NCAA Track and Field: 5 Offbeat Takeaways from the National Championships

Last week's 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Eugene, Oregon's Hayward Field provided plenty of excellent performances, rivalries, controversies and backstories. The sports pages and online sites dedicated to track and field left little uncovered in the areas of straight reporting, analysis and prognostication.

After all, the American college sports scene (especially in track and field) is sprinkled with international talent and is an accurate indicator of future Olympic drama. Fittingly, those topics were thoroughly fleshed out by a worldwide pool of journalists.

With that (and the fact that Eugene will host the NCAAs through at least 2021) in mind, I wanted to pen a few of the more subtle yet relevant observations which stuck in my mind in the afterglow of a terrific championship meet. The nearly nonstop action in one of the sport's most iconic venues under almost perfect weather conditions was certainly conducive to reflection. Here are five of my takeaways.

1. Hayward Field Has a Really Fast Track

I once asked sprint great and current NBC track analyst Ato Boldon to name the five fastest tracks on which he's raced. I was a bit surprised that his list—Athens, Eugene, Lausanne, Atlanta and Mt. Sac (Mt. San Antonio College)— included three American tracks.

After USC's Andre De Grasse blistered the track in Friday's final in the 100-meter dash (9.75 seconds, wind-aided) and the 200 (19.58w) Boldon clarified his ranking of America's fastest tracks via a reply on Twitter:

"

Fastest in America bar none. RT @rojosports: @AtoBoldon Your top-5 fastest tracks list got some confirmation at Hayward today.

— Ato Boldon (@AtoBoldon) June 13, 2015"

If Boldon's assessment needed any further credibility, it was evident in the men's and women's short hurdles finals (Arkansas' Omar McLeod in 13.01 and Kentucky's Keni Harrison in 12.55, respectively) and the women's 100 and 200 finals (Oregon's Jenna Prandini in 10.96 and Kentucky's Dezerea Bryant in 22.18). Each produced a top-five world time and either a school record or a personal best (remember, these are college kids).

Hayward's configuration, with a prevailing tailwind on the home straight and a superfast Benyon all-season surface, defies the distance-heavy legacy of the University of Oregon and is, in fact, a sprinter's dream during the summer season.

So much so that the Oregon Ducks have recently developed a reputation for fielding some of the nation's best young sprinters and hurdlers. It amazes me that Usain Bolt, Jamaica's multiple-time Olympic and world champion sprinter who has stated he is determined to cement his legacy in the record books, has never set foot on the track at Hayward.

2. Young Fans Were Into It

As I walked the grounds of Hayward Field this year, I noticed many more young faces in the crowd than ever before. I'm talking kids from about six years old and up with their parents in tow.

At least that's how it seemed, with the kids pulling the adults into the various attractions and displays, posing with athletes and generally getting caught up in the festivities. But it wasn't just the carnival atmosphere the youngsters were attracted to. In the stands, those same kids were very aware of the action on the track and in the field, applauding, cheering and seeking autographs from their favorite athletes.

Great Britain's Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka of Ukraine, the two former stars who are campaigning for the top job in global athletics as president of the IAAF, would have been pleased. Both have made youth outreach a top priority if elected this August.

While Eugene is already unique in its general devotion to track and field, it was nice to see a tangible increase in the younger generation among the fans.

3. Eugene Can Handle the 2021 Worlds

Even though I've lived in Southern Oregon most of my life, I've never really explored Eugene beyond the Hayward Field and Autzen Stadium environs. This year, I took advantage of the morning downtimes on Friday and Saturday to wander the streets, trying to get a feel for the city as a host to the 2021 World Championships.

There is much more to Eugene than Franklin Boulevard and the U of O campus, which is usually the first and last impression most visiting athletes, coaches and media are exposed to on their quick trips in and out of town.

True, Eugene is not a metropolis like Berlin, Doha or Beijing, which can easily handle the logistics of a major global championships. Eugene will have to stretch a bit, but not too much. In fact, it might be an inviting change for international athletes, with their globe-hopping lifestyles, to unwind a bit in a small town, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

From what I saw, the downtown infrastructure is pretty much in place to handle the two-week invasion of media, dignitaries and out-of-town fans. Several large cranes were visibly at work on new construction projects, obviously planned well before April's surprise announcement of Eugene's 2021 prize.

The major work will center around Hayward Field. And there, a complete renovation with an expanded seating capacity to 30,000 is already planned to begin in late 2016. On-campus student housing—which presumably will serve as an athlete's village—is an ongoing endeavor.

Apart from the many attractions within Eugene itself, the city's central location within the state will give Oregon an opportunity to show off its incredible scenic diversity to visitors interested in exploring on the championship's scheduled "off day".

Having hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012 (and again in 2016), Eugene will have had plenty of practice in ironing out the wrinkles that come with managing a really big meet.

4. Local Newspaper Equal to the Task

Even in today's digital age, the local newspaper (in print form) is an unofficial extension of any championship organizing committee. It's the first line of information every morning over coffee or an early breakfast and provides an easily carried hard copy of stats, schedules and human interest for the day's activities.

The Eugene Register-Guard's sports department, headed by editor Chris Hansen and columnist Austin Meek, does a very credible job of supplying reaction, analysis, opinion, quotes and photography. The relatively small staff always seems to do its homework and noticeably steps up its effort for the big meets. At a dollar a pop (except Sunday'S edition), it's a bargain.

5. Make Your Reservations Early

Currently, any big national or international meet in Eugene will fill every available room weeks in advance. It's not unusual during the Olympic Trials to drive up to 80 miles from Eugene to find lodging.

I knew this, and still waited too long to reserve a room at a favorite spot in Oakridge, 40 miles from Hayward. Luckily, I was able to find a last-minute cancellation downtown. I can't imagine the scramble to find lodging for the 2021 World Championships unless a few more new hotels rise to the occasion in the interim.

For what it's worth, I've already put in my order for a room ahead of the USATF Outdoor National Championships in Eugene June 25-28. It's the selection meet for Team USA at the 2015 World Championships August 22-30 in Beijing. Maybe I'll see you there.

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