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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 28, 2005 Where are they now? Dain Syverson Medford High School, 1980 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Whether in sports or business, Dain Syverson has seldom been on the sidelines. One time, however, sticks out. In the 1979 football state playoffs, back spasms prevented the all-state defensive back from playing. Instead, he worked the day Medford lost to Churchill in the semifinals, 27-14, to end the season 11-1. "I was listening to it on the radio, and it was killing me," says Syverson, now 43 and living in Atlanta. He worked as a salesman for Bob Stafford’s Gallencamp Shoes store, and he and the owner tuned in, "hoping nobody came into the store." Syverson would go on to compete again, playing baseball at Oregon State and in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system before going to work in the medical field. He then branched out with a partner four years ago and started their own business. Advertisement The company, Z1 Solutions, is an executive search and recruiting firm that places high-level officers in the medical industry. Syverson’s expertise is in the diagnostics market. He spent 13½ years with Abbott Laboratories before partnering with Jim Zasowski in Z1. "It’s always a little scary to try something completely on your own," says Syverson. "Basically, it was two guys with an idea that we could do things better than what was being done in the marketplace. We started with no salaries, no stock options, no benefit plans. We truly started from scratch." They now have 11 employees, more than 35 clients and average about 150 placements annually, he says. Syverson and his wife, Marcia, have been married 20 years. They have two daughters, Kristin, 15, and Alysa, 12, and both are into ballet rather than sports. Athletics, of course, were a big part of Syverson’s life. Under coach Fred Spiegelberg, he played on Medford Senior High teams that went 22-2. His junior year, the Black Tornado hosted the title game but lost to Corvallis, 13-12. In baseball, he was an all-state shortstop, and his final game for Medford turned surreal. The Tornado lost 5-2 in the state quarterfinals to eventual state champ Hood River Valley on May 18, 1980, the day Mount St. Helens erupted. "We had our white jerseys on, and they were black at the end of the day," says Syverson. "It was pitch black and raining, and we played through it the last couple of innings." He moved on to Oregon State, where the Beavers won Pac-10 Conference Northern Division crowns his final three years, and he was all-division twice as a third baseman. Drafted by the Indians in the 20th round, he played four years in their farm system, switched to catcher midway through and twice went to spring training with the big club. After a season at AAA Buffalo, he was on the verge of being traded to the Dodgers when he decided it was time for a change. At 26, he says, "I didn’t want to continue to flounder around the minors at that age." With Abbott, he held a variety of positions in a number of locales, including Germany, before starting Z1. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail Where are they now? ">[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. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s