For The First Time Since 2018, High School Teams From Oregon And Elsewhere Will Get To Bask In 'Hayward Magic'

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Ross Dettman photo

It's been so long since Oregon high school track teams competed at Hayward Field most of the top seniors in the state don't have any experience competing in Eugene. 

Of all the breaks in continuity that the sport of track and field is mending back together in 2022, the four-year separation between the 2018 OSAA Track and Field Championships and this weekend's Oregon Relays presented by AthleticNET is one of the most severe.

The excitement around coming back and competing in a big high school meet again, at the new Hayward Field, has been building for weeks. 

"Oh my gosh, I dream about it every single day," Tualatin High junior Aaron Lakeman said. "It's crazy that it's an hour and a half from my house and yet people fly in from other countries just to race there. I'm thankful and I've been dreaming about it, and I'm excited."

The two-day program Friday and Saturday is loaded with high schools and also features college competition and some post-collegians. 

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First-year professionals Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare are leading the charge for a world record attempt in the 4xMile relay to cap the meet on Saturday night. 

But for the high school crowd, this weekend is about re-establishing a connection to a place that has been the epicenter of the sport in the state for decades. 

Yes, the Pac-12, Prefontaine Classic, NCAA Outdoor, USATF Outdoor, Nike Outdoor Nationals and World Championships are coming through Hayward Field in the next three months. But for many young athletes around the state, there is nothing bigger than this weekend's Oregon Relays. 

The last high school competition at Oregon Relays featured a breakout performance by Valor Christian CO duo Cole Sprout, a sophomore, in the 3,000 meters (meet record 8:13.85) and Anna Hall, a junior, in the hurdles, high jump and 4x400 relay.

Besides a few who competed at The Outdoor Championships presented by Nike last summer, the new facilitiy will be as new as it was for the college crowd in 2021. 

"It's definitely something my coach and I have had circled on our calendars," said Lincoln High senior Aiden Smith, who has signed with the Oregon. "It'll be the first time I've ever actually raced at Hayward. I'm excited about that."

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What once seemed a birthright to Oregon high school athletes, to compete annually at least once at Hayward Field, has to be re-started. In 2019, the venue was not available due to construction, in 2020 the pandemic wiped out the season, and in 2021 limited numbers to combat the virus prevented high school meets in the new stadium. 

"It means a lot to go back there," Lincoln coach Eric Dettman said. "We've talked to our kids about it quite a bit. They're excited to represent Lincoln High School at Hayward Field. None of them have ever been before."

Roosevelt sprinter Lily Jones, who committed to Oregon on Wednesday, got a small taste of life at Hayward at nationals in 2021 and is eager for her first opportunity in 2022. 

"Hayward magic is definitely a real thing," Jones said. "The feeling is different."

Different, rather than familiar. 

"I'm so excited just to race at Hayward for the first time," Franklin High's Charlie North said. "It's a legit stadium so the environment will be different."

North's Franklin team and Lakeman's Tualatin team are part of a loaded boys Distance Medley Relay on Saturday night that could produce one of the meet's highlights. 

"We're hoping to crush that DMR record for our school," said Aaron Lakeman's older brother, Caleb. "I've never raced at Hayward before, so it's going to be insane. I'm not sure what it's like on the field, but I'm sure it feels amazing."

Different, for sure.