Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1987)
Sieve rrefontaine symbolizes the he\da> of Oregon track (far left). I*re was killed in a car accident in Kti^ene on May 30, 1975 at the aj»e of 24. Mherto Sala/ar came from Massachusetts to run for Oregon under liill Dellinger (mid (Ill* left). Mar\ Decker Slane\ set world records in the women's 5,000 and 10,000 meters at !la\ward Field (middle riyht). I0S4 ()l\mpic 800 meter ^old medalist Joaqtiiin C'ru/ still trains in Fuj>ene (ri^lit>. Eugene Unlike the football team, the track teams don’t generate much revenue, but track is undoubtedly the Univer sity’s most prolific sport and of vital im portance to the community "By giving Eugene a national image, track does things for the community that football will never do." Lieuallen says, "and if the program erodes, this image and all the benefits that come with it will be adversely affected Voelz agrees that Oregon track is “immeasurably important to the com munity, and says this knowledge ac tually influenced the Athletic Depart merit's decision to cut the budget “One of the reasons we chose to reduce the track and field budget as op posed to softball and wrestling is that we thought the community would step forward and care,’ she says. Ironically, many of the irate citizens who complained to University officials about the cut weren’t even track season ticket holders, Voelz says I he Athletic Department responded to the problem tins year by encouraging the early purchase of season tickets, and the community has responded favorably Bv January, fans had bouyht over 1,500 tickets, triple the total purchased last year Community donations also have in creased, easing the effects of the new cuts I und raisiny has yone really well.” says women’s head coach Tom Heinonen, whose budget was cut 20 percent from $229,000 to $185,000 In addition to earning money from season ticket revenue, the team lias received an additional $11,000 in donations, he says “I’d like to think the community is saying. You guys are important, and we want to help, ” says Heinonen, whose 1985 team won the NCAA championship. “In the long run the budget cuts may even be good as long Photo by John Giustma University track coaches Hill Dellinger and Font Heinonen, recognized as two of the top coaches in the country, are faced with budget cuts and inadequate facilities. Their teams, however, remain successful. .is we don't sustain greater cuts and the community continues to respond In a way it makes things more vibrant and creates enthusiasm Oregon track is an underdog when it hasn t been before We've learned to be even more frugal and creative, and we've found out that we have more friends than we thought We ve learned to become fund raisers as well as coaches, agrees men's track coach Bill Dellinger, whose budget was cut from $24H.()()() to $225,000 “The community has been real supportive I he budget cuts have affected the team’s travel plans. Meinonen says, ail ding that traveling and competing on the road are valuable experiences for his athletes f fe recalls the year his cross country team flew to Lehigh, Pa , and competed in an invitational meet Ihey also won the NCAA champion ship, which was contested on the same course "It would also be nice if Sally (Mar moil), the women's throwing events coach, could have a living wage,” he says Harmon, who works full time, earns only $11,000 per year, $5,000 of which comes from fund raising, Meinonen says A 1085 survey of the top 10 women's Division I track schools, com piled by Bob Myers of the University of Arizona, revealed that Oregon coaches receive significantly lower salaries than most other schools In fact, the average salary of the other head coaches was more than $10,000 more than I leinonen s, who arguably directs the most successful program Whilt' I ieinonen believes I iayward Held and the community's enthusiasm for track and field undeniably attracts recruits, "we need the money to pay for their scholarships, coaching and travel " Heinonen and Dellinger can only hope that the community will continue to come to their aid While the community has been responsive up to this point. Voelz fears the time will come “when we can’t raise any more money and have saturated the fund raising market I'm afraid we re closing in on it “ I he University of Oregon track teams have been unbelievably and im measurably important (by bringing the community an identity). Voel/ says “That's one of the reasons the com munity needs to share the burden They seem to have forgotten that there s a college program that began this whole thing They relished the glory but didn’t have the foresight to realize this could be short lived, she says Jackson agrees the local people have "gotten spoiled'" watching world class track meets at Hayward held and men t interested enough in the Univer ■aty program itself since few University athletes are world class I hey re looking for heroes and heroines, ’ she savs When one visits Hayward Held on a rainy spring day, Oregon runners, some in broken down shoes, splash around the weather beaten inside lane, straining to hit workout times Spring days promising sunshine and glory are sometimes all that propel them through the sodden chill Blessed with the brashness and optimism of youth, they believe they can uphold the Oregon tradition They believe they can become “the heroes and heroines carried to victory by the roar from I layward Held But on this day I layward Held is empty, silent, save for the construction workers toiling under tin- creaking wooden east grandstand You wonder if the bleachers will ever swell again with a bedlam of faithful fans, whose enthusiasm so often rock ed the stadium in years past Wrote* Blame Newnham, a former sports editor for the f .ugene Register Guard and now with the Seattle Post Intellinger, of the Hayward crowd “ I here were times when the noise of the crowd seemed almost to over whelm you. as if you might faint as it drained the emotion from your body I re s gutsy run to overtake I lailu I bba in a dual meet l.SOO meter race; ['re's charge to make the Olympic team in 10/2. Rudy Chapa’s f»,()()() meter vie tory in the 107H NCAA's, Alberto Salazar's losing duel with Henry Rono in a wet and wild 10.000 meter rac e Ironically, the Hayward held mo menl Newnham remembers most was one not of stirring victory, but of an athlete’s noble reaction to defeat "Mostly 1 remember Marty I.iquori failing to make the team in 107b because of an injury but telling me why he was happy just to be- at I fayward f ield, even if he had failed I his, he said, looking at the old wooden grandstand, ‘is Carnegie Hall ' "D
