The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Cory Reed Senior Kyle Bjornstad is a leader on the Oregon State basketball team despite his lack of playing time. Bjornstad began his career at Northwest Christian College and is now in Corvallis for his last home stand as a Beaver.

These days there has been ever increasing incentive for Beaver Nation to come out and support the men's basketball team. As the final home weekend approaches in the first season of the new era of Beaver basketball, the recent success of the team is not the only reason that anyone who is proud to wear orange should be at Gill Coliseum this weekend.

Saturday night Oregon State will welcome the California Golden Bears but will also wave goodbye to Beaver Nation's very own "little engine that could," senior guard Kyle Bjornstad.

"We're going to miss Kyle tremendously," Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson said. "Kyle probably has the best leadership qualities of anybody on the team. He's a leader by his example, he's vocal, he has credibility with every single person in that locker room, he's a leader in the classroom, he's a leader civically so he's been a great help in turning this program around."

Although most Beaver fans may not have seen him on the court this year, there's no doubt that Bjornstad is one of the primary reasons for the team's quick improvement. Ironic enough, this proud Beaver comes from an entire family of fans of Oregon's other Pac-10 team.

"My whole family is Ducks - my grandpa was even the mayor of Eugene," Bjornstad said. "I've wanted to beat the Ducks since I was two years old. Just going against the grain has made it a lot more fun."

In a season filled with high points, the victory against Bjornstad's lifetime domestic nemesis is just one of many moments bound to live forever after this memorable season.

"Kyle's one of these kids that really truly understands life," Robinson said. "He's trying to soak in every minute of this season that he can, and the rest of the team knows that for Kyle, Joey [McConnell] and Rickey [Claitt], this is their last go around so they're trying just as hard to win for those guys as they are for themselves."

Continued...

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