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Eugene gets back on track.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Ron Bellamy The Register-Guard

For 10 days in late June and early July, over eight days of competition in the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field, a community rediscovered its heritage.

Once again, Eugene was Track Town, USA, the epicenter of the sport in this country, no longer in the past tense, in deference to the Trials held here in 1972, 1976 and 1980, but in the present tense and, for that matter, the future tense as well. The Trials return to Eugene in 2012, and every year between now and then will bring at least one major national meet.

So important were the Trials to Eugene - in terms of image, identity and economics - that the event was the overwhelming choice as the top local sports story of 2008, as voted by members of The Register-Guard sports department.

The Trials weren't the only local sports story with far-reaching impact. The University of Oregon, at long last, received final approval to construct its $200 million basketball arena and, by the way, was building a new baseball stadium.

And as the year ended, the university made a significant long-term decision about the future of its athletics department, designating football coach Mike Bellotti as the heir-apparent to director of athletics Pat Kilkenny, and naming offensive coordinator Chip Kelly as head-coach-in-waiting.

Along the way, there was another NCAA team title for Oregon and a couple of intriguing college football seasons, capped by a highly relevant Civil War.

The top 10 local stories of 2008:

1. Track Town, once again

The U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials return to Eugene

The event, drawing an estimated 1,200 athletes to a refurbished Hayward Field, met even the highest expectations. The crowds, totalling 167,123, were large and enthusiastic, the first-ever Fan Festival was a community success, and elite athletes had memorable performances, none more so than the night when Nick Symmonds, Andrew Wheating and Christian Smith made the Olympic team in the men's 800 meters before 20,949 in a stadium gone beyond loud.

After years of listening to the...

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