There is running. Especially in Oregon.
Guest Post by Jack Mullen
Eugene, Oregon calls itself Track Town. Eugene and the University of Oregon are America's center for running and running culture. Oregon's running culture has deep roots, maintained by great athletes and nourished in recent decades by the passion and money of Phil Knight. Knight founded Nike along with his former track coach at the University of Oregon, Bill Bowerman. That tradition of running excellence did not start in Eugene. It started in Medford, my home town, and the home town of Jack Mullen.
Last evening, watching Eugene host the World Track and Field Championship, I could not contain a small tear of pride for my old home state. I found myself unable to sleep as I thought back to the year 1962.
Hayward Field.
To borrow a phrase from Edward R. Murrow, “I was there,' I was in Eugene at the 1962 NCAA track championship when Jerry Tarr and Mel Renfro both shot off the blocks in the in the 120-yard hurdles as if propelled by a cannon. In a flash, they crossed the finish line in first and second place (13.5 by Tarr and 13.8 by Renfro). The explosive cheer from the sold-out crowd at Hayward Field was as loud a noise as anyone at Hayward Field had ever experienced. At that moment, when Tarr and "Marvelous Mel" Renfro went one-two, Hayward Field claimed, and never relinquished, its reputation as America’s one and only home of the sport of track and field.
Hayward hosted the Nike high school championships in June
The groundwork that culminated in Eugene hosting the World Championships--the first World Championships held on American soil--started in my home town of Medford. A former Medford High School football and track star, Bill Bowerman, after returning from WWII combat in Italy, became the track coach at his alma mater. His performance as track coach in Medford caught the eye of the University of Oregon’s Athletic Director, Bill Hayward. He hired Bowerman. Bowerman passed on his emerging Medford High track program to his assistant, Bob Newland. Newland coached the Medford team to nine state championships in 10 years. My late brother Jay was one of Newland’s half-milers. As a wide-eyed third and fourth grader, I watched Jay and his teammates send the mighty Medford Black Tornado team to two more state championships.
Jay went on to the University of Oregon in the fall of 1957. During his freshman year he performed well in the 880 (freshmen couldn’t run varsity in those days). He suffered a mysterious partial paralysis winter term his sophomore year which ended his track career, but not his love of track and field and his knowledge from training under the Bowerman system.
Every summer, I had participated in summer all-comers track meets set up by Bob Newland and endorsed by the Medford School District. I was not very good in track. Nevertheless, Medford was a track town and we kids knew it, so I jumped at any chance to compete. I did not earn a track letter my eighth-grade year at Hedrick Junior High. That would all change after Jay came home and laid on me what he learned from Bowerman and Newland. He wrote workout sheets and set me up running ten 220s on Tuesday, five 440s on Wednesdays, and ten 110s on Thursdays before the meets. The Junior High coach, Barney Riggs, was a heck of a football and basketball coach, but his track knowledge was limited. He allowed me to do Bowerman-type workouts and just smiled.
Lo and behold, I zoomed to set Hedrick Junior High records in the 660 and 1320 and won district in the 1320 with a time of 3:26. I was a tiny beneficiary of the Bowerman legacy. It was one month later that Jay took me to that memorable NCAA tournament in Eugene.I am writing this in hopes that those who ever lived in Medford and the great state of Oregon enjoy the next dozen days in Eugene. Oregon gave the track and field world runner Steve Prefontaine who inspired distance running for a generation, and Dick Fosbury who revolutionized the high jump, perhaps for all time. Eugene is Track Town, but I had an up close look at the place and people who got the tradition started. It started in Medford.
Jack Mullen: 1962
3 comments:
In 1973 or 1974, I watched Six runners break the 4 minute mile led by Prefontain, Frank Shorter and others at Hayward field. I believe it was later that night Prefontain died in the car accident with his car sitting on top of him. Seeing him run on the streets of Eugene was a common occurrence. Yes, Eugene as a track epicenter at Hayward field has history.
Let's also recognize Medford High graduate Bob McIntyre. In 1965, at Stanford, he and his three relay teammates achieved the world record in the 4x100. He went on to medical school and was an anesthesiologist in Medford for many years. Dean Benson coached him in high school; Mr. Benson was also Dick Fosbury's coach. This is a shout out to Bob McIntyre and Mr. Benson.
Great writing Jack ! Track Town USA is very special and you brought back great memories ! I Too was there and watched Tarr and Renfro !!
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