UO football team garners more honors.

Byline: STEVE MIMS The Register-Guard

BEAVERTON - The Oregon Sports Awards were revived just in time to honor what was arguably the greatest season in Oregon football history.

The Ducks were the big winners Sunday night as Joey Harrington was named top male amateur athlete, Mike Bellotti was selected coach of the year, and the Fiesta Bowl champions were named team of the year in a ceremony at the Tiger Woods Center on the Nike World Campus.

Other winners included college standouts Felicia Ragland of Oregon State and Becky Holliday of Oregon, as well as prep stars Jordan Kent of Churchill and Maranda Brownson of Yoncalla.

The awards continued the tradition of the Bill Hayward Banquet of Champions, which honored the state's best athletes for 49 years before it was stopped in 1997. Fourteen awards were handed out in front of an announced sellout crowd of nearly 800 that showed up for the ceremony sponsored by the Portland Tribune and Nike.

Oregon's football team was the most decorated program on the night, as it received the George Pasero Team Award after going 11-1 and finishing No. 2 in the country.

"It has been great to be a part of this, what we have accomplished and what we continue to do," Bellotti said. "A lot of this started not five or seven years ago, but 13 years ago with people like Rich Brooks and Bill Byrne. I owe a debt of gratitude to them."

Harrington, the senior quarterback who threw for 2,764 yards and 27 touchdowns while placing fourth in the Heisman Trophy race, was selected as Bill Hayward Amateur Athlete of the Year in voting done by a statewide media panel.

Harrington becomes the latest in a line of talented quarterbacks in the state to win the award. Past winners include former Oregon quarterbacks Chris Miller, Bill Musgrave and George Shaw, as well as Oregon State's Terry Baker and Neil Lomax of Portland State.

"I thank Coach Bellotti for five years of tremendous football and tremendous family," said Harrington, who accepted the award from special guest Charles Barkley. "It's been a great ride."

Bellotti received the Slats Gill Award as the top coach in the state.

"It's nice to be recognized and represent the state of Oregon," Bellotti said. "It's been a lot of fun, now lets keep this thing going."

Ragland was the female winner of the Hayward Award after being named Pac-10 Player of the Year in women's basketball.

Ragland averaged 19.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Beavers last season.

Kent and Brownson won the Johnny Carpenter Prep Athlete of the Year awards for top male and female athlete at the high school level.

Kent helped Churchill win a Class 4A state title in both boys basketball and track and field. He was a state champion in the 200 and 400 meters, as well as the long jump.

Brownson capped her career at Yoncalla by winning four events at the Class 2A track and field meet for the fourth consecutive season. Brownson's victories in the 100, 200, long jump and triple jump gave her an unbreakable record of 16 state titles.

Holliday, a pole vaulter who attended Clackamas Community College last year before transferring to Oregon, was given the Ad Rutschman Small College Athlete of the Year award. Holliday broke the national junior college record eight times last year.

The male winner of the Rutschman Award was Nik Lubisich, who plays baseball and basketball at Willamette University.

Scott Brosius and Tiffeny Milbrett were winners of the Harry Glickman Pro Athlete of the Year award.

Brosius batted .287 in his final season as third baseman for the American League champion New York Yankees, while Milbrett led the new women's professional soccer league in goals and points.

Jeane Goff of Cascade won the Steve Prefontaine Award, given to the top high school senior distance runner.

John Paul Monroe of Powell Butte was named Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.

A pair of Merit awards were given out to major league baseball umpires Dale Scott and Jim Joyce.