Oregon Track and Field: Pepsi Invitational Was a True Fan's Delight

You know that feeling after a really good meal? Or halfway through a tall, frosty one on a hot day?

Or the afterglow from—well, you know the feeling.

That's the way I felt as I left Hayward Field at the conclusion of the four-team Pepsi Invitational last Saturday.

Sure, part of the euphoria had to do with the home teams (men and women) winning. And yes, it was at Hayward Field. But this feeling had roots way deeper than that.

It was a cool, breezy day. The times and distances were not earth-shaking. The crowd was far from full capacity. And a few high-profile athletes were on stand-down. But all that, and even finding a parking ticket on my vehicle's windshield, couldn't dampen my mood.

I had gotten my money's worth.

For starters, the casting for this show was brilliant. Talk about pedigree...

Four dynamic track programs from past and present—Washington, UCLA, Oregon and Texas A&M—all with NCAA Outdoor Championship aspirations, especially the latter two. And a running scoreboard tally, updated after each completed event, keeping athletes and fans keenly interested.

And how about the intense competition?

In an Olympic year, when so many elite athletes are "saving" themselves for the big meets, what a refreshing difference to see these future stars laying it all down in one, two—sometimes three—different events.

In that sense, it was almost like a high school track meet—pure, uncomplicated effort, for the team.

The inter-school rivalries really came through, especially in the 4 X 400m relays, where both the men's and women's teams of Oregon and A&M battled wire-to-wire. This, even as both team titles had essentially already been decided.

But the tone was set early in the meet, as the long-awaited debut of Oregon's home-grown javelin thrower, Sam Crouser, unfolded.

On his first throw, he launched a 239'-7" missile. Texas A&M's Sam Humphreys, the NCAA's leading thrower, immediately responded with a 239'-5" toss.

Then, as Crouser struggled with his form on several successive throws, Humphreys uncorked a 240'-2" gem to take the lead.  Crouser, with his back to the wall and on his final throw, shortened his run-up and strong-armed a mighty 244'-3" heave that Humphreys could not answer.

It was at that point the chit-chat and social murmur diminished among the fans. People began to find their seats and a tangible attentiveness from the crowd fell upon the field of play.

Like precision clockwork, the meet un-wound seamlessly from event to event, with a sprinkling of former track greats being honored here and there.

In the grand scheme of things, the Pepsi Team Invitational was just another track meet. With no less intensity, rivalry and interest, Pepsi's success was mirrored in the hundreds of small meets taking place around the country on that same Saturday.

On the way back to my vehicle, a stranger and I shared a few words about the meet. Immediately, I felt a kindred spirit in what we had just experienced. It was an unspoken understanding that this is what brought us in, and this is what will sustain us in our passion for the sport.

If the rumor is true that track and field has an image and popularity problem in America, well then—I know the cure.

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