Tuesday in Track Town Features Rupp, Brandel, Lananna & Johnson
EUGENE - Since March, the University of Oregon Track and Field program has sponsored monthly Town Hall meetings to promote what is happening with track and field in Eugene.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 1 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Bowerman Building, 1580 E. 15th Ave. on the northwest corner of Hayward Field. This will be the last meeting of the academic year, with meetings resuming again in August.
Vin Lananna, associate athletic director at the University of Oregon, and renowned jumps coach Robert Johnson, will lead the forum and address questions from the public.
Two Duck athletes - Galen Rupp and Ryan Brandel - will also take part in the forum. Both Brandel and Rupp were given the ?Pac-10 Athlete of the Week’ honor in April.
Last weekend, Rupp broke the American collegiate 10,000m record in the Cardinal Invitational (27:33.48), Sunday April 29, and also moved to first all-time for UO in the event. That time is the fastest by an American this season, and going into the meet, only five others in the world had run faster. The week before, Rupp had a great performance in the Oregon Invitational where he charged from behind to win the 5,000 meters by .05 seconds (13:30.49) at the finish line over Wisconsin senior and four-time NCAA champion Chris Solinsky (second, 13:30.54). Rupp’s time was a 7.42-second personal best and put him sixth all-time in school history.Overall, he is a six-time All-American in cross country (including fifth in ’06) and track (including second in the 10,000m in ’05), and a four-time scorer in the Pac-10 5,000m/10,000m.
Brandel's javelin season best of 238-0 currently ranks him second in the nation, and lists him third all-time in the Oregon record books behind Oregon NCAA Champions John Stiegeler and Art Skipper. The Milwaukie, Ore., native continued his recent run of success with a victory in the first day of action at the recent Oregon Invitational at Hayward Field.
For more information, please call the University of Oregon Track and Field office at 541-346-2260.
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