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