Volume 97 | February 2019 Dow nload a PDF of this new sletter here!
See You at the OTC Annual Dinner
The Annual Oregon Track Club Dinner and Business Meeting will be held Tuesday, February 12 in the Club Room at Autzen Stadium.
Niels de Vos will be the guest speaker. De Vos was recently selected to head Oregon21, the Eugene-based organizing committee planning and managing the 2021 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships scheduled at Hayward Field.
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. The OTC will host a buffet dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. A brief business meeting will follow the dinner.
All current (2019) OTC adult members are invited to attend the dinner and meeting. Members should have received an email invitation on or before January 28 with an RSVP reply request. The deadline to RSVP is Feb. 5. If you did not receive the invitation, please call the OTC office: 541-343-7247. The dinner portion of the evening is limited to the first 330 members who RSVP.
The business meeting will include the election of the Club Board of Directors, 2019 budget approval, and the Reske and Brathwaite Award presentations. There will be updates on the UO track and field program, OTC Elite program, the Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field, and TrackTown USA.
What Do You Think of the OTC Newsletter?
Help the OTC make this newsletter even better! The OTC is conducting a brief online survey about the Club’s newsletter, OnTrack.
Please take a minute and share your thoughts and ideas about the newsletter. There are only four (4) questions. Your feedback will be reviewed and shared with the newsletter team and the OTC Executive Committee.
Completing the survey means you will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $20 OTC gift certificates. You could be one of the three lucky winners! The survey closes at midnight Pacific Standard Time on February 17.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Take the survey
OTC Run/Walk Series Begins 9th Season
The popular OTC Run/Walk Series is back! The program’s 9th season begins on March 14 with a 5K run at Alton Baker Park in Eugene. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. near the main shelters and is a 5K on paved bike paths. Registration begins at 5:00 p.m. and is free for OTC members and $5 for non-members. Online registration is also available here.
The Run/Walk Series is held the second Thursday of the month, March through October. There is no Run/Walk in July so participants are encouraged to attend other OTC events such as the Butte to Butte or the All Comers Meets. All seven events in the 2019 Series can be found on the OTC website or the Eclectic Edge Racing calendar.
The Series offers something for everyone with a variety of distances, locations, and surfaces. Participants range in age from 2 to 80+ with some chasing a fast time and most just enjoying the camaraderie.
It all happens thanks to OTC volunteers and generous sponsors, including Bigfoot Beverages, Eclectic Edge Racing, Oakshire Brewing, Run Hub Northwest, RBC Wealth Management, and Track Town Pizza.
Pre’s Trail is Now A Historic Landmark
The City of Eugene Historic Review Board voted to designate the Steve Prefontaine Trail (Pre’s Trail) a city historic landmark. The decision came after a recent public hearing.
The landmark designation is a recognition that Pre’s Trail is significant to Eugene's history and worthy of protection. The designation protects the trail within Alton Baker Park from any major alterations without the approval of the board.
Legendary runner Steve Prefontaine came up with the idea of a trail covered in bark chips after competing in Scandinavia and seeing similar trails there. Lane County worked with the Oregon Track Club and University of Oregon Track Coach Bill Bowerman to design and build Pre's Trail.
The Trail opened in 1975, four months after Prefontaine’s death. It was one of the first fitness-specific trails built in the United States. The OTC has helped maintain the Trail since it was opened.
TrackTown Tuesday Dates Announced
TrackTown USA has announced the 2019 dates for its popular TrackTown Tuesday (TTT) town hall meetings.
The dates are: February 5 March 5 April 2 May 7 June 4
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, 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.
UO Team Experienced Navy Seal Training
Prior to the fall training season, the University of Oregon Track and Field Team engaged in a unique team building experience. The exercise was a Navy Seal training program hosted by a group of Navy Seal veterans.
All members of the UO team and staff participated in the grueling Navy Seal boot camp where mind, body, and spirit were tested.
After the Navy Seal experience, a few UO athletes created a statement of team principals to carry on the valuable lesson of unity and strength. The statement is now a living document which athletes embody as a member of the Track and Field Team.
Go here and read the statement
TrackTown Fitness Returns for 2019
Coach Vin Lananna recently announced the 2019 TrackTown Fitness program will again offer a free 14-week community fitness schedule.
The program hosts sessions each Sunday morning from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Autzen Stadium (enter at the south gate). This year’s program started on January 27 and runs through April 28. The program helps everyone prepare for the Eugene Marathon, half marathon and 5K on April 26–28, but everybody is welcome, whether they plan to participate in a Eugene Marathon event or not.
TrackTown USA and its partner PeaceHealth encourage people of all ages and abilities to participate in the fitness program. Go here for more information.
Officials Dinner Set for Feb. 19
The University of Oregon Track and Field program will host the Annual Oregon Track and Field Officials Dinner and Meeting at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 19.
The event takes place in the Club Room at Autzen Stadium. The meeting is open to active and emeritus Oregon officials.
The dinner and meeting will kick off a unique 2019 track and field season due to the Hayward Field construction.
The meeting agenda will center on communications and plans for 2019 that will keep the Hayward Field officials connected and engaged while Hayward Field is unavailable. The University will present a list of state 2019 track and field meets that give local officials an opportunity to keep their officiating skills sharp.
NCAA Selects Local Officials
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recently selected the officials who will officiate several 2019 NCAA track and field championship meets.
Among those selected were 11 Hayward Field officials. Being chosen is an honor considering several hundred USATF certified officials applied to work these high-profile NCAA meets.
The selected officials are: Bill Kelly: Division 1, Indoor (Birmingham, AL) Pat Duffy, Jennifer Pleus, Carol McLatchie, Cindy McCabe, Dave O'Brien, Margaret Sturza: Division 1, Outdoor (Austin, TX) Susan Stambaugh: Division 2, Indoor (Pittsburg, KS) Dan Heyerly, Dan McPheeters, Angela Willhelms: Division 1, Outdoor West Regional (Sacramento, CA) Out of the Blocks: Leading & Leadership
By Kevin Marbury, OTC President
Happy February!
I subscribe to the following concept when I think about being successful in life. To be successful you’ll need to learn to manage money, places, or people. If you want a job, you have to learn to manage one of these three; if you want to run things, you’ll need to be able to manage two of them; and if you want to own things you’ll need to be able to manage all three. Of these three skills, I believe the most difficult is managing people. I believe this because managing people is often equated with leadership and many people are just not interested in that challenge. Kevin Marbury Read the full article
Bob Welch, Awards Highlight Masters Dinner
The Oregon Track Club Masters Annual Dinner on January 15 was packed with awards and a captivating keynote speaker.
Bob Welch, noted author, speaker, columnist, and teacher, was the featured speaker for the evening. Welch gave a mesmerizing talk about high jumper Dick Fosbury. The speech was based on Welch’s recent book about Fosbury, The Wizard of Foz: Dick Fosbury’s One-Man High-Jump Revolution.
Craig Godwin presented the 2018 “All American” Awards as well as awards for the top ten age-graded marks by OTCM Club members in each of three categories: track events, field events, and road races. See the story in this newsletter about the All American Awards and the OTCM age-graded awards. New OTCM President, Bettina Huber Read the full article (left), receives the gavel from outgoing president Trisha Kluge
Oregon Track Club MASTERS Arlene Noviello Award Given to Jerry Jackson
The annual Arlene Noviello Award was awarded to Gerald (Jerry) Jackson at the Oregon Track Club Masters Annual Dinner. Jackson passed away on November 23, 2018. Michael Jackson, Jerry’s son, accepted the award on his father’s behalf. Bill Kelly presented the award. Kelly won the award last year.
Jerry Jackson and his wife Penny had a long-standing commitment to community volunteerism. Jackson was a longtime OTC member and a track and field official for 48 years. He was also a member of the OTC Board of Directors. He served as a starter at Hayward Field and head of the hurdles crew. He was a Certified USATF Official and was selected to work six track and field Olympic Trials.
The Noviello Award honors the memory of the late longtime volunteer Arlene Noviello
Jerry Jackson
Oregon Track Club MASTERS Sharon Gerl, Harvey Lewellen Win Performance Awards
OTCM Performance of the Year Awards and Masters All American Awards were presented at the recent Oregon Track Club Masters Annual Dinner.
Awards were given to the top ten performances in three categories: track, field, and road race. There were no entries for race walking. The awards are based on World Masters Association age-grading tables.
The Top Field Event Competitor Award went to Harvey Lewellen, 89, whose best mark was a hammer throw of 94 feet, 4 inches, an age-graded 114.70%. A 100% grade roughly means an age graded World Record class performance. This is the eighth year that Lewellen has won the field event award.
Read the full article
Oregon Track Club MASTERS Masters Elect Officers, Board
The Oregon Track Club Masters elected the following officers and Board of Directors members at the recent Masters Annual Dinner.
The 2019 officers are: • President: Bettina Huber • Vice-President: Gary Jacobson • Secretary: Rebecca Eastwood • Treasurer: Sandy Pashkin
Other Board members elected: Three Year Director (year 1): Mike Cahn One Year Director: Mike Olsen One Year Director: Bart Posten One Year Director: Alison Wood
These officers and directors will be joined on the OTCM Board of Directors by Past President Trisha Kluge and by previously elected directors Kevin Marbury (serving the second year of a three year term) and Tom Pattee (serving the third year of a three year term).
Eastwood and Posten are new to the OTCM Board. You can read their brief profiles here.
Oregon Track Club MASTERS T & F Meet Opportunities For Masters Athletes Upcoming February and March track and field meets for Masters athletes and for the OTC Athletics Team and are listed below. Some of these meets have qualifying standards and some 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.
February 2: Super Thrower Meet, Willamette Striders Facility, Oregon City
February 16: Last Chance Open, Multnomah University, Oregon City This is an indoor meet held on an outdoor track. Please contact Meet Director Dave Lee if you have any questions, [email protected]
February 23: Super Thrower Meet, Willamette Striders Facility, Oregon City
Read the complete list
The Magical Hayward Connection
By Vin Lananna, Associate Athletic Director of Olympic Development at the University of Oregon and USATF President
One of the central elements of our community’s worldwide reputation is the special connection between the athletes who train and compete here and the fans who support them. Of course, this connection is most evident in the meets at Hayward Field. No other stadium can match Hayward Field for providing spectators with a seat right on top of the action. And, as the plans for the new stadium indicate, those amazing seats will be even closer.
That connection of warmth and energy from the fans to the athletes is magical. The Vin Lananna images of legendary athletes “high-fiving” fans on a victory lap, of pole vaulters and long jumpers starting a rhythmic clap with the fans, of Olympic Trials champions such as Nick Symmonds and Devon Allen jumping into the stands to hug family members are captivating.
And who will ever forget the spontaneous cheer “Come to Oregon” at the 2008 Olympic Trials and the role it played in convincing high school phenom Jordan Hasay to become a Duck? In almost every interview, athletes remark on that energy and the impact it has on them.
Read the full article
OTC Elite Athletes Earn Top 10 Rankings
By Curtis Anderson, OTCE Press Officer
Oregon Track Club Elite continued to make its presence known on the global stage in 2018. Multiple OTC Elite athletes finished the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons rated among the best in the world and U.S., according to annual rankings published by Track & Field News magazine.
OTC Elite was strongest in the 800 meters. Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba, now in her fourth season under the tutelage of head coach Mark Rowland, was ranked second in the world in the 800m for the third consecutive year.
The two-time Olympian successfully defended her World Indoor title in Birmingham, won two races on the outdoor Diamond League circuit, and clocked a season best of 1 minute, 55.86 seconds, a mere .39 off her lifetime best of 1:55.47.
Read the full article
Michael Cahn discusses the benefits of joining the OTC with a small kangaroo near Bells Beach outside of Melbourne, Australia.
Cahn is a member of the OTC Board of Directors, former secretary of the Board, and former president of the OTC Masters group. He is also a certified track and field official.
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].
Photo credit: Sharon Cahn
IAAF Targets Air Quality
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) says cities with poor air quality could be barred from hosting IAAF track and field meets.
Local air quality monitoring will be important as Hayward Field and Eugene/Springfield host the OTC Prefontaine Classic each year. The Pre meet is part of the IAAF Diamond League. In addition, Hayward Field will host the 2021 IAAF World Track and Field Championships.
The IAAF has a five-year partnership with a UN environment program aimed at creating global awareness of air pollution through the creation of an air quality monitoring network that will Air quality monitor at Amazon Park, Eugene eventually link 1000 IAAF-certified tracks around the world.
Go here to read about the IAAF air quality mission.
The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) already maintains a network of ambient air quality monitors in Lane County. In 1980, only 30% of Oregonians lived in clean air areas that met national health standards for air pollution according to LRAPA. In 2019, all areas in Oregon meet the standards.
Margaret Johnson Bailes Tapped for Hall of Fame Former Eugene resident Margaret Johnson Bailes will be inducted into the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame. The 2019 Hall of Fame class will be inducted during an awards dinner March 10 at the New York Athletic Club.
Margaret Johnson was a 17-year-old Churchill High School student when she won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. 4 x 100 relay team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. One of the fastest women sprinters in the world at that time, she tied the 100 meters world record twice in the same day during the 1968 National AAU Women's Track and Field Championships. She still holds the all-time girls Oregon state high school records for 100 meters and 200 meters set in 1968, records that have stood for 51 years. In Margaret 1991, she was the first black female athlete inducted into the Oregon Sports Johnson Bailes Hall of Fame.
She left Eugene for California but returned in 1981 so her daughter, Felicia, could also attend Jefferson Junior High School and Churchill High School. During that time, Margaret coached the Churchill High School track team in the sprints and long jump.
Eugene Marathon Offers Scholarships, Spirit Awards
By the Eugene Marathon
The Eugene Marathon has announced a new scholarship program and a 2019 spirit group competition awards program.
Do you know a graduating Lane County high school senior who plans to attend college in the fall? The Eugene Marathon is proud to introduce a scholarship program that grants two $1,500 scholarships to deserving students who have made a difference in the running community.
The application process is open until February 28, 2019. Students are asked to address their meaningful running achievements and how they relate to the student’s field of study or future goals. Interested students should visit eugenemarathon.com/scholarship for more information.
Read about the spirit group prize money and the OTC race discounts in the full article.
Read the full article
Rodchenkov Act introduced by Senators to criminalise doping and enhance US powers to investigate By Michael Pavitt, December 20, 2018
Inside the Games website
From the article: United States Senators have introduced the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act in the House of Representatives, which they claim will establish criminal penalties for doping offences. They state this will apply to all major international sport competitions in which US athletes participate, as well as where organizers receive sponsorship from companies doing business in the US or are compensated for the right to broadcast their competition in the country.
“If this becomes law, U.S. track and field athletes could face federal criminal prosecution for drug use. It will be interesting to see how this law could impact athletes who are not U.S. citizens but who compete in U.S. meets or meets sponsored by U.S. companies,” said OTC member Phil Sutton. Send us a brief comment (maximum 75 words) of why you like a particular book or article about track and field, road racing or fitness. Please include the full title and author’s name. Email: [email protected].
Business Members
Brown Contracting, Inc. Let's Move LLC Byrke Beller MD, - Pacific Women's Center LPL Financial Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architects Kernutt Stokes LLP and Planners, GOLD Lile/Eugene Moving & Storage Chambers Construction Company Mark Stapleton DMD, MSD, PC Dentistry For Custom Orthotics Children D2000 Safety, Inc. Mike Fanelli, San Francisco Real Estate David E Carmichael, Attorney Musgrove Mortuaries & Cemeteries Douglas Gallagher Law Office National Firefighter, SILVER Dr. W. Grey Grieve Orthodontics, GOLD Postal Pharmacy, Inc., SILVER Eclectic Edge Racing, GOLD Prichard Partners, Inc. Eugene Airport 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 Innovative Print Group Trisha Kluge, LMT Jon Anderson, GOLD Tyree Oil, Inc., GOLD Kalen Electric & Machinery, Inc. Valley River Inn, GOLD Kathleen Dugan LMT Wildish Land Co., SILVER Kelly G. Higgins, AAMS, Financial Consultant
Events Calendar
February March 2: Bristow Trail Runs, 8:30 a.m., 50K, 25K, 10m, 1-3: USATF Masters Indoor Championships, 5m, Dexter Winston-Salem, NC 2: USATF XC Championships, Tallahassee, FL 2: Spirt of the Mill Race, 9:00 a.m., 8K, Springfield 3: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium 3: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium 5: Taco Tuesday Twilight Trot, 6:00 p.m., 5K, 5: Taco Tuesday Twilight Trot, 6:00 p.m., 5K, Eugene Eugene 5: TrackTown Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., Downtown 5: TrackTown Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., Downtown Athletic Club, Eugene Athletic Club, Eugene 6: OTC Board Meeting, no meeting due to Annual 6: OTC Board Meeting, 7:00 a.m.,Valley River Inn Dinner 9: Run for the Shamrock, 9:30 a.m., 5k, 10K, 9: Couples Classic, 9:30 a.m., 5K, Eugene Eugene 9: Sweetheart Run, 10:00 a.m., 10K, 5K, Sweet 10: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Home Stadium 10: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen 10: Suddenly Sleepy Sleepwalk, 11:00 a.m., 5K, Stadium Eugene 10: Truffle Shuffle, 12:45 p.m., 4m, 2m, 14: OTC Run/Walk, 6:00 p.m., 5K, Alton Baker Eugene Park 12: OTC Annual Dinner, 5:30 p.m., The Club, 16: Florence Half Marathon, 9:00 a.m., 13.1m, Autzen Stadium Florence 17: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen 17: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium Stadium 19: Track and Field Officials Annual Dinner & 17: Lucky Clover, 5:30 p.m., 5K, 10K, Springfield Meeting, 5:30 p.m., The Club, Autzen Stadium 24: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen 24: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Stadium Stadium 24: McKenzie River Half Marathon, 9:00 a.m., 22-24: USATF Indoor Championships, Staten 13.1m, 5K, Springfield/Eugene Island, NY 30: World XC Championships, Aarhus, Denmark 23: Hamlin Winter Grit, 10:00 a.m., 3m, 31: TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Autzen Springfield Stadium 31: Tri-Trail Challenge, 9:00 a.m., 8K, 1.5K, 3K, Eugene 31: Run with the Cops, 1:00 p.m., 5K, Springfield Always confirm event with event host.
Many thanks to Michael Cahn, Bill Kelly, Bettina Huber, 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]