Dear Angela Williams (USC winner in the women’s 100-meter dash):
Thank you for speaking and not simply giving quotes (which, in turn, makes for the best quotes).
“Every time I get on the track, I try to do magnificent things. And I love this track the most. I mean, it’s so fast! The moment you step onto it, you’re like, ‘Oooohh!’ And look at the fans, they’re out here the whole time cheering on everyone else.
“There’s such a good feedback between athletes and fans. And that’s what it’s all about. We’re here to put on a show.
“Eugene’s a great town. The atmosphere is relaxing. People say ‘hi’ to you in the neighborhood. They treat us so well here. We’ve got a warm-up track over there, we get water, we get food … you have it all here. It’s just this whole chill atmosphere. Yeah, it’s that chill way of living. And that’s why athletes do so well here because they have no worries.
“But, well, I guess the only bad thing is the allergies. But I came prepared this time! I used my Allegra and it was all good. Last year when I was here for Pac-10s, I got hay fever and I could barely see; it felt like I had the flu.
“I tried to warn people about it this year, but they weren’t listening. Nope. I told them it was coming. First two days, everybody’s fine. And then what happens after that? Ha, everyone’s all sneezing … aahh choo! Ha ha … yeah, but I was fine though. Allegra — it does the trick.
“I see you could probably use some, too.”
She was right.
Dear Texas Christian sprinters Lindel Frater, Darvis Patton and Kim Collins:
Thank you for treating the NCAA Track and Field Championships this past week at Hayward Field as your playground.
The three members of the Horned Frogs were part of the men’s 4×400-meter relay team that won the national title Friday in a spectacular showdown against Tennessee. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, 45 minutes after the relay, they all finished 1-2-4 in the semifinals of the 100-meter dash.
“It’s like practice,” Patton said. “We line up side-by-side in practice everyday. I would love nothing more than to win the team title. Every point counts.”
Added Collins: “After what happened at Indoors, believe me, every point counts.”
Ah, the fateful words that would prove to be all too true on Saturday.
TCU, who lost the Indoor title this year by just one point after a dropped baton, entered the final day of competition ready to capture the school’s first national championship since the 1983 women’s golf team.
But tragedy struck again, as in the 200-meter final, Collins false-started and Tennessee freshman Justin Gatlin won, giving Tennessee the edge. The Volunteers were crowned the overall team champs by that fateful one-point margin (50-49) over the Frogs.
“We thought the worse that could happen had already happened [at Indoors],” Patton said. “I knew it was Kim [who false-started]. When the gun went off, I heard him say, ‘damn.’
“We had a good meet though.”
The TCU speedsters resemble the fun-loving Jamaican bunch from the movie, “Cool Runnings.” From their all-black, long-sleeved outfits to the Caribbean accents of Collins and Frater, as well as their constant smiles and amiable personalities, these Frogs were practically clones from those likable characters in the Disney movie.
Best of all, they all sported T-shirts with the phrase: “We’re not running fast … we’re just flyin’ low!”
Despite the second-place team finish, it sure was a fun group to watch.
Also, thanks go out to Colorado State’s Bryan Berryhill for his rousing wire-to-wire victory in the men’s 1,500-meter final. The Central Point native ended his college career in his home state and did so in an impressive fashion. He’ll return to Eugene in three weeks for the U.S.A. Track and Field Championships.
Not too bad for a first gig out of school.
“I don’t foresee using my forestry degree anytime soon,” Berryhill said.
And finally, thanks to Ohio State senior Ian Connor for showing people that you can still be a winner even in defeat.
During the final of the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday, Connor tripped over the bar and into the water with less than a lap remaining. He could have just stopped right there considering how banged up his body was from the accident.
But he didn’t.
While all the other participants finished the race in under nine minutes, Connor demonstrated tremendous heart in fighting through pain and fighting back tears as he limped toward the finish line for a time of 9:35.04 amid the standing ovation from the crowd.
In the four-day meet where 42 champions were crowned, Connor proved to be the 43rd.