Meet's prime time for world's top vaulter (Brad Walker)
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:12 pm
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/ ... ion=sports
Meet's prime time for world's top vaulter
By Curtis Anderson
The Register-Guard
Published: Tuesday, August 8, 2006
For Brad Walker, the top-ranked pole vaulter in the world last season, tonight's Road to Eugene '08 track and field meet at Hayward Field couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
The former University of Washington standout soared over the magic 6-meter barrier - 19 feet, 8 1/4 inches - at a meet in Germany on July 19, which puts him firmly atop the list of this year's vaulters. It also makes him only the 12th vaulter in history to clear that height outdoors.
Given that type of momentum, Walker was thrilled to have the chance to compete against an elite field on U.S. soil before returning to Europe for what he hopes will be an even more productive second half of the outdoor season.
"Obviously, the last couple of times I've jumped have been really good meets for me," Walker said. "I didn't want to wait too long to get back on the track, so this is a perfect opportunity for me to get a good solid meet in with a great field before I head back to Europe."
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Walker, the 2006 world indoor champion, is one of several elite U.S. athletes - including Olympic and world champions - who will be competing tonight along with members of the U.S. junior national team.
Among the other stars scheduled to compete are Allen Johnson, Adam Nelson, Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson, Walter Davis, Miguel Pate, LaShawn Merritt, Ian Waltz, Gabe Jennings, Matt Tegenkamp, Joanna Hayes, Sandra Glover, Tianna Madison, Rose Richmond, Amy Acuff, Aretha Thurmond, Suzy Powell and Erin Gilreath.
The inaugural edition of the mid-summer meet - which begins at 6:25 p.m. with the women's pole vault and concludes at 8:30 p.m. with the 2,000 meters - is a benefit for the Professional Athletics Association (PAA), a newly formed union of professional track and field athletes.
The athletes will compete for $200,000 in prize money. The payout structure calls for $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, $2,000 for third, $1,000 for fourth, $750 for fifth and $500 for sixth.
But the meet participants won't be the only winners on this night.
Nineteen lucky fans will go home with a piece of Eugene's track and field future, including a grand prize of two all-session packages to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, which contain tickets to all eight days of competition.
Meet organizers will also give away five pairs of season tickets for the 2007 Oregon track and field outdoor season; five pairs of tickets to the 2007 Prefontaine Classic; and a pair of single-day tickets to each of the eight 2008 Olympic Trials sessions.
There's only one catch - individuals must be present to win.
Spectators attending tonight's meet also will be given the chance for on-field interaction with athletes in the men's shot put, men's long jump, men's pole vault and women's pole vault.
Before the meet's first event, USA Track & Field officials will walk through the grandstands and talk to those in attendance to see if anyone is interested in becoming a "personal fan" for the athletes. If so, they will be escorted to the field and instructed on how to root for each participant.
In the long jump, the chosen fans will actually serve as markers, changing
position depending on who is leading.
"I think it's a great idea," said Reese Hoffa, the 2006 world indoor champion in the shot put. "They did the same thing at the Millrose Games and when I hit my winning throw, the lady rooting for me went crazy. She was jumping around and giving me high-fives. You just can't beat that."
There will be plenty of opportunity to get autographs at the meet.
Besides the competing athletes, several members of Oregon's football team will sign autographs near the southeast corner of the track from 7 to 7:45 p.m. They also will assist in the Kid's Half-Lapper, a 200-meter fun run for ages 12 and under that starts at 7:20 p.m. in front of the West Grandstand.
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The junior national team will use the meet as a tuneup for the World Junior Championships in Beijing, Aug. 15-20.
"It's crazy being here," said Danielle Tauro, of New Jersey, the U.S. junior champion in the women's 1,500. "I watch the Prefontaine movie, `Without Limits,' before every big race because it gets me pumped up. But being here (at Hayward Field) for the first time is totally different. It's really cool."
The meet has not been without its difficulties.
Besides the logistical problems of lining up athletes, coordinating the launch of the Olympic Trials logo, rounding up sponsorships and bringing in a temporary videoboard, there was the recent positive drug test of U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin, the co-world record-holder in the 100 meters.
"There are lots of things happening at the same time and we don't have control over every entity," said Vin Lananna, the UO director of track and field. "It's been a challenge, but at the end of the day, I think this will be an event that we can all be proud of.
"We have good fields in a lot of events and that should help us have a good, entertaining meet in the middle of summer. I see it as a steppingstone for the sport of track and field in the U.S."
Meet's prime time for world's top vaulter
By Curtis Anderson
The Register-Guard
Published: Tuesday, August 8, 2006
For Brad Walker, the top-ranked pole vaulter in the world last season, tonight's Road to Eugene '08 track and field meet at Hayward Field couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
The former University of Washington standout soared over the magic 6-meter barrier - 19 feet, 8 1/4 inches - at a meet in Germany on July 19, which puts him firmly atop the list of this year's vaulters. It also makes him only the 12th vaulter in history to clear that height outdoors.
Given that type of momentum, Walker was thrilled to have the chance to compete against an elite field on U.S. soil before returning to Europe for what he hopes will be an even more productive second half of the outdoor season.
"Obviously, the last couple of times I've jumped have been really good meets for me," Walker said. "I didn't want to wait too long to get back on the track, so this is a perfect opportunity for me to get a good solid meet in with a great field before I head back to Europe."
advertisement
Walker, the 2006 world indoor champion, is one of several elite U.S. athletes - including Olympic and world champions - who will be competing tonight along with members of the U.S. junior national team.
Among the other stars scheduled to compete are Allen Johnson, Adam Nelson, Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson, Walter Davis, Miguel Pate, LaShawn Merritt, Ian Waltz, Gabe Jennings, Matt Tegenkamp, Joanna Hayes, Sandra Glover, Tianna Madison, Rose Richmond, Amy Acuff, Aretha Thurmond, Suzy Powell and Erin Gilreath.
The inaugural edition of the mid-summer meet - which begins at 6:25 p.m. with the women's pole vault and concludes at 8:30 p.m. with the 2,000 meters - is a benefit for the Professional Athletics Association (PAA), a newly formed union of professional track and field athletes.
The athletes will compete for $200,000 in prize money. The payout structure calls for $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, $2,000 for third, $1,000 for fourth, $750 for fifth and $500 for sixth.
But the meet participants won't be the only winners on this night.
Nineteen lucky fans will go home with a piece of Eugene's track and field future, including a grand prize of two all-session packages to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, which contain tickets to all eight days of competition.
Meet organizers will also give away five pairs of season tickets for the 2007 Oregon track and field outdoor season; five pairs of tickets to the 2007 Prefontaine Classic; and a pair of single-day tickets to each of the eight 2008 Olympic Trials sessions.
There's only one catch - individuals must be present to win.
Spectators attending tonight's meet also will be given the chance for on-field interaction with athletes in the men's shot put, men's long jump, men's pole vault and women's pole vault.
Before the meet's first event, USA Track & Field officials will walk through the grandstands and talk to those in attendance to see if anyone is interested in becoming a "personal fan" for the athletes. If so, they will be escorted to the field and instructed on how to root for each participant.
In the long jump, the chosen fans will actually serve as markers, changing
position depending on who is leading.
"I think it's a great idea," said Reese Hoffa, the 2006 world indoor champion in the shot put. "They did the same thing at the Millrose Games and when I hit my winning throw, the lady rooting for me went crazy. She was jumping around and giving me high-fives. You just can't beat that."
There will be plenty of opportunity to get autographs at the meet.
Besides the competing athletes, several members of Oregon's football team will sign autographs near the southeast corner of the track from 7 to 7:45 p.m. They also will assist in the Kid's Half-Lapper, a 200-meter fun run for ages 12 and under that starts at 7:20 p.m. in front of the West Grandstand.
advertisement
The junior national team will use the meet as a tuneup for the World Junior Championships in Beijing, Aug. 15-20.
"It's crazy being here," said Danielle Tauro, of New Jersey, the U.S. junior champion in the women's 1,500. "I watch the Prefontaine movie, `Without Limits,' before every big race because it gets me pumped up. But being here (at Hayward Field) for the first time is totally different. It's really cool."
The meet has not been without its difficulties.
Besides the logistical problems of lining up athletes, coordinating the launch of the Olympic Trials logo, rounding up sponsorships and bringing in a temporary videoboard, there was the recent positive drug test of U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin, the co-world record-holder in the 100 meters.
"There are lots of things happening at the same time and we don't have control over every entity," said Vin Lananna, the UO director of track and field. "It's been a challenge, but at the end of the day, I think this will be an event that we can all be proud of.
"We have good fields in a lot of events and that should help us have a good, entertaining meet in the middle of summer. I see it as a steppingstone for the sport of track and field in the U.S."