Track and Field
- Title:
- Associate Athletic Director
* Click the camera icon at the top right side to see a photo gallery of Martin Smith.
In his seventh season guiding the Oregon program, head coach Martin Smith has guided the Ducks to nine, NCAA top-20 team finishes, 48 All-America honors, and 17 Pac-10 titles. Now outdoors in 2004-05, the 'Men of Oregon' will chase a league-leading fourth straight top-two Pac-10 track team finish, while the women quickly reload to challenge for an upper division run themselves. In the 2004-05 indoor season, the Duck men raised their performance in the NCAA Indoor Championships to a new level. UO sent a team record nine qualifiers to the meet, and eight were rewarded with All-America honors - including indoor pole vault champion Tommy Skipper. The Ducks took a best-ever sixth place with 29 points and paced Pac-10 Conference teams, followed by Arizona (10th, 20 points), Arizona State and Stanford (13th-tie, 15 points), USC (22nd, 10), UCLA (25th, 9) and Washington (28th, 7). The UO team finish was the third top-20 NCAA indoor men’s team effort under Smith after they placed ninth in 2002 and 18th in 2004 with 15 and 13 points, respectively. The 2003-04 season was full of dramatic Duck performances in the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships and Olympic Trials. Freshman Tommy Skipper won the NCAA outdoor pole vault crown and took second indoors, and broke the school and conference records in the West Regional (18-10 3/4). Sophomore hurdler Eric Mitchum became the first Duck to take All-America honors outdoors and indoors in the NCAA high hurdles the same season (second / sixth), and also added school records in each meet (60H - 7.69, 110H - 13.38). Redshirt junior javelin thrower Sarah Malone added second- and third-place finishes in the javelin in the Olympic Trials and NCAA Champs. Team-wise, the men qualified 14 individuals for the NCAA Championships - fourth-most nationally - and their five All-Americans helped them placed top 10 for the second time in four years (ninth, 27 points). Indoors, UO featured a program record four All-Americans and second-highest NCAA finish ever (18th, 13 points). In the Pac-10 Champs, the Duck men battled to a second-place finish (130 points), while the women were rewarded with a seventh-place finish and a score (59) that nearly doubled pre-meet media forecasts. In cross country in the fall, the UO men took 21st in the NCAA race with 249 points and were led by All-American Eric Logsdon (29th). Brett Holts added first-team All-Pac-10 laurels three weeks before for his sixth-place Pac-10 finish, and Logsdon (eighth) and Andrus (11th) were second-team honorees for the second-place Ducks. In the 2003 NCAA outdoor track stop in Sacramento, the UO men sent one of the largest qualifying contingents of any team nationally ? as six of the 14 Ducks claimed All-America honors and helped the ?Men of Oregon’ to 13th place with 19 1/4 points. At the inaugural West Regional, the Ducks ran away with a pair of sprint titles in the 100 and 200 and were less than a second away from the 4x400 win. And on the enemy turf of meet favorite USC, three more victors led Oregon to its first Pac-10 team title since 1993 in the thick of the tightest 1-4 finish since 1969 (17 points). The cross country unit laid the groundwork in the months prior with a fifth-place NCAA finish in the fall of 2002 ? their best under Smith in his six-year harrier head coach stint ? after runner-up league and regional efforts. Individually, their four All-Americans were the most since 1991 as Jason Hartmann notched his third honor and fourth top-50 NCAA placing. In 2002, the Ducks placed ninth in the NCAA Indoor Championships paced by a trio of All-Americans. Outdoors, UO scored its then-highest Pac-10 finish since 1996 ? 2nd with 125 points ? even without points from three former Pac-10 champions who redshirted or were injured. The trademark Oregon balance featured a league-high five Pac-10 champions and three more runners-up, while the squad ranked ninth in the U.S. Track Coaches Association Dual Power Rankings (www.team-power.org). In return, Smith was tabbed as the Pacific-10 Conference and West Region Men's Head Coach of the Year in 2002. Track City USA witnessed firsthand in 2001 another high point in Oregon's resurgence on the oval. In the NCAA Championships' ninth trip to Hayward Field, the Ducks claimed two NCAA individual titles for the first time since 1986 and scored their first top-10 team finish (ninth) since 1992. That type of success is nothing new for the former University of Wisconsin mentor whose Badger men tallied 77 NCAA All-America honors (43 track, 34 cross country) and five NCAA individual titles. Simultaneously, his harrier squads racked up two NCAA titles, three runner-up finishes and two, third-place distinctions among their nine, top-five NCAA team finishes. During that period, the Badgers stockpiled more All-America cross country honors given to Americans than any other program, and only one other team produced more total awards and top-five NCAA finishes. Other proof of Smith’s success came against the Big Ten Conference, as the Badgers won 12 Big Ten harrier team titles and 10 Great Lakes/District IV cross country crowns, including eight consecutive league titles between 1985-92. On the track, Smith-coached runners won 32 individual conference track titles and four harrier titles from 1984-98. Equally appropriate has been his emphasis on academic excellence. Twenty-six of his runners combined for 51 academic All-Big Ten honors. At the national level, 1993 NCAA steeplechase champion Donovan Bergstrom is a perfect example of a Smith-coached student-athlete, decorated with three Academic All-America honors as well as three All-America honors on the oval. The academic baton has smoothly passed to the Ducks who have featured 12 Academic All-Americans since 1999 ? Ryan Andrus (2), Adam Bergquist, Steve Fein (2), Santiago Lorenzo (2), Billy Pappas, John Stiegeler (2) and Kirsten Larwin. Five of the aforementioned were also All-Americans athletically, and two even won NCAA titles in 2001 (Lorenzo, Stiegeler). At the conference level, the Ducks have featured three or more first-team track and field men's all-academic picks every year since 1999, and led the conference with four honorees in 2002 and five in 2003 and '04. The Duck women were equally honored as a squad with 11 of their potential 18 nominees tabbed to Pac-10 first, second or honorable mention teams. Not surprisingly, his succession to the Oregon helm was a natural one, based on a similar move to Madison, Wis., in 1983. Smith followed the footsteps of another legend, Dan McClimon, yet laid the groundwork for even more success. Results came immediately as Smith led the Badgers to a 52-point, conference-meet win ? their largest victory ever ? followed by a second-place NCAA finish. Two years later, Smith's Badgers swept the 1985 NCAA individual and team cross country titles ? only the 10th program to achieve the feat in the event’s +50-year history (a feat matched by Oregon in 1971 and 1973). In 1988, Wisconsin added another NCAA win, this time by a convincing 55-point margin and featured four All-Americans up front. Very little changed after that as the Badgers notched 12, top-10 NCAA finishes in 15 years ? and never lower than 14th ? while averaging more than two cross country All-Americans per year. His All-America roll takes on greater stature on the track. From 1984-98, he coached at least one All-American every year, including five or more in 1984, 1985, 1995 and 1996. The breakdown of his 53 awards at Oregon and Wisconsin looms equally impressive, balanced between the 1,500 meters (5), 3,000 meters (3), steeplechase (10), 5,000 meters (22), 10,000 meters (10) and distance medley relay (3). Smith’s knack for developing American distance talent is obvious, and another former Badger pupil Pascal Dobert is a prime example. The Bethesda, Maryland graduated in 1992 unranked nationally among preps. However, by the end of his senior season, the two-time Big-Ten steeplechase champion captured three All-America awards (10th as a sophomore, second as a junior and first as a senior). Afterwards, he evolved into the sixth-fastest American steeplechaser ever, a World Championships vet in 1997 and 1999, a U.S. champion in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and a 2000 Olympian. The Alexandria, Va., native initially accepted the head distance post at Wisconsin after three seasons at the University of Virginia. His Cavalier teams won consecutive NCAA women’s cross country and Atlantic Coast Conference titles in 1981 and 1982, and Lesley Welch won the 1982 individual national harrier title. In his stint in Charlottesville, his men’s and women’s distance runners racked up 11 All-America accolades. Smith (12-16-51) began his coaching career in 1975 at Oakton High School in Vienna, Va., and coached future Oregon All-American and 1983 World Champs qualifier Jim Hill as a prepster. After helping lead Oakton to the Virginia AAA state harrier title in 1978, he moved to the college ranks at George Mason in 1979. Born in Alexandria, Va., Smith attended Bridgewater College in Virginia, and graduated with BA degrees in history and political science in 1974. Smith was married to Renee Schwister, February 12, 1999, and Renee has one son Ross (4-8-88). Smith’s Oregon predecessors include Bill Dellinger (1973-98), Bill Bowerman (1949-72), John Warren (1948), Bill Hayward (1904-47), Joseph W. Wetherbee (1895), William Ray (1903), C.A. Redmond (1902), J.C. Higgins (1897) and William O. Trine (1896, 1898-1901).
2004 (Fall): Against the nation's deepest league, the Ducks took third third in the Pac-10 Cross Country Championships behind a pair of top-10 NCAA squads. Ryan Andrus and Eric Logsdon earned All-Pac-10 Second-Team honors for their eighth- and 12th-place finishes, and also placed top 12 as a duo for the first time in the West Regional (11th / 9th). 2003-04: Ninth-place outdoor track and field finish (tied with '01 as highest UO effort since '92). Qualified 13 men's entries to NCAA outdoor finale - fourth-most of any team nationally - and claimed five All-America honors, including an NCAA title (Tommy Skipper, pole vault). 18th-place NCAA men's indoor team finish (second-highest ever) thanks to program record four All-Americans. Pac-10 men's track runner-up (third straight top-two finish - tops in the Pac-10), and three individual champions. 21st-place NCAA men's cross country finish and one All-American (Eric Logsdon (29th)). Pac-10 cross country team runner-up with one first-team pick (Brett Holts, sixth) and two, second-team picks (Eric Logsdon, eighth; Ryan Andrus, 11th). Five Pac-10 All-Academic men's track picks (#1 in Pac-10) and two women's first-team picks. Three Pac-10 First-Team All-Academic cross country men's picks (#1 in Pac-10), and another women's first-team selection. 2002-03: Fifth-place NCAA cross country finish (highest since 1998), and four All-Americans (most since 1989 - Jason Hartmann, 20th; Ryan Andrus 34th, Eric Losdon 41st, Brett Holts 43rd) and fifth time in Smith’s career. Pac-10 track and field team champion (first since 1990), and cross country team runner-up in Pac-10 and West Regional championships. 2001-02: Five Pac-10 track and field champions. Pac-10 runner-up track & field team finish; Ninth-place NCAA indoor track & field finish (highest ever) and three indoor track and field All-Americans (then-most ever). Two Academic All-Americans and four Pac-10 Track & Field All-Academic First Team picks. 14th-place NCAA cross country finish. 2000-01: Ninth-place NCAA outdoor track and field team finish (highest since 1992) and four All-Americans; Two NCAA champions (most since 1986). John Stiegeler broke UO javelin record (252-10) and ranked third in U.S. Jason Hartmann and Michael Kasahun earned NCAA cross country invites after top-five regional finishes. 1999-00: Three All-Americans in outdoor track and field; 1 Olympic Trials qualifier; 1 Pac-10 track and field champion (and two runners-up). Jason Boness broke high jump school record (7-5). Fifth-place NCAA cross country team finish and three All-Americans. Senior cross country runner Steve Fein was third overall in NCAA Championships as the top American (in a course record), after he won the West Regional and Pac-10 individual titles. 1998-99: Seven NCAA indoor track and field qualifiers. Four NCAA outdoor track and field automatic qualifiers. Three USA Track and Field Championships qualifiers. Fein became UO’s 27th sub-4:00 miler, and first Duck to score All-America hat trick (XC, ITF, OTF).
Duck Women’s Highlights
2004 (Fall only): In cross country, Laura Harmon claimed UO's 32nd women's harrier All-America honor thanks to her 31st-place NCAA Championships finish. 2003-04: Sarah Malone took second in javelin in U.S. Oympic Trials - three places higher than her pre-meet seed - and also finished top three outdoors in the NCAA (third), West Regional (first) and Pac-10 (second) Champs. The UO women qualified seven individuals in six NCAA outdoor events, and four individuals in four events in the indoor collegiate finale. The distance crew also extended its postseason string of 28 NCAA appearances in 29 years as Madalena Sandoval made her NCAA harrier debut after top-10 Pac-10 (fifth) and West Regional (ninth) efforts.
