On the Right Track: ‘Cuse NCAA Blog - Entry 1
6/11/2014 9:07:00 AM | Track and Field
Syracuse’s track and field competitors blog about their experience from the NCAA Championship.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Six Syracuse track and field student-athletes are competing this week at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. While they represent the Orange in Eugene, Oregon, they will be blogging about their experience, providing an inside look at the 'Cuse at college track's premier event.
Competition for Freddie Crittenden, Shaina Harrison, Martin Hehir, Joel Hubbard, Margo Malone and Sarah Pagano runs June 11-14 at historic Hayward Field. Be sure to check out the championship preview as well as check back each day for updates from Oregon.
In today's first edition, Hehir and Hubbard team up to report on their first few days out west, while Malone and Pagano provide a look from their perspective as well.
Martin and Joel's first few days
Sunday (June 8th) – We met up to get in an easy 50 minute run before the 11:45 flight. With a connection in O'Hare, we got to Portland, OR at around 5:30PT which was perfect timing to go grab some dinner. Staying in the Aces Hotel in downtown Portland was really cool because it exemplified what the rest of the city was about – hipsterness. Everything just seemed unconventional! After strolling around for a bit (seeing a coffee shop on almost every corner), Joel, Sarah, Shaina, and I decided on a new-age pizza restaurant (Margo was out with her family). There were so many different (and strange) combinations so we got four different kinds and shared them. It turns out the one with mascarpone, pork, and apple butter was the best!
Monday (June 9th) - Margo's aunt is from Portland and was able to set up a tour of the World Nike Headquarters in Beaverton (only a 20min drive). The campus was amazing and surprisingly did seem like a college campus. Around lunch time, dozens of employees were out on the fields playing pickup games of soccer, volleyball, or basketball! It was also great to see that Nike still remembers its roots in the world of track and field in Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. After the tour we took the 2-hour drive south to Eugene where we would be staying for the rest of the week. Upon arriving we went right for a run, and got to finally see the place where a huge amount of American distance running history has happened – Hayward Field. It truly is an awe-inspiring place and I can speak for everyone when I say it's humbling to be here and competing at this place. We grabbed some dinner right down the street from the track (Eugene is a much smaller town than I thought) and were happy for the 20-minute walk back to the hotel to let it settle.
Tuesday (June 10th) – Today has been a big day of relaxing – for me and Shaina especially since we are racing tomorrow evening. Joel and I went for a run on the famous Pre's Trail, which was built in his honor after his death. Then Coach Bell took us to Pre's Rock, the site of his deadly car accident where there is now a little memorial. Again, there's nothing quite like seeing in person the places that every track kid reads and watches growing up. And tonight, I'll be getting some pasta to get some carbs in me before the race!
Margo and Sarah's perspective
The first two days of our trip have been awesome! Sunday was a travel day, and we arrived in Portland in time for dinner. Portland has such a unique vibe and very different from any city we've visited. There are so many restaurants, coffee shops, and awesome stores all around our awesome hotel in the Pearl District. Monday morning we grabbed a delicious breakfast at a great diner where our waiter commented on our Syracuse sweatshirts—Cuse fans are EVERYWHERE! He said the Dome was the coolest place he's ever watched a sporting event (back when he went to a basketball game in '03). We agreed. Then, we were off to check out the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR.
The Nike campus is amazing, and such a beautiful day made it a fantastic morning to visit it. We had a tour around all the buildings, but our favorite spot was the Nike track, which has trees surrounding it as well as in the infield.
After a great morning at Nike, we hopped in the vans for the two hour trip south to Eugene: Track Town USA. We met at 5:00 for practice that evening, and the distance crew ran around campus and through the Eugene neighborhoods and parks while Shaina prepared for her race on the track. Ending our run at the Historic Hayward Field was such an incredible feeling. This track is the best of the best and the most famous in our sport, and to not only be here, but to be able to compete at the NCAA Championships here is an absolutely incredible opportunity. It's a place you see pictures of, watch videos of races at, and a place you dream about racing on yourself. Stepping onto the track for the first time and taking a look around kind of takes your breath away and you can't help but smile. We are so excited and looking forward to put on our orange uniforms and represent Cuse this week!
Competition for Freddie Crittenden, Shaina Harrison, Martin Hehir, Joel Hubbard, Margo Malone and Sarah Pagano runs June 11-14 at historic Hayward Field. Be sure to check out the championship preview as well as check back each day for updates from Oregon.
In today's first edition, Hehir and Hubbard team up to report on their first few days out west, while Malone and Pagano provide a look from their perspective as well.
Martin and Joel's first few days
Monday (June 9th) - Margo's aunt is from Portland and was able to set up a tour of the World Nike Headquarters in Beaverton (only a 20min drive). The campus was amazing and surprisingly did seem like a college campus. Around lunch time, dozens of employees were out on the fields playing pickup games of soccer, volleyball, or basketball! It was also great to see that Nike still remembers its roots in the world of track and field in Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. After the tour we took the 2-hour drive south to Eugene where we would be staying for the rest of the week. Upon arriving we went right for a run, and got to finally see the place where a huge amount of American distance running history has happened – Hayward Field. It truly is an awe-inspiring place and I can speak for everyone when I say it's humbling to be here and competing at this place. We grabbed some dinner right down the street from the track (Eugene is a much smaller town than I thought) and were happy for the 20-minute walk back to the hotel to let it settle.
Margo and Sarah's perspective
The Nike campus is amazing, and such a beautiful day made it a fantastic morning to visit it. We had a tour around all the buildings, but our favorite spot was the Nike track, which has trees surrounding it as well as in the infield.
After a great morning at Nike, we hopped in the vans for the two hour trip south to Eugene: Track Town USA. We met at 5:00 for practice that evening, and the distance crew ran around campus and through the Eugene neighborhoods and parks while Shaina prepared for her race on the track. Ending our run at the Historic Hayward Field was such an incredible feeling. This track is the best of the best and the most famous in our sport, and to not only be here, but to be able to compete at the NCAA Championships here is an absolutely incredible opportunity. It's a place you see pictures of, watch videos of races at, and a place you dream about racing on yourself. Stepping onto the track for the first time and taking a look around kind of takes your breath away and you can't help but smile. We are so excited and looking forward to put on our orange uniforms and represent Cuse this week!
Benne Anderson | NCAA mile final
Saturday, March 15
Benne Anderson NCAA Mile Semifinals
Saturday, March 15
Sam Lawler | ACC 5k Highlight
Sunday, March 02
Forever Orange | Freddie Crittenden
Thursday, February 13
