Volume 111 | April 2020 Download a PDF of this newsletter here! Editor’s note: The cancellations, suspensions, and rescheduled events listed in this article can be superseded by state or national decisions concerning the pandemic and/or changes by the event organizer. A recent headline from an international sports website reads “The Deadly Virus that has Killed Off Sport.” Track Town has been impacted by the Coronavirus just like every community in the U.S. and around the world. Here is a list of the local and state track and field, road racing, and fitness events and their status as of March 27. Oregon Track Club Run/Walk Series. The April 9 event is canceled. The May 14 event is still scheduled. OTC Board meeting. The April 1 meeting is canceled. Prefontaine Classic. Still scheduled for June 6-7 but all Diamond League meets scheduled for May have been postponed. Butte to Butte road race. Still scheduled for July 4. All Comers Meets. No dates have been set due to the pandemic. Explore the status of other events Johnson, Thomas, and West Honored by the USTFCCCA The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USATFCCCA) recently honored UO Coach Robert Johnson as the West Region Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year. The USATFCCCA also named UO Assistant Coach Ben Thomas the organization’s West Region Men’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year. UO Senior James West was selected as the Men’s West Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Thomas is also one of three national finalists for USTFCCCA Men's (Team) Assistant Coach of the Year. Robert Johnson Ben Thomas James West "NCAA is a Ghost Town" The Coronavirus has had a profound impact on track and field all over the world. Athletes, coaches, and fans are feeling the effects. Another group coming to grips with the cancellations and suspensions are track and field officials. Many have turned to social media to express their feelings. Here are a few Facebook posts by U.S. officials: “NCAA is a Ghost Town.” Jennifer from California “Well, the high school and college track meets I was scheduled to work are all cancelled. I did go and walk around a local high school track and field event area as I would do before a meet. Strange with no athletes there. I even dreamed last night of working a track meet. I guess dreams will have to do for now.” David from Pennsylvania Read what Holly, Teena, and others posted Fourth in a series In a Hurry for Kartoffelsalat by Tom Jordan ​Editor’s note: Tom Jordan has been the Prefontaine Meet Director for 35 successful years. OnTrack asked Tom to share his top five Prefontaine Classic memories during this, his last year as the Pre Classic Director. Tom agreed to our request, and we will publish his personal highlights in a series of five articles. This is the fourth article in the series. Note, these memories will not be competition highlights. A ranking by experts of Pre meet competition performances through 2014 may be found at PreClassic.com, the official Prefontaine Classic website: Top 40 All-time. As long as they were physically capable, Steve Prefontaine’s parents never missed a Prefontaine Classic. Of course, to Ray and Elfriede, he was always Steve or Stevie. They were as humble and soft-spoken as their son had been brash. Read about Tom and the State Trooper Tom Jordan Out of the Blocks: ​Creative Stay at Home Options By Kevin Marbury, OTC President COVID-19 has been top of mind for everyone these days and as each day unfolds it seems even more of our every waking moment is being spent on it. It is my hope that each of you are doing everything you can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of yourselves and your loved ones. I am encouraged by some of what I see in our community here in Eugene/Springfield. At the same time, I am concerned that what we see happening around the country and around the world will become our reality very soon. See Kevin’s virtual tour links Kevin Marbury Eclectic Edge Racing Hosts Virtual Run/Walk Eclectic Edge Racing has announced a virtual running and walking event from April 15 to 19 called the Great Community Fund Run. The innovative health and fitness event offers perfect timing during the current social distancing environment. Eclectic Edge, an OTC Business Member, encourages participants to run (or walk) at their chosen distance, at their own pace, and whenever and wherever they wish. “You can choose to be competitive with your friends or yourself while not traveling to a race. Encourage your friends to sign up, agree on a time to run and then share your success with one another in the official Facebook event page,” the company’s website noted. This virtual event even includes a race bib, a custom event shirt, and a finisher’s medal. When you sign up, choose from one of four organizations that your run will benefit: Food for Lane County, American Red Cross, Direct Relief, or the United Way. Proceeds from this event will go directly to your chosen beneficiary. Go here for event information and to register (registration link is at the bottom of the page). Olympic Trials Volunteer Website is Open Online volunteer registration for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials is still available. If you are interested in volunteering for the Olympic Trials, you can do so on the volunteer website. Go here to register. The Trials are going to be rescheduled due to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. The dates for the Trials have not been announced at the time this newsletter was distributed. The TrackTown USA organization has stated, “Once a new date for the Olympic Trials is announced, we will reach out to all registered TrackTown20 volunteers to inform you of the new date, to confirm your availability for volunteering, and to share a new timeline for the assignment of volunteer roles and shift selection.” The organization went on to say, “Although it is not yet clear how long it may take to finalize a new date for the event, our Local Organizing Committee stands ready to welcome the best athletes in the country to the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field once a decision is reached.” Unprecedented Times From the desk of Michael Reilly, TrackTown USA CEO OTC Family, We are in unprecedented times. I know there is a lot of uncertainty in our community and in the world right now. For broader updates from TrackTown USA, make sure you are signed up to receive our emails and newsletter here. I would like to offer a simple “thank you” to everyone reading this for taking care of yourself and taking care of each other. I encourage us all to continue following the guidance of public health professionals, respecting social distancing protocols, and being kind to one another. We are all in this together, and we will get through it together. Michael Reilly Be safe and stay healthy. Social Worker Meets Race Walker and a Wonderful Partnership is Born By Joey Blum Maureen Pollock and Goetz Klopfer are not sit-around types. I was lucky to catch up with them before they left for Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament. Conversation with these two ranges widely from Goetz’s birth in Germany, to Maureen’s career in oncological social work; to Lebanese food (Maureen’s heritage), and to Goetz’s experience competing in two memorable Olympic Games charged with protest and tragic violence. The 1968 and 1972 Olympics have historical significance beyond the games themselves, and Goetz has memories and thoughts about both that will be better appreciated if you speak with him in person. Read about the racewalk romance The busy Track Town couple, Goetz Klopfer and Maureen Pollock. Hayward Classic is Still on Hold The OTC Masters had high hopes the OTC Hayward Classic could be held this year at the new Hayward Field. Due to construction timing, and the current pandemic, the popular Classic meet will have to wait until 2021. The Hayward Classic normally draws top Masters-level athletes from across the U.S. and other countries. The 2018 meet produced three World records and one American record. In 2017 at Hayward Field, the Masters athletes set four world records, plus one American and one Canadian record. The meet was not held in 2019 because of the Hayward Field construction. The OTCM plans to resume holding the Hayward Classic annually starting next year. Hayward Classic updates will be published as they become available in OnTrack. Oregon Track Club MASTERS News Meet Opportunities for Masters Athletes Editor’s note: Normally we publish a list of track and field and cross country meets for Masters athletes and for the OTC Athletics Team. The pandemic has caused all the April meets to be postponed or canceled. The May issue of this newsletter will list meets, if any, that are still scheduled for May. Thank you to Tom Pattee for volunteering each month to identify meets that accept Masters athletes OTC Elite's Kipyego Earns Olympic Marathon Berth ​By Curtis Anderson, OTC Elite Press Officer Oregon Track Club Elite's Sally Kipyego completed an unlikely comeback with a gutsy third-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta, GA on Feb. 29. The 34-year-old Kipyego, who struggled to regain her fitness after giving birth in 2017 to daughter Emma, somehow summoned the courage over the final few miles to earn a spot on the podium with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes, 52 seconds.