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50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 17, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 16, 2005 Mason set for return to North By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune Marnie Mason has exhibited a keen sense of timing in her years of coaching distance runners, and she certainly put that on display again Monday. Mason, who was a leading figure in developing cross country talent at Klamath Union and North Medford high schools before accepting a "dream" job at the University of Oregon in 2003, officially signed on to return to Medford only days after news leaked that Tornado track and field coach Mark Hodges was slated to step down. On Monday, Mason accepted a job as a special education teacher at North Medford High, a position she held for two years before becoming head coach of the Oregon women’s cross country program and a top assistant in the Ducks’ track program. While on the outside it appears like one move stands to equal another when it comes to replacing Hodges, who accepted a head football coaching job in Fernley, Nev., last Friday but didn’t announce his move until Tuesday, that’s not entirely the case, according to North Medford Athletic Director Tim Sam. "She was already well into the process of coming back here before any of that (track and field vacancy) came about," Sam said Friday afternoon. Advertisement Sam said Mason did say "she’d be interested in helping out wherever she fits in" among North’s coaching staff, but the prospect of becoming a head coach certainly wasn’t on the table at the time. Mason was in Berkeley, Calif., with the Ducks on Friday and unable to be reached, but she was quoted in the Register-Guard on Thursday that she misses teaching and being in the classroom and that she intends to apply for the Tornado’s vacated track position. "I missed the daily contact with kids," Mason told The Register-Guard of her decision to return to North. "I don’t think you have that as much at the Division I level. I feel I have more of a positive impact on kids who are in the stage of developing their work ethic and attitude and long-term goals. "I really enjoy that aspect of that age." Sam said Friday that Mason’s intention to apply for the track position at North was "news to me," and that only current track assistant Pete Voskes has informed him of his desire to formally apply for the position. Voskes is also the head coach in cross country, a position he inherited when Mason left for Oregon in 2003. "Obviously she would be a highly qualified applicant and, if she applied, it would just strengthen our pool," said Sam. "Pete’s an excellent candidate as well, and I’m sure there are other good ones out there, too." A standout runner during her prep days at Klamath Union High, Mason has enjoyed a tremendous rapport with her runners as a coach and endeared herself to the Black Tornado community right away after moving from Klamath Falls in 2001. "The way I look at it, Marnie’s another great plus for North Medford," said Sam. "We’ve had some pretty good hires this year with Phil Pifer (as athletic trainer) and Jeff Olson (as a football assistant) and Marnie just continues that. "We’re excited to be adding another quality person to the North Medford campus and we’re hoping to the North Medford coaching staff in whatever capacity it is," he added. "We sure missed her when she left but understood what a great opportunity she had at the University of Oregon." In just two years with North’s cross country program, Mason made an immediate impact by bumping the number of participants from 15 to 65 and, in the fall of 2002, led the Black Tornado girls team to the state meet for the first time in 20 years. Her work with the distance runners as an assistant in track also served to provide the Tornado a more well-rounded and deep program. Mason was the first women’s distance coach hired when Oregon combined its men’s and women’s track programs under the direction of former coach Martin Smith, who resigned his position last month in a surprising move days before the beginning of the outdoor track and field season. Mason told the Register-Guard that the tumult at Oregon was a factor in her decision to leave the university and that she just wants "to move forward and look to positive things." "It wasn’t the dream job that I thought it would be," Mason said of her experience coaching at Oregon. "It was a great experience, and one that I think will help me become a better person and coach down the road." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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