Emerald
Alan Webb returns to Hayward Field for the first time since 2001 on Saturday.
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Hayward favorites return
to highlight men’s field
The men’s Pre Classic field is
filled with athletes who have
Eugene ties in different ways
Peter Hockaday
Sports Editor
The way athletes are pulling out of
the 2003 Prefontaine Classic, you’d
think Eugene was a hotbed of evil al
lergy-causing pollens.
Oh, wait, it is. But that’s not why
athletes like Tim “World’s Fastest
Man” Montgomery and Hicham El
Guerrouj won’t show up for this
year’s meet. Montgomery is recover
ing from Achilles tendinitis, El Guer
rouj is preparing for an attempt at
the 5,000-meter world record next
month, hurdling legend Allen John
son is recovering from a calf injury
and shot putter Adam Nelson is re
covering from a back injury.
“The fact that it’s a World Cham
pionship year means nobody wants
to take a risk,” meet Director Tom
Jordan said. “With a guy like Allen
Johnson, if he’s got any kind of
doubts at all about an injury, he’s go
ing to pull out.”
But Jordan said there are still plen
ty of highlights on the men’s side of
the field, especially for the fans from
Eugene. Duck fans will get to see cur
rent, future and former Oregon ath
letes go head-to-head with the world’s
best at one of the world’s best track
meets — even in an off-year.
The Duck contingent is strongest
in the 110 hurdles and the Bower
man Mile. In the hurdles, former
Duck Micah Harris will square off
with current Duck Eric Mitchum.
Harris graduated last year and his
Oregon record is being threatened
with each passing meet by Mitchum,
a freshman who’s now only .06 sec
onds behind the former Oregon star.
In the mile, Portland native Mike
McGrath, a high school senior who’s
signed to come to Oregon next year,
will square off with Texas native
Steve Magness as both will try to
break the four-minute barrier. The
high schoolers will run alongside for
mer prep phenom Alan Webb, who
broke the high school mile record at
the 2001 Prefontaine Classic.
“I’m intrigued by the local angles,”
Jordan said.
That mile field is deep and
should be one of the more exciting
men’s events Saturday. The field in
cludes the three aforementioned
American stars and four of the top
10 mile runners in the world. At
least six of the runners have run
under 3 minutes, 54 seconds.
“I didn’t think anybody had a
chance to break 3:50 in the mile this
year, then Bernard Lagat ran the
equivalent of a 3:52 last weekend,
and he looked so easy, he was cruis
ing,” Jordan said. “That opens up
some possibilities.”
The spotlight should be on the
field events early in the day as the
shot put — the most thrilling event
at last year’s Pre — takes place near
the main grandstand. Nelson, who is
currently ranked No. 1 in the world
in the shot, won’t be back, but Kevin
Toth and John Godina will. Toth won
the event last year, and Godina won
silver at the 1996 Olympics.
“Well, basically, this is my meet,”
Toth said of the Prefontaine Clas
sic. “I think I put my stamp on it
last year.”
There are other field highlights.
Savants Stringfellow, the world’s
No. 1 ranked long-jumper, returns
to Hayward Field for the first time
since electrifying performances at
the 2001 NCAA Championships
and USA Championships. He leads *
a field that includes the world’s
three best long jumpers, who all
happen to be Americans.
“Ever since Carl Lewis retired, the
long jump has been in the dol
drums,” Jordan said. “With the top
three long jumpers being American,
hopefully it will get exciting again.”
Benjamin Limo, ranked No. 1 in
the world in the 3,000 and 5,000 last
year, will compete in Saturday’s
5,000. The field also includes Ameri
can favorite Bob Kennedy.
Altogether, the 2003 Pre Classic is
nothing to sneeze at. Unless you’ve
got allergies.
Contact the sports editor
atpeterhockaday@daiIyemerald.com.
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