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TrackTown Thursday | Lauren Fleshman wants you to be a dreamer

The Oregon Track Club held its annual dinner this past Tuesday inside the The Club room at Autzen Stadium for its ever-growing membership. About 350 of the club’s 1,800 members were in attendance.

The first part of the program included new president Bill Kelly leading the club updates and Tom Jordan updating the group about the Prefontaine Classic.  The second part of the program featured Vin Lananna giving a look into what to expect for 2012 and beyond as TrackTown USA becomes an internationally known track and field venue. Lananna also brought up his Oregon staff and athletes Travis Thompson and English Gardner.

OTC Elite coach Mark Rowland talked about the 2011 accomplishments of his team and highlighted the world-medal winning performances of Jesse Williams, Ashton Eaton and Sally Kipyego (Watch OTC Elite 2011 Highlights).

Tuesday’s keynote speaker was OTC Elite athlete Lauren Fleshman and her motivating message was for everyone be a dreamer. Fleshman, who resides in Eugene with her triathlete husband Jesse Thomas, said she has been a lifelong dreamer and without it, she wouldn’t not be where she is today.

“When you’re a dreamer, heart break and failure come with the territory,” said Fleshman. “But I can definitely tell you it is still worth it, because it is a way of living that is that is both moving and memorable.”

Watch her whole speech below.

For Lauren’s endeavors outside of running,  check out the following links. Picky Bars | Believe I am | Ask Lauren Fleshman

Just in case you need more motivation, here are some quotes about being a dreamer.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  – Eleanor Roosevelt

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable” – Christopher Reeve

Be sure to be in the stands to watch many dreams come true as athletes chase after their dreams of being an Olympian during TrackTown12, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field. Get your Tickets.

To get a sneak peek of your favorite athletes competing this weekend, check out the Millrose Games, with headliners like LaShawn Merritt; the Flotrack Husky Classic, with Ashton Eaton and many other Pacific Northwest stars in attendance; and the USATF Classic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with the likes of Galen Rupp and Jill Camerena-Williams highlighting the field.

By Nathan on February 9, 2012
This entry is filed under TrackTown Thursday 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

TrackTown Thursday – 10 Things to Be Thankful For in TrackTown USA

As we embark on the final seven months until the U.S. Olympic Trials begin here in Eugene — and with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us — we thought it was a perfect day to dedicate the TrackTown Thursday blog to what we’re most thankful for here in TrackTown:

1. The Trails – From Pre’s Trail to the Ridgeline and beyond (the city limits that is), there are just too many great running trails in TrackTown to count – which is why we’ll let this link give you all the great details.

 

2. Hayward Field – It is hallowed ground in the sport of track and field. Just one meet at Hayward has converted many a non-believer into a die-hard track and field fan. Here’s a little glimpse at some recent “good times” at Hayward.

3. The University of Oregon Track and Field Team – What can we say, in TrackTown USA, we love our Ducks!

4. Record-Breakers – From the legendary Prefontaine, to those who came before him, and those who have come since — at events like the annual Prefontaine Classic — record-breakers tend to be as prolific as the rain here in TrackTown USA.

5. The Oregon Track Club – Attend a week-night run, compete in one of the OTC’s summertime All-Comers meets, run the Butte to Butte, or volunteer to work at a Hayward Field meet, and you’ll see just how valuable the OTC is to TrackTown USA.

6. OTC Elite – This group of elite athletes deserves its own number. Eight of them competed at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. Five were finalists, two were silver medalists (Sally Kipyego and Ashton Eaton), and one (the high-flying Jesse Williams) brought home gold.

 

7. The Starting Block – This is a fun and popular interactive Kids Zone at Hayward Field, which gives kids of all ages an opportunity to high jump, long jump, shot put, etc. Building track athletes (or fans), one kid at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

8. Future Events – Speaking of kids, in July of 2014, the world’s best junior athletes (under 20) will arrive in TrackTown for the IAAF World Junior Championships, bringing an IAAF event to the U.S. for the first time since 1992.

9. Team USA Athletes – Without them, and all the hard work they put into becoming the best in the world, Hayward Field would be a ghost town every June. Get to know Andrew Wheating, Angelo Taylor, Ashton Eaton and Allyson Felix in our TrackTown Spotlight video series.

 

10. The Olympic Trials – The biggest team trials in the world will take place at Hayward Field, June 22-July 1. It sold out in 2008 and it’s on its way to doing so in 2012! And what better holiday gift to buy that track fan in your life than a pair of tickets to the Trials.

Happy Thanksgiving from TrackTown USA! We hope to see you here in June!

By Becky on November 23, 2011
This entry is filed under 2012 Olympic Trials, Athlete Profiles, Butte to Butte, future of track & field, IAAF World Championships, News, Prefontaine Classic, Team USA, TrackTown Spotlight, TrackTown Thursday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Monday Matters June 6, 2011

TrackTown Post-Pre Recap

Allyson Felix and fans after the Prefontaine Classic

As always, the Prefontaine Classic had dozens of classic moments. Friday night had three races  – and four records: two world records, a meet record, an European record and a world-leading mark.

 

And on Saturday, another day, another record — well, actually, another seven records…A National high school record in the two mile by future Oregon Duck Lukas Verzbicas, who ran 8:29.46, beating the previous record (8:34.40) by almost 5 minutes,  and six Prefontaine Classic records.

 

But as important as the records that fell were the small things:  the sunny, 80-degree weather (okay, perhaps the meet director Tom Jordan wasn’t personally responsible for that, but it sure did work out well!); Reese Hoffa (always a crowd favorite) winning the shot put despite cutting open his foot a few days before the meet; Oscar Pistorius coming in last in the race, but first in the hearts of fans in the men’s 400 meters (check out George Schroeder’s column about this inspiring athlete); and then there’s Allyson Felix – a disappointing third in the women’s 400 meters but always an inspiration for young  runners (see photo above)!

 

With all the records (see list below) it is worth mentioning a couple of other performances that might not show up in the record books, but sure stood out at the meet:  David Oliver blasting out of the blocks and beating Liu Xiang in the 110-meter hurdles; – a race that also included OTC Elite Ashton Eaton, who ran a personal best of 13.35; beautiful Gelete Burka winning again in the 1500 over fellow Ethiopian Miriam Jamal (who runs for Bahrain); and hometown OTC Elite runner Geena Gall setting a PB and going under the World Championship ‘A’ Standard in the women’s 800 (with a time of 1:59.76). Then there were those nine east Africans (from Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea), who all ran under 27 minutes in the men’s 10,000 meters behind Mo Farah of Great Britain’s EU record of 26:46.57; and the five Kenyans (Vivian Cheruiyot, Linet Masai, Mercy Cherono, OTC Elite’s Sally Kipyego and Pauline Korikwiang) who came in ahead of American Shalane Flanagan in the 5,000 meters.  All “wow!” performances!

 

Perhaps the biggest “wow” of Saturday came in the women’s 100 meters, when American Carmelita Jeter clocked the seventh fastest time ever — a 10.70 — and was honored with the Maria Mutola Outstanding Athlete Award.

Prefontaine Classic records:

  • Men’s 100 meters: Steve Mullings, Jamaica, 9.80. Previous record Shawn Crawford, USA, 9.88, 2004.
  • Men’s 800 meters: Abubaker Kaki Khamis, Sudan, 1:43.68. Previous record Alfred Kirwa Yego, Kenya, 1:44.01, 2008.
  • Women’s 100 meters: Carmelita Jeter, USA, 10.70 Previous record Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica, 10.78, 2010.
  • Women’s 5,000 meters: Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, 14:33.96 (Friday night). Previous record Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, 14:34.07, 2010.
  • Women’s triple jump: Olha Saladukha, Ukraine, 49-1 3/4. Previous record Nadezhda Alekhina, Russia, 47-11 3/4, 2010.
  • Women’s shot put: Nadezhda Ostapchuk, Belarus, 67-6 1/2. Previous record Connie Price-Smith, USA, 62-11 1/2, 1997.

 

All but the men’s 100 meters were also Hayward Field records.

And then there were the ten 2011 world-leading marks:

  • Men’s mile: Haron Keitany, Kenya, 3:49.09
  • Men’s 10,000 meters: Mo Farah, Great Britain, 26:46.57
  • Men’s 110-meter hurdles: David Oliver, USA, 12.94
  • Men’s 100 meters: Steve Mullings, Jamaica, 9.80
  • Men’s 800 meters: Abubaker Kaki Khamis, Sudan, 1:43.68.
  • Women’s 100 meters: Carmelita Jeter, USA, 10.70
  • Women’s 800 meters: Kenia Sinclair, Jamaica, 1:58.29
  • Women’s 400-meter hurdles: Lashinda Demus, USA, 53.31
  • Women’s triple jump: Olha Saladukha, Ukraine, 49-1 3/4.
  • Women’s shot put: Nadezhda Ostapchuk, Belarus, 67-6 1/2.

 

If you missed the meet — or the TV coverage — check out the photo gallery of all the amazing competitors on Runnerspace.com.

By Rita on June 6, 2011
This entry is filed under Athlete Profiles, Monday Matters and tagged , , , , , .

TrackTown Thursday News

NCAA West Regional meet at Hayward Field

NCAA West Regional

Historic Hayward Field will be full of youth and speed and strength this weekend as the NCAA West Preliminary Round begins.  The Oregon Ducks play host and, although there is no team competition this weekend, as Vin Lananna told the Register Guard, ““There is a team concept associated with the meet,” Lananna said. “If we’re going to have a shot at doing something as a team at NCAAs, it has to start right here. You can’t score (at NCAAs) unless you qualify.”

Prefontaine Classic Provides Possibilities for TrackTown against the World in the Men’s 800

Pre Men's 800

“That headline might be a little dramatic. But certainly no race will have stronger Eugene-based representation than the men’s 800 meters in the 37th annual Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field on June 4th.

Two-time Pre Classic winner Nick Symmonds,  the Willamette University grad running for Oregon Track Club Elite, brings his No. 6 world ranking to the race, along with a personal best of 1:43.76 set last year. He will be joined by clubmate Tyler Mulder, who made a major breakthrough last Saturday with his second lifetime best of 2011, 1:44.83.

And the biggest Eugene wildcard of them all, Andrew Wheating, ranked No. 10 in the world at the 800 by Track & Field News magazine, will run either this 800 race or the Bowerman Mile, according to his coach Vin Lananna.”   That’s the word from Pre Classic meet director Tom Jordan.

Ken Goe also writes about this OTC Elite showdown at Pre.

Maximizing Performance at Major Championships

An OTC Elite Event in conjunction with USATF

Sponsored By: Beynon Sports Surfaces

On Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 join some of the United States’ leading experts in Sports Performance as they discuss how to best prepare athletes to maximize performances under any condition.

Topics to include:
- Hydration and Travel Nutrition Strategies
- Altitude Training for Sea Level and Altitude Based Championships
- Preparation for Competing in Heat and Humidity
- International Air Travel: What to do Before, During and After the Flight to Reduce Jet Lag and Optimize Performance

* Emphasis will be placed on the upcoming World Championships in Daegu

Speakers to include:
Dr. Randy Wilber – USOC Physiologist
Andrea Braakhuis – USOC Nutritionist
Dr. Robert Chapman – USATF Associate Director for Sports Science & Medicine

Guest Appearances to include:
Vin Lananna – Head Coach of Team USA (Men) at the 2011 Wold Championships
Connie Price-Smith – Head Coach of Team USA (Women) at the 2011 Wold Championships

Event Schedule: Ford Alumni Center on the University of Oregon Campus
9:00am – 12:30pm

 

 

By Rita on May 26, 2011
This entry is filed under News, Prefontaine Classic and tagged , , , , , .

TrackTown Thursday News

The Prefontaine Classic is bringing some amazing athletes to TrackTown to compete on June 4.

Oscar PistoriusOscar Pistorius — the double amputee who has become known as “The Blade Runner”  –will compete in the 400 meters.  Pre meet director Tom Jordan told the Register Guard: “I think his participation is an opportunity for Oregon fans to see one of the great stories currently in track and field.  He’s known world-wide as ‘The Blade Runner,’ and he has been ruled eligible to compete in IAAF track and field meets. We think the fans at Hayward Field will give him a warm welcome, and hopefully he’ll set a personal best.”

Read more about it in the Register Guard and on Ken Goe’s Oregon Live blog.

Another South African has also confirmed that she will compete at Pre.  Caster_SemenyaCaster Semenya will compete in the 800 meters, as she prepares to defend her World Champion title later in the summer in Daegu, South Korea.

 

By Rita on April 14, 2011
This entry is filed under News and tagged , , , .