Full court press

by Lauren Kessler

When Jody Runge, a young and ambitious basketball coach, arrived at the University of Oregon in the spring of 1993, she found the team - the Oregon Ducks - demoralized by its worst season in almost two decades, and ignored and underfunded in a male-dominated athletic department. The pressure on Runge was enormous: The Ducks had to earn the respect and recognition they needed to become a force in their league or decline into complete obscurity. While fighting a legal. Battle with the university administration for equal funding and support, Runge worked against the clock to improve the team's strategy and its collegiate standing. In the process, she taught the players the importance of self-esteem and commitment, and instilled in them a thirst for winning. As the players struggled with the pain of defeat, Runge put her career on the line by challenging the rules of collegiate politics. Game by game, the ragtag team built the strength. That took them further than they ever thought they co