Transporting Tracktown

For RunBlogRun

Eugene, Oregon is known for both its history and knowledge of track and field. This weekend as Portland hosted the US Indoor Championships 100 miles north of Eugene, the organizing committee (also known as TrackTown USA) attempted to infuse some of that Hayward magic to the Oregon Convention Center as a goal to get more of the state involved.

There was plenty of green, including the surface of the new indoor track built just for this event because there wasn't one in the whole state of Oregon. In the early months of 2016, they had it set up in a warehouse in Portland dubbed the "House of Track" and ran Friday night meets featuring the many professional athletes based in Oregon to test it out. Between those meets, community users, and even school events, 10,000 people used the track according to Vin Lannana, president of TrackTown USA.

March 11th and 12th were the first glimpse at the results of their effort. On Friday afternoon 3,816 attended to watch the weight throws, prelims, and most of the men's field events. They were rewarded with world leading marks for 2016, the appearance of many athletes they could be watching in Rio later this summer and consistency from many of the favorites as the top two advanced to next week's IAAF World Indoor Championship.

Colin Dunbar grabbed his first US title in the weight throw after throwing a personal best of 23.96 meters as he defeated three-time Olympian A.G. Kruger. Unlike the hammer throw outdoors, the crowd was able to line the gates all the way down the runway as the throwers competed behind the stands.

Saturday's crowd of 5,244 people saw a pair of women win their first US championships over seasoned veterans: Vashti Cunningham set a new high school and junior record in the high jump in addition to a world-leading jump this year and Sandi Morris set two PRs as she cleared 16 feet for the first (and second) time defeating Jenn Suhr and notching the fourth-highest jump of all time. Both were also coached by their dads. Cunningham is the daughter of Randall Cunningham, former NFL quarterback.

Morris' regular coach, Brian Compton, was coaching at NCAAs (also held this weekend) so her father, Harry Morris, stepped in. "He was a decathlete back in the day so he knows enough about pole vault to help me through so my dad was there for my first 16-foot jump so I'm very happy," said Morris.

On the track, Barbara Pierre won the 60 meters in 7.00 seconds to match the world-lead so far this year. Brenda Martinez won her first U.S. championship with a 4:08.37 in the 1500. Favorites Boris Berian (800 meters) and Vernon Norwood (400 meters) moved through relatively easily.

The athletes mentioned time and again both their enjoyment of the facility, but also the crowd and their knowledge of track and field. Like at Hayward, the jumpers and vaulters were thrilled to be able to get the crowd involved with rhythmic clapping on the runway.

"The fans especially were very supportive and just the track and field knowledge you guys have out here is incredible. It's refreshing," said Morris after the competition.

But the championships also featured races like the 3000 meter race walks and women's Masters mile. And even for those races, the crowd brought the spirit of Hayward.

"The crowd was great. Every time I came around, it was like the wave - they would cheer," said Sonja Friend-Uhl who won the Master's mile in 4:56.87.

As athletes from all over the world begin to arrive in Portland, it will be interesting to see the response. In addition to innovations like a runway and entry tunnel for introducing athletes and the format of the pole vault having its own event, the medals will all be awarded not in the arena, but instead in downtown Portland.

For both the fans and the athletes, it promises to be quite the experience.

Records are made to be broken and they were at day 2 of USATF Indoors

For RunBlogRun

On day two of the USATF Indoor Championships, eighteen-year-old Vashti Cunningham delivered what many track fans hoped. As she cleared 1.99 meters for a new high school record, the 5,244 people in attendance burst into cheers. The outdoor U.S. Juniors High Jump champion set a new high school record and won her first senior women's U.S. title in what could be the beginning of a journey to Rio later this summer.

Cunningham admitted after to being a little surprised by the attention from the crowd on the apron. "They were excited from the beginning. I'm not really used to people getting that excited about 5'8 or 5'10 so it was good to have them there," said Cunningham.

She jumped cleanly through 1.96 meters when runner-up Elizabeth Patterson was unable to clear. Cunningham decided to go for the next height anyway.

"I've been looking at these girls from out of the country and our U.S. pros and hoping that one day I could be up there with them," said Cunningham.

Cunningham now finds herself among them. None of the U.S. women's high jumpers have the IAAF World championship standard so Cunningham is not an automatic qualifier, however, the IAAF still has the option to extend invitations based on the 2015 outdoor and 2016 indoor results.

Chaunte Lowe, the current U.S. record holder, was excited about what the competition means for the rest of the Olympic year. Lowe said, "It's exciting. . .to have good competition, there's been so many years when I've had to jump by myself so actually to have competition pushing me, it's exactly what I needed."

Sandi Morris joined Jenn Suhr and Demi Payne as U.S. pole vaulters who have topped 4.90 meters this year. After struggling early, Morris was able to make 4.90 for her personal best and then increased to 4.95 for both the victory and another PR with a gain of 15 centimeters in one day.

"Once I made 4.90 today, the pressure was lifted from my chest and I just ran down and did the exact same jump that I did on the previous bar and I made 0.95 as well," said Morris. "I screamed and ran around on the pit and it was a dream come true."

Payne, the defending U.S. indoor champion, finished third and Jenn Suhr, the World record holder finished second. Today's competition was only the second competition to have multiple vaulters go over 16-feet; the last time was last month at the Millrose Games.

In the men's 1500, Robby Andrews repeated his performance from the 2015 U.S. Outdoors when he charged from the pack and overtook the leaders, including Matt Centrowitz temporarily, to finish second and advance to the World Championships. Together, Centrowitz and Andrews charged down the homestretch with Centrowitz finally gaining about a step right before the finish. Andrews split 26.73 seconds for his final lap

Once again, Ben Blankenship led the race through 1300 meters but found himself at the finish on the outside looking in again. Blankenship said, "If you watched U.S. Outdoors, it looked about the same."

After the race Andrews spoke about coming down the homestretch with Centrowitz. "I was in front of him for a little bit, but he had just a little bit saved up. He knows exactly what he's doing and he's a tremendous runner," said Andrews.

Other notable performances:

Brittany Reese won the women's long jump with her first jump of the competition at 6.89 meters, the top distance for an American so far this season.

In the men's 60 meters, Marvin Bracy ran 6.502 to Trayvon Bromell's 6.507 to win and take his third Indoor Championship. Carlin Isles, the USA rugby player, made the final and finished fifth in 6.67.

Ajee' Wilson won the women's 800 in 2:00.87. Laura Roesler was runner-up in 2:02.44 and made her first senior U.S. team.

Transforming the Oregon Convention Center for the 2016 USATF Indoors: Day One

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Inside the Oregon Convention Center is a transformation. Instead of hosting a concert this weekend, it is home to the US Track and field athletes for the Indoor Championships.

Everything is green. The track is green, the seats are green and the bleachers are green. There's a entrance tunnel the athletes run down as they are announced for the finals on their way onto the track and there's even a live DJ. Music throbs as athletes litter the track and infield.

As the runners make their way around the raised track, the thunder of their footsteps follows them around. Many of the favorites advanced through the qualifying rounds to Saturday's finals. Keni (Kendra) Harrison, the current 2015 NCAA champion from University of Kentucky, qualified second in 7.89, second only to Janay DeLoach's 7.88. Vernon Norwood's 45.81 seconds in the 400 meters was a full second faster than the next finisher, Troy Pollard, who was later disqualified for a lane violation.

One of the more interesting characters populating this weekend is Carlin Isles. He is a a Team USA rugby player who is also trying to qualify for this summer's Olympics in track as well. He ran his qualifier just a month ago at a Houston meet while he had a week off from rugby.

Isles explained about his decision to try to double. "The times I'm running so far are the times I ran when I left off so for me I was surprised so when I saw that I didn't get any slower and I feel like I got faster, why not give it a chance?" he said.

Isles qualified for the twelfth, two places behind the Buffalo Bills player Marquise Goodwin, also making a bid for the Olympics in track as a dual-sport athlete. Isles would need to compete in both in Rio though if he qualifies.

The afternoon hosted most of the men's field events finals at the same time. The high jump, long jump, and pole vault rotated through with each going increasingly farther and higher.

"We were all hurting for a little bit of crowd attention because there was so many great jumping events going on" said pole vault champion Sam Kendricks. "We were trying to find a space to really let people really see the vault."

So they got the crowd involved. They even used different claps to differentiate athletes prior to their jumps. Kendricks and one of his college teammates from Ole' Miss who was high jumping at the time both used a triple beat clap as the jumpers all worked together to elevate the competition as the long jump, high jump, and pole vault all entered their finals on the infield.

Kendricks (the 2014 and 2015 Outdoor Champion) and second-place finisher Mike Arnold came into the event with the only two qualifying standards for next weekend's IAAF World Championships. "The fine print says you only have to make a bar, but I said, 'Where's the honor in that? We're all going to compete for our best today," said Kendricks.

His goal was 5.80 meters, but his final jump of 5.90 meters was not only his personal best, but tied for the sixth highest American jump ever and is in the top five jumps in the world this year. He said, "This was the place to put your best on the line right before you go represent your country."

Next week, the pole vaults will compete on Thursday of the World Championships in a pole vault only event and if this serves an any indicator, it should be interesting.

Other performances of note:

Christina Epps won her first USATF Indoor championship in the triple jump with a personal best of 14.05 meters.

Marquis Dendy, the 2015 Outdoor Champion, won the long jump in 8.41 meters.

Michelle Carter, six-time outdoor champion and two-time indoor champion, won the women's shot put with a throw for 19.41.

Erik Kynard, 2012 Olympic silver medalist, won the high jump in 2.29 meters after going five-for-five.