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Monday Matters | The Athlete Experience hits the Road

As mentioned in last Thursday’s Blog, “Getting Closer to TrackTown12 – 120 days to go“, the athlete experience is a very important aspect to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track and Field.  It is when our country’s national team is selected to compete against the world at the Olympics, and even if there weren’t any fans or a festival, the athletes would still be vying for a spot on Team USA.  That is why the TrackTown12 LOC, USATF and the USOC treat the athlete experience with great detail.  From the moment the athlete enters the meet until they are departing from Eugene, we want to make sure they have as few worries as possible (outside of making it to London).

In order to ease their Trials’ preparation process, reps from TrackTown12 traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2012 USA Indoor Championships this past weekend to answer questions and take photos, which will be used for credentials.

Many athletes came with questions regarding tickets, the schedule, housing and Hammer Time. They were also pleasantly surprised to get their photos out of the way, though some elected to return later, after they’d cleaned up and done their hair. In all, close to 300 athletes, coaches and agents got their credential photos out of the way and will not have to worry about that come their arrival into TrackTown USA.

There also happened to be some awesome performances on the track during the two days of competition inside the Albuquerque Convention Center.  Saturday’s highlights included a third straight indoor title by Oregon Track Club Elite’s Jesse Williams.  Although it took a couple third-attempt clearances, Williams was able to in solidify his ticket to the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey with a mark of 2.29 meters (7-5). Watch his 2.29m jump here.

OTC Elite’s Ashton Eaton also competed Saturday in the qualifying rounds of the 60-meter hurdles and on Sunday in the long jump. Though he qualified to move on in the hurdles after the first round, Eaton selected to only long jump on Sunday, which proved to be a good choice. On his third jump, Eaton soared to a lifetime best and winning mark of 8.06 meters (26-5 1/2), beating out Will Claye (8.02m, 26-3 3/4).

 

Watch more videos on Flotrack

 

Click to watch other highlights.

Bernard Lagat was able to use his kick to win the men’s 3000m – 7:4.54.

Sanya Richards-Ross broke a meet record in the women’s 400m – 50.71.

Leo Manzano kicked past Matthew Centrowitz and Galen Rupp to claim the men’s 1500m – 3:48.05.

Jennifer Simpson won the women’s 1500m after holding off Brenda Martinez. – 4:15.04.

Chaunte Lowe broke the American Indoor record in the women’s high jump. – 2.02m.

By Nathan on February 27, 2012
This entry is filed under 2012 Olympic Trials, Monday Matters and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Getting Closer to TrackTown12 – 120 days to go

Everyone who attended the Olympic Trials in 2008 seemed to have a different ‘favorite moment’, whether it was the Oregon sweep in the 800, the showdown in the last few laps of the 10K, or the falling records in the sprints.  Or maybe it was participating in the All-Comers Meet, or watching the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

You can be rest assured that the athletes and races this coming summer will bring all the same excitement and passion, but “The Best Meet Ever?” While it may seem like a bold claim, it was precisely the one set forth by the TrackTown12 Local Organizing Committee at a planning event on Wednesday, February 22 in Eugene.

Representatives from the US Olympic Committee as well as USA Track & Field were in attendance to provide insight, suggestions, and encouragement. Oregon Track Club Elite athletes Cyrus Hostetler, Lauren Fleshman, and Bridget Franek were also there to give their valuable perspectives as competitors. While this particular meeting was focused on the athlete and media experiences at the Trials, the excitement it sparked could be carried over to spectators and proved that there are some great plans in store for everyone involved!

So while we are preparing for the biggest track event on U.S. soil this year, we would like to know…..”What are YOU most excited about  as you prepare for the Olympic Trials?

In the next few weeks we will be interviewing all kinds of people involved in every aspect of the meet to find out what they are looking forward to most: athletes from out of town, college athletes, community runners, coaches, officials, and fans.  With so much in store, we are pretty certain everyone will be getting excited for completely different aspects of TrackTown12!

To preview the possibilities, we will also be talking to the committee leader in charge of each area of TrackTown12 for the most up-to-date developments in preparation and even some insider information.

In the upcoming months, follow the stories and let people tell you about their favorite parts of the upcoming meet. What will YOUR new ‘favorite moment’ of 2012 be? We can’t wait to find out!

This coming week is the USA Indoor National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Be sure to catch all the action including Oregon Athletes Aston Eaton, Galen Rupp, Matthew Centrowitz, Russell Brown, Lopez Lomong, Jesse Williams, Lindsey Allen, Jackie Areson, and many others!

By bridget on February 23, 2012
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Monday Matters | Records Fall all across the country

In an exciting weekend of  indoor track and field, not one but THREE American Records were freshly set!  In Fayetteville, Arkansas, the USATF Classic brought together a number of great athletes, and among them was Oregonian Galen Rupp. Running in the men’s two-mile, Rupp broke Bernard Lagat’s previous record of 8:10.07, with a time of 8:09.72. Stephan Pifer, also of the Oregon Track Club, placed fourth in the same race.  In the men’s mile, OTC’s Russell Brown also took fourth place, crossing the line in 3:54.08 as the top American.  Jill Camarena- Williams broke her own American Record in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.89m/65-3.75. Peruse the full results here!

While in its 105th year, the historic Millrose Games saw a change in venue from Madison Square Garden to the Armory. The event still attracted the same caliber of athletes and produced many spectacular results.  In the men’s 5k, the American Record (Bernard Lagat- 13:07.13), Collegiate Record (Lawi Lalang- 13:08.28), AND the High School Record (Edward Cheserek- 13:57.04) were all reset!  Highlights from TrackTown athletes included former Oregon Runner Matthew Centrowitz cruising to a win the infamous Wanamaker Mile in 3:53.92 and OTC member Jesse Williams bringing back yet another victory in the high jump (2.32m/7-07.25). Of course, many other races were worth looking more into as well- 2012 Millrose Games results!

Back out west at the University of Washington, the annual Husky Invitational served up a new set of stadium records, world-leading times, and other great performances.  Sally Kipyego won the 5k on Friday night in 15:15.41 and returned to the track Saturday to claim the mile victory as well in 4:28.41, which was a facility record, a meet record and a world-leading time. OTC teammates Chris Thompson and Kevin Chelimo helped push each other and placed one-two in the mens 5k, running  13.29.94 and 13: 30.25. Geena Gall won the 800 meters in 2:03.12, while OTC Portland athlete, Lopez Lomong won in the men’s race (1:47.87).

The University of Oregon (click here for more UO highlights from the meet) women’s mile record was broken at the same meet by Anne Kesselring in a time of 4:32.61.  Many other Oregon resident athletes were in attendance, including Ashton Eaton, who competed in the shot-put, high jump, and pole vault.  To see the complete results and fun interviews, check out FloTrack.org.

Friday night provided some sprinting action down at the  Don Kirby Elite Indoor in Albuquerque, NM by U of O’s sprint group.  Sophomore English Gardner turned in a NCAA leading 60m dash performance of 7.17 seconds and later won the 200m with a personal best 23.34.  Other victories came from Phyllis Francis (400m, 53.07) and both the Men’s and Women’s 4x400m relays. The men ran a season-best 3:09.38 with a lineup of Bryan Harper, Arthur Delaney, Jack Galpin and Mike Berry, while the women also ran a season-best 3:37.05 with Francis, Chizoba Okodogbe, Amber Purvis and Laura Roesler.  Complete Results of the Don Kirby Elite Indoor.

Things will continue to get exciting as we approach indoor college conference meets in the upcoming weeks and the last few opportunities for individuals to qualify for 2012 Indoor NCAA’s.  Make sure your favorite college athlete will make the cut by checking out the 2012 Indoor descending order lists and see where your team stacks up in the National rankings.  The USA National Indoor Championships are also coming up soon on February 25 and 26th and will be the next in the VISA Championship Series for professionals.  STAY TUNED!!!!!

By bridget on February 13, 2012
This entry is filed under Monday Matters and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Monday Matters | Happy Birthday Geoff Hollister!

**Update Tuesday 2/7/12 10:45am** The University of Oregon released a statement about the passing of Geoff Hollister, who was part of the “Men of Oregon” starting in 1965 and lettered as a steeplechaser in 1966 and 1968.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a great friend not only of the University of Oregon, but of the entire running community,” said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. “Geoff was not only a visionary, but also one of the indelible spirits in our profession.

To read the rest of the statement, click over to goducks.com

**Update 4:15pm** Since posting this blog Monday morning, the sad news came about Geoff Hollister passing away after a long fight with cancer.  Our condolences go out to his wife Wendy and the rest his family. His influence on our sport and the track and field community goes unparalleled.  TrackTown USA is what it is today, largely, because of the him. Thank You Geoff. Rest in Peace.

Geoff Hollister, Man of Nike & University of Oregon, RIP – by Larry Eder of RunBlogRun

Geoff Hollister, an original Nike employee and former University of Oregon track runner, dies – by Allan Brettman, The Oregonian

Happy Birthday Geoff!

This past Friday (February 3rd), the University of Oregon track team and Oregon Track Club Elite members stopped to dedicate their workouts to the very influential and esteemed U of O Alumnus Geoff Hollister.  Mr. Hollister played a pivotal role in the success and growth of Nike with his business expertise and a true understanding of the core goals Bill Bowerman wished to build the company on.  Their objective was to encourage America to get excited about running by helping athletes chase their athletic dreams.  The company provided material and financial assistance by producing and selling state-of-the-art equipment and Hollister was their first salesman.  During the first few years, he could be found at track meets and road races throughout Oregon selling running shoes from the back of his car. The other way Nike planned to help athletes was through the support of the community and team environment.  Mr. Hollister, along with Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight were the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the American running team, Athletics West which has evolved into what is now the Oregon Track Club Elite.   Though currently fighting a long, hard battle with cancer, he has continued to be an advocate for Bill Bowerman, Nike, and all things running.  To learn more about his life and journey, check out his personal account in the video interview below.

Buy his autobiography, Out of Nowhere!

The beautiful weather on Feb 3rd drew many runners to Hayward Field and many of them took a moment away from training to participate in a video ‘Birthday card’ for Mr. Hollister!

Happy Birthday Geoff from TrackTown USA!

Weekend Recap

This weekend saw another crop of Indoor Meets and stellar performances.  Most notably, Oregon runners Matthew Centrowitz, Russell Brown, Mo Farah, Galen Rupp and former OTCElite member Ben Bruce laced up for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Centrowitz and Bruce raced a tough field in the Mens 3k placing 7th (7:46.19) and 9th (7:59.10), respectively.  Brown, Farah, and Rupp appeared in the Mens Mile.  Rupp ran 3:57.10 for third place immediately followed by Farah and Brown who crossed the line in 3:57.92 and 4:00.79.

Oregon Track Club Annual Dinner

Tuesday night will be the annual Oregon Track Club Dinner and Annual Meeting.  It is set to take place at 5pm in Autzen Stadium and will feature a small program including TrackTown USA updates and Prefontaine Classic meet information. There will also be representatives from the University of Oregon Track Team and the OTC Elite  to summarize how preparation is going for upcoming events.  OTC Elite Runner Lauren Fleshman will be the events keynote speaker.

By bridget on February 6, 2012
This entry is filed under Monday Matters and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , .

TrackTown Thursday | 12 Days of TrackTown

On the 12th Day of TrackTown, My True Love Gave to Me:

12 Olympic Medals – (Well actually 13) By 10 former Oregon Track and Field Athletes. Watch the video of Joaquim Cruz’s gold medal 800-meter race in the 1984 Olympics.

11 NCAA Championships – Hosted at Hayward Field (’62, ’64, ’72, ’78, ’84, ’88, ’91, ’96, 2001, 2010 & scheduled to host in 2013).

10 Dec Events – 2012 will be the 100th year of the modern decathlon. The two-day contest will also kick-off the Olympic Trials.

9 Days of Running…………and Jumping……….and Throwing at TrackTown12. Starting with Hammer time on June 21st and ending July 1 with the Men’s 200m Final.

8 Lanes on the Track.

7 -9 and 1/4 – Oregon Track Club Elite Athlete Jesse Williams’ Personal Best and Hayward Field Record. Set at the 2011 USA Championships in TrackTown.

6 Outdoor Titles -  The UO Men have five and the UO Women have one.  Also, the men have one indoor and six cross country titles,  while the women have two of each.

5 OLYMPIC RINGS – And the number of Olympic Trials hosted in TrackTown (1972, 1976, 1980, 2008, 2012).

 

 

 

 

Sub 4 Minute Miles – The Pre Classic has seen more Sub 4 minute Miles than any other American invitational track meet. Click Here to see the full list.

3 Coach Bills (Hayward, Bowerman, Dellinger).

 

2 Bowerman Winners (Galen Rupp ’09 & Ashton Eaton ’10).

And a Historic Hayward Field.

 

Happy Holidays from TrackTown USA. See you in 2012!


By Nathan on December 22, 2011
This entry is filed under 2012 Olympic Trials, Athlete Profiles, NCAA Championships, News, Team USA, TrackTown Thursday, U.S. National Championships and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Monday Matters September 19, 2011

Rupp takes American Record at 10,000 meters

Galen RuppOn April 27, 1974, Steve Prefontaine wowed the crowd at Hayward Field when he ran 27:43.6 to capture the American record for the 10,000 meters. This was just one of many American records smashed by Pre — he set 15 American records at every distance from two miles through 10,000 meters. He was inducted to both the USATF Hall of Fame and the University of Oregon’s Hall of Fame. He had blonde hair that flew up in the wind, and a cherubic face that belied his fiercely competitive spirit.

In 1974, Galen Rupp was not yet born. But thirty years later, Rupp graduated from Central Catholic in Portland and went on to enroll at Prefontaine’s alma mater, the University of Oregon. Like Pre, Rupp has blonde hair that often sticks up (with or without the help of the wind) and a cherubic face that belies his fiercely competitive spirit.

As a collegian, Rupp thrilled the Hawyard Field crowd with his winning ways and went on to run with the support of Nike (Pre was one of the first world class athletes to wear the shoes that would come to be Nikes…)

Last week in Brussels, Rupp again did something that Pre had cherished doing: he shattered the American record in the 10,000 meters. Rupp’s time of 26:48.00 broke training partner Chris Solinsky‘s previous record of 26:59.60. In the final IAAF Diamond League meet of the season, Rupp finished third.  The race was won by by world record holder, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele in a 2011 world-leading time of 26:43.16. Let’s Run has a nice race recap, or you can watch the last half of the race on the video below.  You can read excerpts from his interview with USATF after he returned.

By Rita on September 18, 2011
This entry is filed under IAAF Diamond League, News and tagged , , .