7/6/08 Day Eight
Well, everything wraps up eventually. I woke up about 7:00 and went down to breakfast. Not a lot planned for today. Talked to several people I knew and had met and spent time drinking coffee and talking about the races yesterday. After breakfast I decided to hike across campus to the bookstore for a few last minute items. Several runners had recommended Fire on the Track, so I thought I’d pick up a copy.
I had just finished and was heading back to the dorm when Greg called and asked if I wanted to go up to Pre’s Rock. Apparently Nike was doing something up there and he had been invited along. About 15 minutes later we were driving east of the campus trying to find our way up there. When we arrived there was a large group of people there and we joined them.
Steve Bence, a miler and one of Pre’s teammates was speaking. Telling the group about Pre, how Nike was formed, and about the focus and goals of the company.
After the group left we talked to Steve a bit longer and heard a few more stories. Apparently 80% of current Nike employees had never been to a track meet. So Nike bussed down 100 per day to the trials. They were taken in small groups to Pre’s rock to hear about the beginnings from the people who were there and to understand the roots of the company they worked for. It was pretty moving and many of the people there who hadn’t been born yet when Pre was running got a little feel for what the early days were like.
Greg dropped me off and I went and had lunch and made my way back to the track for one last day. I got to the stadium in timer to watch the women’s Pole vault.
Pole Vault: The wind was blowing into the pit, and you could tell several of the vaulters were having problems and hitting the bar on the way up. Several of the vaulters passed at opening heights so there were new entries at each height. At 14’ 11” there were several vaulters left and Jennifer Stuczynski hadn’t made her first attempt. Anyone remember Dan O’Brien? She came in at 15’01” and missed her first two attempts badly. Fortunately she hit her third attempt and continued on, finally clearing 16’ 01” to finish a foot higher than second place finisher April Steiner Bennett.
1500m: The women ran first and the question on everyone’s mind was could Jordan make the team? At age 16 she is five years younger than the next youngest woman in the finals.
At the gun Treniere Clement took the filed out and the group stayed bunched for the first 800 meters. The lead changed a couple of times and Lindsey Gallo took them through at 2:15. As they came off the back curve with about 500 meters to go Shannon Rowbury made a decisive move to the front. This was the race and by the tape she had extended her lead to a dozen meters. Erin Donohugh and Christin Wurth chased her down the final straight, battling each other for second and third. Rowbury’s winning time 4:05 was a personal best and Jordan Hasay finished 10th in 4:17.36 passing two runners in the last lap. She would be on a plane to Poland to join the US Junior team and run again on Friday.
The men’s 1500 went off slowly through the first 300 meters. Only half of the field had achieved the “A” standard of 3:33 so it was expected to be a fast race. After 300 Gabe Jennings moved to the front and picked up the pace, closely followed by Lomong, Lagat, Webb and Manzano. A :62 second first lap told the story — it was not going to be a fast race. The lead group held steady for the next 800 and the kick started in the back stretch with 300 to go. Lagat broke into the lead in the final curve. Jennings gave up and jogged in, Manzano and Lomong fought it out for the second and third spot but could not make up any ground on Lagat who won with a time of 3:40.37. A point of interest: all three finishers are naturalized citizens. Definitely living the American dream.
In between the two 1500 finals they ran the 200s and the hurdles. The major note of interest was David Oliver, a Denver East grad who won the hurdles and a place on the team going to Beijing. I got back to the forms about 6:30 and had a last meal in the cafeteria. Went back to my room to start packing. It would be an early morning tomorrow, heading back to Denver.
This was a great event. I will plan on going back to Eugene in 2012 — after all I should take a vacation every four years whether I need it or not.
[All photos by Greg Hyatt]