While I stood between two ex Duck track stars in the most Oregon partisan section of the West Grandstand, the Hayward faithfull held their collective breaths as USC's Kendall Ellis passed Oregon's Hannah Waller and pulled off the improbable by crossing the finish line inches ahead of Purdue's Jayneya Mitchell. As Ellis executed a finish that might even have upstaged the drama of last year's finish by Raevyn Rogers, we simultaneously erupted in wild cheering, high fives, and smiles. This super human come from behind victory had just given Oregon track's arch rival an NCAA national title. So why were we so damned excited? If you have to ask that question then you don't understand Oregon track culture. This is the home of the greatest track fans in the U.S. That fan reaction by our devoted track fans was the perfect ending to the long history of one of America's storied sport's stadiums.
The Oregon men had their most disappointing NCAA Finals in memory. Duck fans felt the pain that all die hard fan bases feel when their team stumbles. However, the roar of our crowd due to sensational performances like Wiconsin's Oliver Hoare's upset victory in the 1500, or the standing ovation as USC's phenom 400 meter runner, Michael Norman, stormed down the home stretch to go for a college record setting victory, made a statement that all of the Oregon track NCAA national titles in our trophy case will never equal.
Why is this rainy little community in a remote corner of the country, in a relatively unheralded state, America's track and field capital? Why does Hayward Field land a disproportionate amount of the biggest track meets in the U.S.? The answer my friend is "blowing in the wind". It could be heard on every victory lap, record setting finish, and by every athlete that fell on the track and still got up and finished the race. That's what makes our track fans so special, and that is why I love Hayward Field.
The Oregon men had their most disappointing NCAA Finals in memory. Duck fans felt the pain that all die hard fan bases feel when their team stumbles. However, the roar of our crowd due to sensational performances like Wiconsin's Oliver Hoare's upset victory in the 1500, or the standing ovation as USC's phenom 400 meter runner, Michael Norman, stormed down the home stretch to go for a college record setting victory, made a statement that all of the Oregon track NCAA national titles in our trophy case will never equal.
Why is this rainy little community in a remote corner of the country, in a relatively unheralded state, America's track and field capital? Why does Hayward Field land a disproportionate amount of the biggest track meets in the U.S.? The answer my friend is "blowing in the wind". It could be heard on every victory lap, record setting finish, and by every athlete that fell on the track and still got up and finished the race. That's what makes our track fans so special, and that is why I love Hayward Field.
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