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By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA

June 5, 2014   

NEW ORLEANS – Collegiate track & field’s big finale is just days away: To kick off the festivities surrounding the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships beginning Wednesday in Eugene, Ore., the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has joined with TrackTown USA to bring fans TrackTown LIVE, a pair of live 90-minute broadcasts on Monday and Tuesday that will preview the action-packed, four-day festival.

Airing live Monday from 3:30-5 p.m. PT, and Tuesday from 1-2:30 p.m. PT on TrackTownLIVE.com, the broadcasts from Powell Plaza just outside the Historic Hayward Field gates will feature guest appearances by the some of the Championships’ most prominent student-athletes and coaches, as well as NCAA championship alumni, media members and more.

TrackTown LIVE will also be simulcast on USTFCCCA.org, Flotrack, and RunnerSpace.

Veteran track & field broadcasters Paul Swangard and Jordan Kent will co-host TrackTown LIVE and share the stage with Lawi Lalang of Arizona, Baylor’s Trayvon Bromell, BYU’s Jason Witt, Florida’s Arman Hall, Georgia’s Kendell Williams, Kentucky’s Kendra Harrison, Oregon’s Megan Patrignelli, Southern California’s Aleec Harris, Texas’ Ryan Crouser, and Texas A&M’s Olivia Ekpone.

Coaches from those programs will also appear alongside their pupils to share intriguing insights into the dynamics of the championship setting. Special guests include former NCAA champions Andrew Wheating and Sally Kipyego, formerly of Oregon and Texas Tech, respectively.

Media members including the Flotrack crew, RunnerSpace, ESPN’s Larry Rawson, The Oregonian’s Ken Goe, and the Eugene Register-Guard’s Chris Hansen are scheduled to give their opinions, up-to-the-minute observations, and expectations as the countdown to the first event nears.

Swangard has been the lead public address announcer at historic Hayward Field for more than two decades, providing in-stadium commentary for University of Oregon home meets as well as previous NCAA national championships, the Prefontaine Classic, USATF national championships and the last two U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. In addition to his in-stadium announcing duties, Swangard also provides commentary for track and field broadcasts on NBC Sports Network and USATF.tv. Away from the track, Swangard is the Managing Director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon considered one of the world’s top programs for aspiring sports business professionals.

Kent was a standout three-sport letterman at the University of Oregon, competing in football, basketball and track & field. A 2007 NFL draftee by the Seattle Seahawks, Kent was also a four-time USTFCCCA All-American on the track as a member of the school-record and NCAA-scoring 4×100 and 4×400 relays for the Ducks. His broadcasting career includes three years as studio host at Comcast Sportsnet NW for a variety of shows, and he has served as an in-studio analyst for NCAA and NBA basketball, NCAA football and USA track and field.

ABOUT THE USTFCCCA

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members encompassing 94% of all NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.

ABOUT TRACKTOWN USA

TrackTown USA, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to setting a standard of excellence in the sports of track and field and running by hosting premier events, creating a supportive environment for elite athletic performances, improving facilities and inspiring the next generation of track and field athletes and fans. The company is responsible for organizing the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, the 2015 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Track & Field.

Curtis Anderson | TrackTown USA

Director of Communications

w 541-343-6129

c  541-600-0145

[email protected]