From the organizers of the Portland Track Festival:

PORTLAND, May 15, 2013 - The depth and talent that’s shown up in 2013 at the U.S. high school level is making this outdoor track and field season one to remember. Few athletes have had the type of spring Niwot High School (Colo.) junior Elise Cranny has had, running a US#2 1,500 meters time of 4:15.07 at the Payton Jordan Invitational in April, which ranks her as the third best prep ever over the distance.

The Portland Track Festival is pleased to announce the addition of Cranny to the women’s 1,500 field, contested under the lights at Lewis and Clark College on June 8. Cranny, who also ranks US#6 for 800, will test her talent against some of the best professional middle distance talent in the country, as she looks to set another big personal best.

“It’s hard to imagine that Elise Cranny was a 5:02 miler last spring. Now, just a year later, she has run the third fastest high school 1,500 meters of all time and we’re excited to watch her join our elite field and take aim at the national record,” Portland Track Festival Director Craig Rice said.

In addition to Cranny, a trio of prep talent from Washington State will be competing in the women’s events. Camas sophomore Alexa Efraimson, who currently ranks US#3 in the 1,500 with 4:19.54, will compete in the women’s 1,500 and look to push the 4:15 barrier.

Future University of Washington teammates Katie Knight (North Central of Spokane) and Amy-Eloise Neale ( Glacier Peak of Snohomish) will contest separate events, with Knight entered in the women’s 5,000, while Neale looks to qualify for the Great Britain Junior National Team in either the 1,500 or 3k steeplechase.

“Amy-Eloise Neale and Katie Knight have been the face of Washington state’s distance dynasty since they were freshman. The PTF will be their last high school race together, but we’ll also be seeing the ascendance of their successor, Alexa Efraimson, who will carry the Washington state tradition into the future,” Rice said.

The sixth annual Portland Track Festival is set to take place on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8 at Lewis and Clark College in Portland. The distance-only event hosts a collection of races, giving America’s best distance runners the opportunity to run fast and compete towards the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

For more information on the Portland Track Festival, please visit: www.portlandtrackfestival.com.

TrackFocus has started a new section of the site where we are hosting and organizing High School All-Time Performance Lists. We’d love to have participation from every high school in Oregon and around the country. This will be a great chance to compare your high school to your rivals and learn about some great performances from the past.

Contact us at info@trackfocus.com if you’d like instructions on how to add your school’s all-time performance list to TrackFocus.

Some people don’t like Ndamukong Suh. They think he’s a bad guy, a dirty player, a hot head.

Whatever. Whether he has cultivated a dont-mess-with-me persona, or maybe has a legitimate nasty streak, I no longer really care.

Last week, Suh ponied up $250,000 to cap the fund-raising effort to refurbish the bowl at Grant Park. New turf field. New track. (Thankfully, Nike helped, too.)

I don’t expect you to understand what that means if you’re not from Northeast Portland or have never been there.

But I grew up there. And let me tell you something: The Grant Bowl is hallowed ground that has been neglected for too long. A new turf field on the surface where Suh and Andre Broadous played, where former Grant quarterback legends George Shaw and June Junes worked out, is fantastic.

For decades, Grant has waged one of the most severe facilities disadvantages in Oregon. When I was going to school there, we played our home games downtown at Civic Stadium. It was no wonder that basketball was king.

But I’m especially happy for the Grant High track and field program. Not too many people realize that Suh is the school record holder in the shot put and the 2005 state champion.

Grant track and field is special to me and thousands of other athletes — exceptional and ordinary (like I was) — who put our sweat into that track and found out where our limits were.

Of course, these acres of ground were carefully tended and managed for nearly three decades by Mark Cotton — my coach. I can’t imagine a more perfect leader of teenagers presiding over a more diverse segment of wannabe track athletes. He taught us sportsmanship, respect, grace and responsibility.

And when I was his teacher’s aide, I learned to love track statistics. And I kept the Top 10 lists for his record book and I learned to tell a good mark from a bad one.

After I graduated the track was named for Mr. Cotton and then later his son Greg came along and presided over the track program for more than a decade.

The program that they built and cared for is one of the essential handful of great high school track legacies in this state. South Eugene probably has a more robust Top-10 list, and maybe Jesuit has caught up by now too.

This heart-of-Portland neighborhood school had a triple jump champion named Terrell Brandon (also an NBA all-star). And a couple of high jumpers named Mark Radford and Richard Hollis. And I was fortunate enough to see some of the other legends (including Brandon), like Bill Shepherd and Brian England and Rick Mestler and K.K. Waller.

And in the last decade, the girls 800-meter runners have been tremendous, with nine girls running 2:17 or better and four state titles.

It’s sort of shameful that the Cotton Invitational had to be held at Marshall High School this year because the track was deemed dangerous.

Thankfully, Suh and a lot of other supportive people in the community recognize how valuable this place is and the problem is being addressed.

And hopefully very soon — the great Donaghu sisters, Piper and Ella, and freshman long jumper Harrison Schrage — will be able to hold court in the bowl once again.

A couple of weeks back, in small room on the bottom floor of the Oregon state capitol building, there was a press conference to announce that Eugene had been awarded the 2016 Olympic Trials.

And up there at the lectern, introducing everybody — Andrew Wheating, Vin Lananna, Max Seigel, Gov. John Kitzhaber, etc. — was a white-haired Oregon state senator named Peter Courtney. He is the President of the Senate.

Sen. Courtney launched into a history of Oregon’s long association with track and field with details of Forrest Smithson’s 1908 Olympic gold medal in the hurdles and A.C. Gilbert’s 1912 gold in the pole vault, etc.

And then, he said: “I would love to see, before I die, a co-ed relay at the Olympics.”

Cue the crickets. Nobody said a thing and everybody behind Courtney smiled and waited for him to say something else.

A co-ed relay. Two men, two women, competing together for the same prize.

Isn’t it about time that track and field offered something new?

Courtney told me last Friday that when he has mentioned this idea before it’ usually met with rolling eyes and a shrug of the shoulders.

I asked the senator where he came by the idea of a co-ed relay and he told me that his two sons had competed in track and field for Blanchet Catholic, a little school in Salem, Ore. And every year they competed in the Co-Ed Relays at Regis High School in nearby Stayton, Ore.

Regis is a small Catholic school that has kicked off the outdoor season every March with a meet of co-ed relays — sprint medleys, shuttle hurdles, 4x8s, 4x2s — as a fun way to get thing started. It’s a way for brothers and sisters to be on the same team in a no-pressure situation.

Now, take that idea and step it up the ladder a few rungs.

It’s the Olympic Games. And it’s a 4×400. And Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards are on the same team with Tony McQuay and LaShawn Merritt.

“The idea appeals to me,” Courtney said. “I think the crowds would absolutely go crazy for it.”

Courtney goes further because he’s spent some time thinking this through.

“You know that the guys on that team are going to run til they drop dead,” he said. “And the women don’t want to get shown up by the men. It’s human nature.”

So if you’re taking an objective look at track and field and wondering how it might regain even a little bit of its popularity, a co-ed relay is an interesting idea.

Remember, figure skating dominates the TV ratings during the Winter Olympics. Pairs figure skating and ice dancing are immensely popular with TV viewers.

Would a co-ed relay do the same? An interesting wrinkle to this whole idea is the strategy that comes into play. Again, let’s say it’s a 4×400 and every group gets to decide how to set the lineup.

Of course, this isn’t going to happen at the Olympics, or the Penn Relays, any time soon.

The idea has to be tested at the high school level and then it has to catch on like wildfire to get anyone at the NCAA or USATF or IAAF to notice. Even then, those organizations don’t always have a strong track record for putting the spectator first.

It needs a lot more places like Regis (which, incidentally, is hosting an invitational this week on its newly refurbished track).
Regis coach Mike Bauer is in his 40th year coaching. He isn’t pushing co-ed relays on anybody, but he can also see a potential appeal in them.

“They were fun and the kids enjoyed them,” Bauer said. “That being said, there are a lot of traditionalists in track that would probably be resistant to change. There is no reason not to have a coed relay event or two to spice up a track meet.”

Track and field has not always led the charge when it comes to gender equality. As recently as 1972, the first year the Olympic trials came to Eugene, the men and women were separated and qualified at different meets. Women weren’t allowed to run an Olympic marathon until 1984.

And in some states to this very day, girls run shorter distances than boys in high school cross country meets.

A co-ed relay might generate new interest if nothing else.

Courtney’s idea is not so half-baked. If the powers that govern the sport stopped rolling their eyes at him and gave it a try, they might find that the white-haired state senator from Oregon is right.

Photos Courtesy of TracktownPhoto.com

Here it is Tuesday and we’re still processing all that happened in track and field over the weekend. It was a massive weekend that produced an endless stream of results.

Here is a look at Five Things that stood out as they relate to track and field in Oregon:

1. Jordan Hasay at Stanford. The charismatic face of the women’s track and field program at the University of Oregon (along with English Gardner and a few others) appears to have found her event. In her second attempt at the 10,000 meters, Hasay smashed the Pac-12 Conference record by clocking 32:06.64. That didn’t gain her an IAAF A or B standard, but it is a big step forward for her in that event. It’s also further evidence that a Triple Crown could be in the cards in June.
2. The Penn Relays Carnival is one of the true spectacles of the sport that persists year after year. On the East coast, “Penn” is the be-all, end-all of outdoor track meets for hundreds of thousands of high school track athletes (I would say “tens of thousands” but I don’t think I’m exaggerating here). This year the weather cooperated and a small contingent of athletes from Oregon ties made a splash. Phyllis Francis is one of those East coasters who understand what it means. She split 49.9 to lead the Oregon women to a Penn Relays 4×400 record. That’s stunning. And it also means everyone gets a watch. And the school gets a wheel. Plus, Ryan Bailey made another appearance for the U.S. in the 4×100, which was good to see.
3. The Centennial Invitational, in some ways, is sort of the local high school version of the Penn Relays. It’s got a long history. It’s where the season is shaped for hundreds of Oregon high school athletes. And it’s got an old-school feel that stands up to the test of time. Haley Crouser threw her javelin 171-11 there on Saturday to bolster her U.S. No. 1 ranking and twin sisters Kerissa and Venessa D’Arpino of North Valley High School (Grants Pass) showed that they might be the best 1-2 sprint punch in state history. And then, Grant freshman Ella Donaghu ran 3,000 meters in 9:43 by herself.
4. The Drake Relays is good too and I think it’s actually not a bad thing to be on the same weekend as Penn. They are both gigantic meets and I think they sort of complement each other. Neither one of them could meet the demand of the entire country. Yes, they are somewhat regional events at their core. And they sort of operate in tandem, even though there isn’t much that binds them, so that they push track onto more newspapers on the same weekend. Jenny Simpson’s great performance in the 1,500 meters was news-worthy, but I think it’s worth paying attention to 16-year-old Mary Cain, who broke her own 1,500 meters record by running 4:10.77. She’s coached by an Oregonian, so we’re going to claim her.
5. The Eugene Marathon. As if there wasn’t enough going on, 9,000 people participated in the fast-growing Eugene Marathon. David Laney, who prepped at Central Catholic and then became a lot better at Southern Oregon, won the men’s race in 2:22:34. Congratulations to him. The University of Oregon’s Ben DeJarnette entered the half and finished third in 1:07:24. Former University of Willamette runner Jordyn Smith won the women’s 5K in 17:23.

There was something altogether refreshing about watching the Women of Oregon State track stick around to the end of the High Performance Meet on Friday to take down flags, put away all the cones and makers, and pick up trash.

The first wave of athletes to compete on Oregon State’s new track is sincerely thankful for what they have. They made a presentation to Jim Whyte and his wife at Friday’s meet in a heartfelt gesture of gratitude.

Kinsey Gomez is one of those athletes. The sophomore gave the meet its highlight by running a PR of 4:26.89 while freshman Emily Weber ran 4:29.46.

Gomez’s time moves her to No. 3 all-time at Oregon State.

“It’s such an incredible feeling racing on your own track,” she said. “It’s been such a journey to get where we are.”

Where the Beavers are is only about half way from where they intend to go. Phase II of the construction project will bring the bleachers and other amenities that are truly needed to host quality meets. Fortunately, administrators’ feet are being held to the fire. In order for Oregon State to host the 2015 Pac-12 Championships, there can be no more foot-dragging.

The words of Gomez, and her teammates, ought to keep the wheels turning.

“I feel like even the aura of the team is different (than last year),” she said. “Everyone is more focused. It’s like we have an eyes-on-the-prize mentality. We have the track and we are looking for that championship that is down the road.”

In the meantime, there are a group of women who have witnessed Laura Carlyle have success at Oregon State and want to emulate her. (Carlyle advanced to the NCAA Championships last year in the 1,500 and set school records at 1,500 and 5,000 meters). Carlyle is still at OSU as a volunteer assistant and attempting to launch a pro track career.

“Laura has been such a pioneer for this program and set the bar so high,” Gomez said. “We all want to be the next Laura Carlyle.”

Oregon State’s volunteer high jump coach, John Radetich, likes to begin every meet with the bar set to the world record height of 8 feet, ½ inch.

It’s a preposterously high bar, but one that gives every high jumper a perspective on what’s humanly possible.

At Oregon State, which hosted its second home track meet on the new Jim Whyte Track and Field Center, the bar is constantly being nudged upward a fraction of an inch at a time. And there is still a long way to go.

The women’s team is putting entrants into more events this spring, mostly in jumps and throws. And as a group of middle and long distance runners, there is a growing sense of depth and progress. They are punching holes in the school’s Top 10 list with each and every date on the calendar.

But I was interested to hear from Oregon sophomore Sam Crouser. His family roots extend into the bedrock of Oregon State’s track and field past. He is also a budding superstar, following in the home-grown vein of Tommy Skipper, Galen Rupp, Ashton Eaton, Elijah Greer, etc. In other words, he is track and field royalty.

Sam isn’t afraid to say what he really thinks of something. I once sat in his backyard and he showed me the medal he won from Pan Am Juniors. He said it was “chintzy” compared to the one his cousin Ryan had won at World Youth that same summer.

So I asked him what he thought of his first experience competing at Oregon State (he won the discus with a PR throw of 179 feet) and the word he was looking for … wasn’t “chintzy.”

“It’s a work in progress, but the track and stuff looks good and everything is really nice,” Sam said. “With some stands and everything (else), it could look really good.”

Again, this is Sam Crouser. He doesn’t praise everything. I think the people who know him best would back me up on this.

I asked him what he thought, as a native Oregonian, of Oregon State making progress to bring back track and field.

“I think it’s actually really good,” the Olympic Trials runner-up in the javelin said. “Maybe we could have a rivalry someday, but just so we can have this cross-town (rivalry) feeling. Oregon in general is so good at producing (athletes), but having this thing that’s ‘cross-town,’ these two really good schools that compete against each other, I think it’s really good for the state.”

Sam might not even realize how much his words mean to Oregon State. They are validation. And they nudged that bar another fraction of an inch.

Also, I asked him about his current season and he sounded happy with it. He expects to be in contention for the NCAA javelin title and has been working on the “rhythm and feel” that he has honed over the last decade as part of the Crouser clan. Without getting to metaphysical, rhythm and feel is as important on the javelin runway as any of the chain of events that occur prior and during a throw.

It’s something the best throwers understand.

“I’m getting consistent with my rhythm,” Sam said. “Now that I’ve got the runway worked out a little bit I’ll go back to technical stuff and put it together.”

Sam stays in contact with the discus by practicing it once a week or so, which is important because spinning in a ring requires rhythm and feel, too.

He’s healthy and feeling good and glad to have witnessed the Oregon program restocked with throwers, such as Ryan Hunter-Simms. There was once a fear that Sam might come to Oregon and not have any training partners.

“We’ve made a lot of progress,” he said. “Before, there was throwing at Oregon, but it was a while ago. It went stagnant for a decade or so. Now we’re back and we’re part of the team. We’re a piece of the team again, where we can score points, we can contribute, and be a weapon on the team.”