The newly formed sports commission is hoping to score more events for the region in the near future, while enhancing and supporting existing ones.

“We applaud the formation of this new commission and look forward to working with these leaders to help further position this region as a premier sports destination and major player in Oregon’s sports scene,” said Drew Mahalic, Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Sports Authority. “This is a testament about the valuable economic impact and visibility that sports tourism can bring to a region.”

The group will collectively work to pursue and secure events representing a variety of sports in all skill levels. Among its mission will be to oversee the coordination of local resources in bidding events, assisting with logistics, sponsorship development and providing guidance for facility upgrades or future construction projects.

“The wealth of experts and resources within our local sports community provides the perfect foundation on which to build our new commission,” said Janis Ross, Travel Lane County VP of Convention & Sports Marketing, who will lead the new commission as the executive director. “Sports have always been a strong focus for us. We anticipate this new group will help provide even more opportunities to reach out to the sports market, while providing the best resources to help new and existing events succeed.”

The sporting events Travel Lane County has worked to secure, or will provide services to, between January 2012 and July 2014 total more than $46 million in economic impact alone. Of the overall group business Travel Lane County works with, sporting events currently account for half of the events that come to the Eugene, Cascades and coast region.

So far the commission has created a sports advisory council, website, logo and marketing materials. Other projects will include enhancing Travel Lane County’s master sports calendar and list of sports venues, assembling a master file of local volunteers and officials, and creating a lendable sports equipment database to provide event planners with access to everything from cell phones and fencing to tents and safety vests. The group also plans to host an annual sports summit in March.

To learn more about upcoming commission events, activities, sponsorship opportunities and more, contact Janis Ross at 541.743.8753 or Janis@EugeneCascadesCoast.org. More information is also available on the new Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports website.

– News Release, Travel Lane County, January 30, 2012

If backers of a plan to bring the West Coast’s first-ever Ironman to Central Oregon are successful, 2,500 competitors will wade into Wickiup Reservoir to start the race in September 2013. Runners will cross the finish line in Sunriver, going past 7,500 spectators, all supported by 100 medical personnel, up to 200 police officers and 2,500 volunteers.

The race would fill thousands of hotel rooms and rental houses, supporters say, and could inject up to $10 million annually into the Central Oregon economy.

There’s one more key number: 16, the number of days boosters have to sort out the details and submit their proposal to the World Triathlon Corp., the organization which will decide whether the Ironman comes to Bend.

— Excerpt from the Bend Bulletin, January 15, 2012

Travel Lane County, the local tourism bureau, plans to build on that reputation by launching a sports commission that will work to bring a range of local, regional and national sporting events to the area — events that would boost the local economy.

Travel Lane County will announce more specifics about Eugene Cascade & Coast Sports at a press conference on Jan. 30 at the Matthew Knight Arena.

“It’s exciting to hear the commission is being formed,” said Mike Moskovitz, spokesman for Willamalane Park and Recreation District.

— Excerpt from the Eugene Register-Guard, January 14, 2012

— Click below to view the entire Oregon Sports Authority eUpdate

The four-day tournament begins on Friday and continues through Monday at the Oregon Convention Center. All events are free and open to the public.

The tournament is a selection event for both squads that will compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games as well as the teams that will compete at the Junior and Cadet World Championships in Moscow in April.

Competition this weekend includes 23 of the 24 athletes who competed on the 2011 Senior World Championship Team as they vie for both gold medals and valuable national ranking points.

Among the fencers competing this weekend are the following Olympic and Senior World medalists:

• Tim Morehouse (New York City, N.Y. / Saber), 2008 Olympic team silver medalist
• James Williams (New York City, N.Y. / Saber), 2008 Olympic team silver medalist
• Emily Cross (New York City, N.Y. / Foil), 2008 Olympic team silver medalist
• Seth Kelsey (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Epee), 2010 Senior World team silver medalist
• Cody Mattern (Tigard, Ore. / Epee), 2010 Senior World team silver medalist
• Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y. / Epee), 2010 Senior World team silver medalist
• Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky. / Foil), 2011 Senior World individual bronze medalist
• Dagmara Wozniak (Avenel, N.J. / Saber), 2011 Senior World team bronze medalist
• Ibtihaj Muhammad (Maplewood, N.J. / Saber), 2011 Senior World team bronze medalist
• Daria Schneider (New York City, N.Y. / Saber), 2011 Senior World team bronze medalist

As the Portland area is home to several of the top clubs in the area, many of the fencers to watch this weekend are hometown athletes, including 2004 Olympian Cody Mattern (Tigard, Ore.) Mattern, who is currently ranked #3 in men’s epee in the United States and trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, won a silver medal as a member of Team USA at the 2010 Senior World Championships and is aiming to qualify for his second U.S. Olympic Team.

Saber fencer Avery Zuck (Portland, Ore.) competed on the 2009 Junior World Team and will be fencing in the Division I men’s saber event this weekend. Zuck is ranked #8 in the United States and is climbing the ranks as the top four fencers following the Division I National Championships in April will earn slots on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

Two local women’s saber fencers are hoping for finals finishes as well. Fifteen-year-old Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.) is ranked #4 as a junior and earned a silver medal at the July North American Cup in the U20 event. Lian Osier (Battle Ground, Wash.) competed on three straight Junior World Teams and won the NCAA Team Championships alongside Zuck while fencing for Notre Dame last year. Now competing in the Division I event, Osier earned her first Division I NAC title in 2010 and is aiming for another trip to the podium.

Eighteen-year-old epee fencer Isabella Barna (Bend, Ore.) will compete in both the Division I event as well as the U20 competition. Fresh off a bronze medal win at the Dijon Junior World Cup in France on Sunday, Barna is ranked fourth in U20 women’s epee.
Competition schedule is as follows. Start times are approximate and each event will run through the completion of the gold medal finals.

Friday, January 13
8:30 a.m.
Division I Women’s Foil
Junior Men’s Epee

2 p.m.
Junior Women’s Saber

Saturday, January 14
8:30 a.m.
Junior Men’s Foil
Division I Women’s Epee

1:30 p.m.
Division I Men’s Saber

Sunday, January 15
8:30 a.m.
Division I Men’s Epee
Division I Women’s Saber

1:30 p.m.
Junior Women’s Foil

Monday, January 16
8:30 a.m.
Division I Men’s Foil
Junior Women’s Epee

11 a.m.
Junior Men’s Saber

The coalition will respond to a Request For Proposals (RFP) issued by Tampa, Florida-based World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The group must submit its proposal by January 31, 2012.

WTC currently owns, operates or produces over 90 Ironman® and Ironman 70.3® events worldwide, annually, on six continents and 30 countries. While WTC offers several Ironman 70.3® events on the West Coast, they will add a full-distance Ironman® staged in Washington, Oregon or California, where there are currently none. A full-distance Ironman® event includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. WTC intends to award the event for a 5-year term.

“We are thrilled about the potential to bring an Ironman® event to Central Oregon,” said COVA President & CEO, Alana Hughson. “These athletes, sponsors and their traveling parties will fill our hotels, restaurants and other attractions,” said Hughson.

Based on economic impact analysis provided by WTC, an Ironman® event could bring as many as 10,000 people to Central Oregon over the course of several days, including 2500-3000 athletes, families and sponsors. In some communities, direct spending reaches as high as $10 million, and hotel bookings typically run from 8000-12,000 room nights over a 4-5 day period.

“We think there is no better place than Central Oregon to host an Ironman® event,” said Lay It Out Events President Aaron Switzer. “We have wonderful resorts and hotels throughout the region, a great downtown core in Bend, a vibrant athletic and cultural community and some of the most scenic and challenging routing options in the world in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook Counties. I’m sure we will face plenty of excellent competition, but we are optimistic that all of the stakeholders in our community will rally around the opportunity to host an event of this magnitude.”

Oregon Sports Authority Executive Director Drew Mahalic added, “This would be a real coup if we can help our coalition secure an Ironman® race for Central Oregon. It directly aligns with our statewide promotion of a wide-range of athletic events and healthy lifestyles. Moreover, the demographics of the approximately 10,000 athletes and guests that can be expected are very attractive, with an average household income of $174,000.”

The coalition is in the process of structuring its proposal and analyzing various bid options. “We want to put our best foot forward,” said G2 Strategic CEO Marshall Glickman. “This is why it is so important that we are able to partner with our regional tourism agency, as well as the Oregon Sports Authority, who has years of experience and expertise in bidding for sporting events of this scale. The Oregon Sports Authority board represents a who’s who of Oregon companies that understand the role that world-class sporting events can have on our economy and image, and their support will be critical to the viability of our proposal.”

The coalition has retained Portland, Oregon-based Weinstein PR, in association with Brian Berger Public Relations, to assist in strategy to secure the event for Central Oregon. The host city for the West Coast Ironman® race is expected to be announced in May 2012.

— News Release, December 7, 2011

Middle school students of all abilities will now be able to access their school gym two days per week to participate in supervised basketball and badminton for two hours per day. The grant will allow each site to have an experienced staff member coordinate and supervise up to 120 students per session, per site, for an estimated total of 330 students district-wide. Site coordinators will develop incentive programs and organize a year-end competition between the schools.

“Aside from the popularity of basketball among our students, we believe offering badminton will help attract students who traditionally would not participate in an after-school sports program,” said Dan McCue, communications director at the school district.

This year the David Douglas School District was forced to reduce its budget, resulting in the elimination of stipends paid to teachers and staff for leading extra-curricular and after-school activities. All middle school sports were eliminated with the exception of track. The District is no longer able waive fees for families who are unable to afford participation fees.

“We applaud the David Douglas School District for coming up with an innovative program to help keep its middle school students active,” said Oregon Sports Authority Foundation President Rorie Leone. “This new after-school program dovetails nicely with our goals, and we look forward to seeing this program grow in the years ahead.”

Founded in 1993, the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides grants and conducts programs to support youth sports activities with an emphasis on both underserved youth and increased physical activity.

Healthy Youth Oregon®
The Healthy Youth Oregon initiative is the grant giving program of the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation and typically awards $10,000 grants toward projects that will engage student participation to support at least one of the following goals: increased PE in school; after school sports opportunities; and increased opportunities for youth to safely walk/bike to school. The grant can be used to help launch an idea or develop an existing project or program. Eligible applicants for a Healthy Youth Oregon grant can include student bodies, school districts, schools, PTA’s, park bureaus, cities, and other organizations.

Oregon Sports Authority Foundation Education Committee
Owen Blank, Tonkon Torp
Rorie Leone, Washington Trust Bank
Randy Miller, Produce Row Property Management
Will Rasmussen, Miller Nash
Larry Remmers, Wells Fargo Bank

— News Release, December 5, 2011

Bend bid for the event against a number of metropolitan areas, including Chicago, San Francisco, and Long Island. But Bend’s bid was unique, according to Kevney Dugan, director of sales and sports development for Visit Bend.

“We did not use a traditional model with spectators mostly at the start and finish and the runners out of sight for most of the race,” Dugan explained. “We offered the opportunity to change things up using a similar model to what we’ve done with Cyclocross racing, making the event a form of entertainment complete with music and beer gardens. It’s a great testament to USA Track & Field that they were open to making such a significant cultural shift.”

Michael Scott, the cross country chair for USA Track and Field said he and his cohorts are eager to bring the race to Bend. “The site selection subcommittee was impressed with the energy and vision that Bend’s bid offers,” he said. “Bend is a beautiful location with a lot to offer the sport, and we’re excited about the way the city embraces major competitions like this.”

This marks the fifth USATF event Bend will be hosting in a three-year period. The 2013 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships are expected to bring 1,200 runners to Bend in December 2013. The USATF event will take place on a Saturday, with Sunday reserved for a special race opening the course to individual runners of all skill levels, genders, and divisions.

“Hosting this event is in line with Visit Bend’s mission to bring visitors to the area during slower, shoulder seasons,” explained CEO Doug La Placa. “Not only does it boost our economy during the race itself, but introduces our amazing city to a new group of people who may eventually choose to spend their vacations here.”

— News release from Visit Bend, October 25, 2011