professional tour en route to 22 PBA wins, including two U.S. Opens and two Tournament of Champions titles. Holman, who still resides in the area, is a PBA Hall of Famer. Wrestler Les Gutches of Medford is the most recent local athlete on the list. Gutches came in right behind Holman at No. 21. Gutches won two NCAA wrestling titles for Oregon State. Since then he's added World Cup and Pam Am Games championships. At South Medford, Gutches won three Class 4A state championships after transferring from Rogue River as a sophomore. Former Medford High football and track coach Bill Bowerman came in at No. 27. Bowerman went on to become head track coach at the University of Oregon and co-founder of Nike. He's credited with developing the waffle-soled running shoe. The final area athlete on the list is Ken Williams of Grants Pass at No. 43. Williams had a 14-year career as a major league outfielder. In 1922, he led the American League with 39 home runs and 155 RBIs. Multisport athlete Danny Ainge of Eugene heads the Oregon list. Ainge was an All-American athlete at North Eugene High. He played 14 years in the NBA after playing parts of three years in the major leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays. The rest of Oregon's top-10 list is: distance runner Steve Prefontaine of Coos Bay, Olympic swimming champion Don Schollander of Lake Oswego, Oregon State Heisman Trophy quarterback Terry Baker of Portland, All-Pro Dallas Cowboy defensive lineman Bob Lilly of Pendleton, 10-time Pro Bowl defensive back Mel Renfro of Portland, world rodeo champion Larry Mahan of Salem and Atlanta Braves two-time National League Most Valuable Player Dale Murphy of Portland. The magazine explains that some athletes, while famous for college exploits, for example, may have first become known in another state. Gary Payton, for example, was college player of the year at Oregon State and is now an NBA All-Star. But he hails from California and didn't make that state's list. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.