Hundreds of prep athletes and thousands of spectators will flock to Hayward Field this weekend for the 2012 OSAA State Track and Field Championships.
What many may not realize is that by stepping onto that rubber surface, they are stepping into history.
Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus is one of the most historically significant track and field venues in the United States. Nearly all the legends of American track and field have competed on its hallowed grounds.
And for two days every spring, the top prep tracksters in Oregon get to step foot on that surface – the very same surface that will host America’s best track and field athletes next month for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Some athletes, like Gresham High School junior Haley Crouser, will be in Eugene trying to win both events.
For some athletes, the chance to compete at such a venue is almost as rewarding as the chance at a state title.
One of those athletes, Will Lawrence, is in select company. The St. Helens High School senior will run the 400 this weekend for the fourth time at a state meet in Eugene.
A lifelong Oregon State Beaver fan, the significance of crossing the entry gate to Hayward Field as a high school freshman was not lost on him.
“We went there the day before just to see it. I couldn’t believe it. The sand was so white and the track was so springy. I just remember saying, ‘Can I run on it?’” Lawrence recalled recently.
Without having a workout planned, he ran three laps just to feel a part of Hayward’s historic lore.
A wide-eyed freshman no more, he will still get butterflies as he gets into the blocks in front of thousands of cheering fans this weekend.
During dual meets all season, track athletes have their teammates, some friends and family in the stands. But at Hayward they compete in front of die-hard track fans.
To be on the infield peering around at the masses encompassing the quarter-mile oval can send chills down a spine. It’s awe-inspiring.
Hearing the roar of the crowd as athletes tear around the final corner is like nothing else. It’s one of those moments in life where you have to sit back, soak it in and smile.
That’s what makes Hayward so special. It’s not just knowing that figures like Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay, and – of course – Steve Prefontaine have run in that same stadium. It’s also knowing the fans there just get it.
They know – a little too well these days – that a slow clap can make a javelin sail farther than its thrower ever dreamt possible.
They know when they’ve seen a meet-leading triple jump even before the measurement is shown to them.
And when a hometown favorite is coming down the final stretch in a distance race, they know how much their roar can reenergize tired legs.
That’s one of the big reasons the Oregon Ducks are Pac-12 men’s AND women’s champions for the fourth straight year.
Hayward Field is a magical place to compete in – or just watch – a track meet.
That experience will be passed on to a new generation of prep stars this weekend. Once it has, they’ll soon realize they’ve earned an opportunity to be a part – no matter how big or small – of track and field history.
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