OTC Annual Meeting Delivers a Packed Program

Volume 98 | March 2019 Dow nload a PDF of this new sletter here!

A large crowd of OTC members and guests were treated to a wide-ranging update on the people, places, and events in TrackTown USA at the OTC Annual Dinner and Business Meeting held February 12 in the Autzen Stadium Club Room.

The audience of approximately 250 was reminded several times about the unique role Eugene/Springfield plays in the sport of track and field. More than one speaker stressed the influence TrackTown has on the sport of track and field in the U.S. and internationally.

The evening’s highlights included the presentation of the Brathwaite and Reske Awards.

Read the full article Neil de Vos, left, and OTC President Kevin Marbury. De Vos was the keynote speaker at the OTC Annual Dinner.

Nike Store Benefit Available in 2019

Eligible Oregon Track Club members can shop the Nike Company Store in Beaverton in 2019. OTC members can visit the store in June and in October.

The Nike store offers substantial discounts on a wide range of Nike products. Access to the store is one of the Club’s most popular benefits and has to be earned by Club members. Here are the two ways you can become eligible to visit the store:

Read the full article

Stanford University Will Host the Pre Classic

The director of the OTC Nike Prefontaine Classic, Tom Jordan, recently announced the 2019 Prefontaine Classic will be held at Stanford University due to the Hayward Field construction. Jordan pointed out that he conducted an exhaustive search for a meet location in Oregon and throughout the west coast, including Canada.

Stanford’s Cobb Track and Angell Field will be the venue for this year’s 45th Prefontaine Classic/IAAF Diamond League meet on Sunday, June 30.

The Oregon Track Club founded the Prefontaine Classic in 1975. The meet is now the longest- running outdoor invitational track and field meet in America and the only meet in the prestigious IAAF Diamond League series that is held in the Western Hemisphere. The OTC will again proudly host the Prefontaine Classic in 2020 at the new Hayward Field.

Tickets for the 45th annual Prefontaine Classic will be available to the general public in mid-March. Past Pre Classic purchasers, University of Oregon season ticket holders, and current OTC members will receive a pre-sale opportunity via email in advance of the public sale.

Three New Members Join the OTC Board

The 2019 OTC Board of Directors has three new members. Here are the new members and their brief profiles. A list of the entire 2019 Board is posted below the profiles.

Read the full article

OTC Run/Walk Set for March 14

A reminder that the first OTC Run/Walk of 2019 is Thursday, March 14 at Alton Baker Park. The 5K is on the paved bike path and starts at 6:00 p.m. Stop by the two park shelters starting at 5:00 p.m. for registration and/or to renew your OTC membership for 2019. Run/Walk registration is free for OTC members and $5 for non-members. Save time by registering online here.

All ages and abilities are welcome: runners, walkers, joggers, dogs on leashes and people with strollers and headphones. Refreshments and random prizes will be available courtesy of Eclectic Edge Racing, Bigfoot Beverages, Track Town Pizza, Run Hub Northwest, Oakshire Brewing, and RBC Wealth Management.

Volunteers are needed to help with registration and the finish line. If you would like to help, contact Celeste Kuta at [email protected].

Lananna Remains on Administrative Leave

The USA Track and Field (USATF) Board of Directors recently met and decided not to reinstate Vin Lananna as president of the organization. Lananna has been on forced “temporary administrative leave” for over a year.

The board’s decision means Lananna’s status will now be decided by a formal grievance process. Lananna reluctantly filed the grievance when faced with a filing deadline.

Lananna was elected to a four year term as president of USATF at the organization’s annual meeting in December, 2016. The USATF is the sport’s national governing body.

On February 18, 2018, the USATF Board of Directors placed Lananna on a controversial administrative leave, until either: the federal investigation (in reference to the awarding of the 2021 IAAF World Championships) was concluded; or federal authorities confirmed that neither TrackTown USA nor Lananna engaged in any improper conduct. The board upheld the forced leave at a meeting in June 2018.

The board’s action also involved a perceived conflict of interest in Lananna’s roles as president of both TrackTown and USATF. Lananna voluntarily resigned as president of TrackTown USA in July, 2018. He also stepped down from his position as chair of the Oregon21 organizing committee.

Critics of the decision say there is no indication Lananna is a target of the investigation, and the decision is a way for the board to go around the will of the USATF membership. Lananna and TrackTown USA have not been accused of wrongdoing or charged with any misconduct. Lananna, an OTC Board member, has pointed out he is simply a cooperating witness in the investigation. A large number of athletes, coaches, and USATF members have urged the USATF to reinstate Lananna.

Survey Results Positive, Helpful

Thank you to all the OTC members who completed the recent OTC newsletter survey. Your comments about the newsletter were overwhelmingly positive and encouraging.

The newsletter team and the OTC Executive Committee are carefully reviewing the survey results. They are especially focused on your suggestions and ideas on how to improve this publication.

The winners of our drawing for three gift certificates will be contacted soon.

Again, thank you for being a loyal reader and your survey feedback.

Catherine and Joseph Calbreath recently visited Vietnam. The longtime OTC members and track and field officials found the country fascinating and enjoyed learning about the country, people, and history. Joseph was stationed in Phan Rang, South Vietnam 49 years ago and wanted to see how the people had recovered from the war. They were pleasantly surprised and rewarded. The photo was taken at the Cat Ba National Park in northern Vietnam.

Send Us Your “Where in the World” Photo with YOU in it. Tell us who is in the photo, location, and other details that might be of interest. If possible, wear your OTC branded gear in the picture or other TrackTown related apparel. Send your photo to: Phil Sutton, [email protected].

Out of the Blocks: Inspiration and Perspiration

By Kevin Marbury, OTC President

Happy March!

A number of years ago, as I was leaving one job for another, one of my student employees said to me, “You have been an incredible source of inspiration for me while I have been an incredible source of perspiration for you!” What I believe the young man was trying to say was that he felt like he had received much from me, but he had caused me a great deal of stress and taken more than he gave. I was honored that he felt that way; but in retrospect, I now realize perhaps there was more to that statement than I first understood. Kevin Marbury Read the full article

TrackTown Youth League To Announce Schedule The TrackTown Youth League, presented by Providence Sports Medicine, is a series of free all-comer track meets across Oregon. The series is open to boys and girls ages 7-14.

The Youth League has a full 2019 season with 16 regional meets culminating in a championship meet! This year’s regional meets will kick off in mid-April, and continue through mid- June. Locations include Newberg, North Portland, Hood River, Coos Bay, Willamina, Hillsboro, Medford, La Grande, Warrenton, Salem, East Portland, Klamath Falls, Bend, Hermiston, Prairie City, and Eugene.

The championship meet will be hosted at an alternate venue in the Eugene region due to the construction at Hayward Field. The final date and location will be announced in March.

The full Youth League meet schedule will be posted in mid-March on the TTYL website.

Your Guide to Surviving the 2019 Track & Field Season

There are no track and field meets at Hayward Field this year because the new stadium is being built. What is a track and field fan supposed to do?

Well, the OTC newsletter team has created a free Fan Survival Guide for fans craving to see outdoor meets in 2019.

This year is a perfect opportunity to explore other track and field events and venues. How about the Titian Track and Field program at Lane Community College (LCC)? Have you been to Whyte Field, the track and field venue at Oregon State University (OSU)? When was the last time you attended a high school meet?

There are eleven high schools in the Eugene/Springfield area that have a track and field program. LCC is located close by. The OSU campus is a short drive north.

Go here to see the 2019 Track and Field Fan Survival Guide.

Harvey Lewellen Throws “Stuff”

By Don McLean

Harvey Lewellen, a newly minted 90 year-old (February birthday), was born in Marshfield, OR (now Coos Bay). He lived in Myrtle Point until 1963, then moved to Springfield.

He played every sport in high school at the highest level. Lewellen worked in the logging industry at the uppermost positions, including as a tree topper at 200 feet. In later life, he decided to get back to track and field, a sport he enjoyed in high school. Despite being a big guy, he shrunk down to 6 feet, 213 pounds and ran a not-too-shabby 1:34 half marathon at age 58. Lewellen got into the decathlon, and then specialized in the throws.

Read the full article

Harvey Lewellen

Oregon Track Club MASTERS Alison Wood Sets World Mark

OTCM member Alison Wood set the women’s 45 to 49 indoor world high jump record at the recent Jacksons Invitational Meet in Nampa, ID.

Wood, from Aumsville, OR, cleared the bar at 5 feet, 5 ¼ inches. The previous record of 5 feet, 5 inches was set in 2012. As a result of her performance, Wood was named USATF Athlete of the Week in early February.

She has broken the American W45 indoor high jump record three times with a 5 foot 3 inch mark on Dec. 8, a 5 foot 3 ¼ inch jump on Jan. 19, and her recent world record mark.

Wood is an Oregon Track Club Masters Board member and the captain of the Oregon Track Club Athletics Team.

Alison Wood

Oregon Track Club MASTERS Tuesday Workout Moves to 5:30 p.m.

The Masters Tuesday Night Workout group will move its start time to 5:30 p.m. beginning March 12. The workout is led by coach Ian Brown and continues to be held at the South Eugene High School track. Training begins with stretching and drills usually followed by 3 to 4 miles of intervals at varying distances and paces. The group is open to all ability levels and is free to OTC members and their guests. Oregon Track Club MASTERS A Hayward Classic Reminder

The OTCM Hayward Classic track and field meet will not be held in 2019 due to the construction of the new Hayward Field.

The cancellation is only for this year. The OTCM is looking forward to hosting the Hayward Classic in 2020 at Hayward Field. The Hayward Classic is one of the nation’s premier meets for Masters athletes.

Oregon Track Club MASTERS T & F Meet Opportunities For Masters Athletes

The OTCM is increasing its efforts to let Masters athletes know about meets that accept Masters level competitors. Here are upcoming March and April track and field meets for Masters athletes and for the OTC Athletics Team. Some of these meets have qualifying standards. Some of these meets require pre-approval from the meet director to enter as an “open” or non-collegiate athlete. Please check with the meet director for entry requirements.

Read the full schedule

Piazza Finds Perfect Spot With the OTC Elite By Curtis Anderson, OTC Elite

For most of his life, Drew Piazza was focused on pursuing his dream of playing professional soccer in the U.S.

It was not until his sophomore year at Danvers High School in Massachusetts that he even thought about track and field when a friend suggested he join the team to build fitness for soccer.

Guess what?

By his senior year, Piazza discovered he was a much better middle distance runner than midfielder, and while he still loved soccer, his goal shifted to finding a spot on a Division I track and field program. His search kept him close to home when he Drew Piazza enrolled at the University of New Hampshire and chose to join the track team as a walk-on.

Read the full article

Hayward Field Official Wins USATF Grant

The USATF National Officials Committee recently announced the winners of the 2019 Young Official Grants. These grants give $500 to help officials age of 40 and under work USATF national championship meets and gain valuable experience.

Hayward Field official Angela Wilhelms was one of the grant winners. Wilhelms was the only winner from the USATF Oregon Association. Laura Duffy won a Young Official Grant last year. Duffy was the first Hayward Field official and the first USATF Oregon Association member to receive this grant award.

Each young official selected will be assigned to a crew and will be mentored and given training at the competition venue.

Angela Wilhelms and friend

Dick Lamster and Maeve Sowles recently visited Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge was so impressive it even had Dick speechless, and if you know Dick, that does not happen very often! Dick is currently an OTC Board member and USATF certified Hayward Field official. Dick is a past president of the OTC Masters. Maeve is also a proud OTC member.

Opportunities Abound in Track Town By Vin Lananna, Associate Athletic Director of Olympic Development at the University of Oregon and USATF President

In past columns I’ve written about the importance of the opportunities that lie ahead of us over the next three years with the 2020 Olympic Trials, the return of the NCAA Championships in 2021–2022, and the World Championships in 2021. They are high-profile events that bring us national and international exposure.

In those columns, I have emphasized the importance of our community as the underlying foundation upon which we’ll be able to realize any possibilities offered by these events. The strength of our community built our reputation as TrackTown Vin Lananna USA decades ago, and it has been the strength of our community that has helped to sustain track and field in this country.

Our reputation as TrackTown is building. We are continuing to attract great athletes to train at the University of Oregon and with the OTC Elite. Clearly, success is fostering success for those programs, but I believe it is the day-to-day touchpoints that, ultimately, have been and will continue to be critical to growing and strengthening our community of passionate followers. And so, I’d like to highlight a few of the less visible actions that I believe are helping us on that path.

Read the full article

TrackTown Tuesday Set for March 5

The next TrackTown Tuesday (TTT) town hall meeting is Tuesday, March 5.

The TTT events are held at the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) in Eugene unless otherwise announced. The meetings are free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for a social hour and the main program at 7:00 p.m.

$5 appetizers from the DAC and $3 pints of beer from Hop Valley Brewing Company will be available for purchase. Free parking is available in the adjacent Overpark Parking Garage.

Registration for the 46th Annual Aquafina OTC Butte to Butte is open. Oregon Track Club members receive a $5 entry fee discount.

Packet pickup will be on Wednesday and Thursday, June 26 and 27 at the 5th Street Public Market and at the Eclectic Edge Racing headquarters on July 1, 2, and 3. The race is still seeking volunteers for race day course marshals and the finish line. Register and volunteer at: www.ButteToButte.com.

Many of the Butte to Butte long-time supporting partners are back in 2019, including: Bigfoot Beverages, Oregon Imaging Centers, EWEB, Franz Bakery, Umpqua Dairy, 5th Street Public Market, and Bicoastal Media.

Eugene Marathon Preview Runs, Kids Duck Dash

The Eugene Marathon’s popular course preview runs are back. The preview runs are March 9 and April 13.

Meet at the Whole Foods Market, 353 E Broadway, at 9:00 a.m. The runs will cover different portions of the course. To RSVP and stay updated on current information, check out the Eugene Marathon’s Facebook page.

Don’t miss your opportunity to register for the 2019 Eugene Marathon before prices increase on March 15. OTC members save $10 on the Marathon and Half Marathon by using code 19OTC10 and $5 in the Eugene 5K by using code 19OTC5.

The new Kids Duck Dash course features a fun and exciting loop around the University of Oregon’s Autzen Stadium. All Kids Duck Dash finishers receive a t-shirt, medal, goodie bag, post-race pancake breakfast, and more. Sign up today!

Business Members

Brown Contracting, Inc. Let's Move LLC Byrke Beller MD, - Pacific Women's Center Kernutt Stokes LLP Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architects Mark Stapleton DMD, MSD, PC Dentistry For and Planners, GOLD Children Chambers Construction Company Mike Fanelli, San Francisco Real Estate Custom Orthotics Musgrove Mortuaries & Cemeteries D2000 Safety, Inc. National Firefighter, SILVER David E Carmichael, Attorney Nike Running, Eugene Douglas Gallagher Law Office On Track and Field, Inc. Dr. W. Gray Grieve Orthodontics, GOLD Oregon Medical Group, Orthopedic & Sports Eclectic Edge Racing, GOLD Medicine Clinic, GOLD Eugene Airport Postal Pharmacy, Inc., SILVER Eugene Marathon Prichard Partners, Inc. Eugene Moving & Storage Services / Lile North RBC Wealth Management, SILVER American Rexius Forest By-Products, GOLD Eugene Physical Thereapy, SILVER Run Hub Northwest, SILVER Eugene Running Club Runnerspace, GOLD Eugene Running Company Runnin' Wild Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission Sapient Private Wealth Management Garden Way Chiropractic Center Slocum Orthopedics, PC., GOLD Gleaves Swearingen LLP, Attorneys at Law The Carpet Company Handy Ed Construction The Eugene Marathon Health & Safety Institute Track Town Pizza, GOLD Hutchinson, Cox, Coons, Orr & Sherlock, P.C. Track Town Orthodontics, GOLD Jon Anderson, GOLD Trisha Kluge, LMT Kalen Electric & Machinery, Inc. Tyree Oil, Inc., GOLD Kathleen Dugan LMT Valley River Inn, GOLD Kelly G. Higgins, AAMS, Financial Consultant - Wildish Land Co., SILVER LPL Financial

Events Calendar

March April 1-3: USATF Masters Indoor Championships, 2: TrackTown Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., Downtown Winston-Salem, NC Athletic Club, Eugene 2: Spirt of the Mill Race, 9:00 a.m., 8K, Springfield 2: Taco Tuesday Twilight Trot, 6:00 p.m., 5K, 3: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium Eugene 5: Taco Tuesday Twilight Trot, 6:00 p.m., 5K, 6: Shotgun Trail Blast, 8:00 a.m., 5K, 10K, 25K, Eugene 50K, Marcola 5: TrackTown Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., Downtown 7: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium Athletic Club, Eugene 7: Women’s Half Marathon, 9:00 a.m., 5K, 13.1M, 6: OTC Board Meeting, 7:00 a.m., Valley River Inn, Eugene Eugene 7: 4J Strides for Education, 2:00 p.m., 6K, Eugene 9: Run for the Shamrock, 9:30 a.m., 5k, 10K, 10: OTC Board meeting, 7 a.m., Valley River Inn, Eugene Eugene 10: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen 11: OTC Run/Walk, 6:00 p.m., 5K, 10K, Eugene Stadium 13: Save the Bee, 10:00 a.m., 5K, Eugene 10: Suddenly Sleepy Sleepwalk, 11 a.m., 5K, 14: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Eugene Stadium 14: OTC Run/Walk, 6:00 p.m., 5K, Alton Baker 14: Bridgeway Run for Autism, 2:00 p.m., 5K, 8K, Park Eugene 16: Florence Half Marathon, 9:00 a.m., 13.1m, 20: LCC Twilight Meet, 1:00 p.m., Eugene Florence 21: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen 17: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium Stadium 26-27: OSU High Performance Meet, Fri-3:30 17: Lucky Clover, 5:30 p.m., 5K, 10K, Springfield p.m., Sat-10:00 a.m., Corvallis 24: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen 27-28: Eugene Marathon Races, 27th-5K & Duck Stadium Dash, 8:00 am, Autzen Stadium; 24: McKenzie River Half Marathon, 9:00 a.m., 28: Marathon & Half Marathon, 7:00 a.m., Autzen 13.1m, 5K, Springfield/Eugene Stadium 30: World XC Championships, Aarhus, Denmark 31: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Always confirm event with event host. Stadium 31: Tri-Trail Challenge, 9:00 a.m., 8K, 1.5K, 3K, Eugene 31: Run with the Cops, 1 p.m., 5K, Springfield

Many thanks to Michael Cahn, Bettina Huber, Bill Kelly, Kevin Marbury, Don McLean, OTC Elite, Keely Pence, Nathanial Teich, TrackTown USA, Dave Wilkins, Jennifer Touchette (graphic designer), and Phil Sutton (editor) for their support of this newsletter. Please contact Jennifer Touchette at [email protected] or Phil Sutton at [email protected] if you have newsletter questions, comments, or content.

Oregon Track Club Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT 2350 Oakmont Way, Suite 201, Eugene, OR 97401 • Phone: 541-343-7247 Email: [email protected]

OTC Annual Meeting ​​Delivers a Packed Program

OTC Annual Meeting Delivers a Packed Program