Public Invited to NCAA Cross Country Watch Party

Races will be shown in the Casanova Center’s Pittman Room.

          EUGENE, Ore. – Members of the public are invited to join University Athletic Department staff and the Oregon track and field teams in watching the 2009 NCAA Cross Country championships live Monday morning in the Casanova Center’s Pittman Room.

          GoDucks.TV’s daily program “GoDucks Live with Jerry Allen” will also be broadcasting live from 8-10 a.m. and originate in the Pittman Room on Monday.

          The room, located at the rear of the second floor, will open at 8:30 a.m., with the national championships beginning at 9 a.m. The men’s race opens the show, followed by the women at approximately 9:45 a.m. Fans are asked to park in the Moshofsky Center lot.

          The Championships are being broadcast live on the Versus Network (locally Comcast Cable channel 32/732 HD) from the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

          The eighth-ranked Oregon men are the two-time defending national champions, and are making their fourth straight NCAA appearance.

          The Duck women, No. 4 nationally, have been the NCAA runner-up each of the last two seasons and are making their third straight appearance.

- www.GoDucks.com -

The 2010 home schedule is one of the most attractive ever at Hayward Field and season ticket holders will enjoy exclusive access to premier benefits and cost savings, including first access to premium seating and the right to retain the same seats for the NCAA Championships and the Pre Classic. The right to retain the same seats has never been offered before and is available only to season ticket holders that purchase or renew their tickets by December 31.

It has been nine years since the NCAA crowned its individual and team champions at Hayward Field. The brightest stars in the sport will descend upon Track Town, USA June 9–12. With only 24 athletes competing in each event, the action is sure to be fast and exciting, with sold out crowds expected at the venerable facility.

Tickets for the regular season are $65 for reserved seating and $55 for general admission, with special offers for youth, seniors and families. Tickets for the four days of competition at the NCAA Championships are $80 for reserved seating, $60 for general admission and $40 for students.

The NCAA Track & Field Championships and a match-up against defending national champion Texas A&M at the Pepsi Team Invitational are but two of the highlights.

The Ducks also will host UCLA in a men’s dual meet for the third straight year. The Eugene Marathon will be held in conjunction with the Oregon Relays, presented by Oregon Community Credit Union, and, for the first time, will finish on the track at Historic Hayward Field.

The Ducks open the outdoor season with the Oregon Preview on March 20, the first of six home meets in 2010. The other five home meets are the Pepsi Team Invitational on April 10, the Oregon-UCLA dual on April 17, the Oregon Relays, presented by OCCU, on April 30-May 1, the Oregon Twilight on May 8 and the NCAA Championships June 9-12.

The 2010 Pre Classic, which will be held on July 3, will be one of only 14 international meets featured in the IAAF’s inaugural Diamond League.

2010 Season Ticket Prices
Reserved Seating $65
Adult General Admission $55
Youth/Senior General Admission $45
Family Plan (2 adults, 3 youth) $120

2010 NCAA Track & Field Championships 4-Day Ticket Prices
Reserved Seating $80
Adult General Admission $60
Student/Youth/Senior General Admission $40

2010 Outdoor Track & Field Home Schedule
Saturday March 20 Oregon Preview
Saturday April 10 Pepsi Team Invitational
  Oregon, Illinois (men), Missouri, Texas A&M, Washington
Saturday April 17 Men of Oregon vs. UCLA
Friday–Saturday April 30–May 1 Oregon Relays
  Presented by Oregon Community Credit Union
Saturday May 8 Oregon Twilight
Wednesday–Saturday June 9–12 NCAA Outdoor Championships
Saturday July 3 Prefontaine Classic

Tradition-Rich Teams to be Featured at Dellinger Invitational

Villanova, Oregon, UTEP have 27 combined NCAA Championships.

          EUGENE, Ore. – More than half of the men’s field for the Bill Dellinger Invitational will be ranked among the nation’s top 30, while the women will have three of the country’s top 13 teams as the squads for the fourth annual cross country race were announced on Tuesday. The Bill Dellinger Invitational will be held on Oct. 2 at Springfield Country Club. The women’s race begins at 3:30 p.m., with the men going off at 4:15 p.m.

          No. 1 Oregon leads a men’s field that also includes No. 8 Portland, No. 10 Alabama, No. 12 Brigham Young, No. 21 Cal Poly and No. 30 Villanova. The rest of the men’s field includes Colorado State, San Francisco, Texas-El Paso and Weber State.

          On the women’s side, the race has No. 2 Oregon, No. 5 Villanova and No. 13 Baylor as the headliners. Colorado State, Hawaii, Oregon State, Portland, San Francisco, Texas-El Paso and Weber State round out the women’s teams.

          “It’s a testament to Bill Dellinger that we are able to attract so many of the nation’s top-ranked teams each year,” said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. “The beauty of the Springfield Country Club, the enthusiasm of the fans in Track Town, USA, and the talented runners from around the country create a perfect setting for the races.

          “It has been a long time since this community has been able to see Villanova race, and we are thrilled that they accepted our invitation. The Dellinger Invitational will be an exciting fall afternoon in Oregon.“

          Between them, Oregon, Villanova and UTEP have combined for 27 NCAA cross country championships, 18 men’s and nine women’s. From 1966 to 1981, Oregon, Villanova and UTEP accounted for 15 men’s titles over the course of 16 NCAA Championships.

          The two-time defending NCAA champion Men of Oregon could have as many as seven All-Americans entered in the Dellinger Invitational. The Ducks’ roster includes sophomore Luke Puskedra, who finished fifth overall as a freshman at the NCAA Championships, in addition to fellow All-Americans Matthew Centrowitz, Kenny Klotz, Danny Mercado, Diego Mercado, A.J. Acosta and Andrew Wheating.

          The men’s field returns nine of the top 20 runners from the 2008 Dellinger, including Puskedra (third), Centrowitz (ninth) and Danny Mercado (15th) of Oregon, Alfred Kipchumba (runner-up), Tommy Betterbed (eighth) and Matt Frerker (18th) of Portland, Tyson David (seventh) and Emmanuel Bor (11th) of Alabama and Nicodemus Ng’etich (14th) of UTEP. Puskedra, Kipchumba and Ng’etich were all All-Americans at the NCAA Championships last season.

          Portland finished seventh at the 2008 NCAA Championships, while BYU was ninth, Alabama tied for 10th, Cal Poly was 23rd and Villanova was 31st.

          The Oregon women will be led by defending Dellinger champion Alexandra Kosinski and senior Nicole Blood, who were both All-Americans at the NCAA Championships last fall when the Ducks posted their second-straight NCAA runner-up finish. Blood ran fourth at the Dellinger in 2008 and won the meet as a sophomore in 2007. All-American Zoe Buckman was 16th for Oregon last year and the Ducks also have national prep runner of the year Jordan Hasay in the fold.

          Among the visiting teams, 2008 All-Americans Amanda Marino of Villanova and Erin Bedell of Baylor are two to watch. Marino lead the Wildcats to a sixth-place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships, while Bedell was part of a Baylor squad that placed 19th.

          Oregon swept the Dellinger Invitational last fall. The men won by seven points over Portland in a very close race, with Alabama third, UCLA fourth and Cal Poly fifth. The women had a more comfortable competition, scoring 23 points to defeat Arkansas by 37. Penn State, Wake Forest and BYU rounded out the top five.

Kids’ Fun Run and Youth Activities

          The University of Oregon track and field program and the City of Eugene Recreation Department have partnered to provide a Kids’ Fun Run for children 12 and under at 4:30 p.m. The Dellinger Invitational will also feature opportunities for youth to join with members of Oregon’s track and field teams as they cheer on the Ducks. Youth are encouraged to meet the team at 3:15 p.m. at the marketing tent located near the starting line.

Spectator Parking

          Spectator parking will be at the Mohawk Elementary School on Sunderman Road. Shuttle buses will then transport spectators to the course at the Springfield Country Club. The shuttles will run continuously from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please allow sufficient time to use the park-and-ride shuttle.

To reach the Mohawk Elementary School:

•         Take 105E/126E and stay on 126E for 7 miles.

•         Take the 42nd Street/Marcola exit and make a left on 42nd street for 0.4 miles.

•         Make a right on Marcola for 5.5 miles, going 1 mile past the Springfield Country Club.

•         Turn right on Sunderman Road.

•         The Mohawk Elementary School will be on your right after ¼ mile.

Signs will be posted on the roads directing traffic to the park-and-ride lot at Mohawk Elementary School.

- www.GoDucks.com -

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GO DUCKS!!!

Back in the pack

Oregon's masterful performance at Hayward this year has summoned the support of 'Bowerman's Pack'

By: Robert Husseman

Posted: 4/24/09

They've stood out in Hayward Field's Powell Plaza, yellow-clad and finding their voice. They've chanted and cheered the Oregon track athletes to success, and have received praise from the athletes, Assistant Athletic Director Vin Lananna, and the Oregon Sports Network television broadcast team.

"The television commentators who were calling the (Pepsi Team Invitational) stated that 'this is probably the largest student turnout in the history of Hayward Field,'" said Kyle Rehder, a University MBA student, "which we were obviously very proud of."

"I know all the athletes and coaches have just been in awe with all the support there's been," track and field assistant Patrick Werhane said. "All the coaches love it, and all the athletes, they love it even more."

The object of affection is Bowerman's Pack, cementing itself as the official student section of Oregon track and field in its first year of operation. If the idea of an "official" student section for track and field, along the lines of the basketball Pit Crew, raises eyebrows, there's good reason for that.

"This is probably the only official one out there," Werhane said.

Werhane, a former Oregon distance runner, has teamed up with MBA majors Rehder, Neil Young, BJ Sorensen, Colin Gearity and Jonathon Riddle in heading up the project. Colleen Wrenn, Oregon's former director of operations for track and field, was Werhane's predecessor as liaison to the track and field office before leaving Oregon to become part of the administration team for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Numbering 230 students strong, with attendance of around 100 at each of the two home meets thus far, the Bowerman's Pack team has provided incentives for attendance.

Pizza has been served at both meets, and an African drum corps will add to the noise at the Oregon Relays. Students who attend three of the four home meets - including today's Oregon Relays and the Oregon Twilight on May 9 - will receive tickets to the Pacific-10 Conference Championships on May 16-17 and the first official Bowerman's Pack T-shirt, provided by Nike.

Student feedback has been nothing but positive, Rehder and Werhane say.

"For just recently debuting, the Pack has done a great job," University junior Rene Sanchez said. "I look forward to seeing Bowerman's Pack creating itself a place amongst the other major students sections for the other sports at the University of Oregon."

Bowerman's Pack attempts to court sports fans who may not have great exposure to track and field to boost its numbers, and therein lies its greatest concern: how to get students to cheer effectively at a track meet. With multiple events often going on simultaneously, confusion can ruin effectiveness.

"There are a lot of students that come to the meet and they are trying to learn the little nuances of cheering on their track team but the knowledge is not there yet," Sanchez said. "What do you say when Galen Rupp is on his second lap of the 5,000 meter race? 'Great job jogging ... way to stay with the rest of the runners?'"

Werhane and Rehder believe that, with continued education on those little nuances, Bowerman's Pack will become a greater force.

"I think we're setting the bar right now," Werhane said. "If you go and watch any film from the UCLA dual meet and listen to the chants - you don't see that anywhere. I think we're doing a great job. We can do a lot more. I think we can improve our numbers and become more unified, more organized."

rhusseman@dailyemerald.com

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