With the goal of crowning a true national track and field champion, Nike Track Nationals consists of a four-month virtual competition that will select the top 12 boys and top 12 girls programs to compete at legendary Hayward Field for the Nike Track National Title the night before the Prefontaine Classic.

“We are excited to bring Nike Track Nationals to young high school aged runners as a way to recognize the unique and diverse athletic abilities it takes to make up a winning team” said Amy White, Nike’s Vice President of North America Running. “Track & field has traditionally been looked at from an individual sport perspective but for the first time ever, high school aged teams across the country will be recognized as a whole and a national champion will be crowned.”

From March 1 – June 13 all track & field clubs are invited to compete in the virtual competition at www.NikeTrackNationals.com. Coaches will update marks weekly to see how their squad ranks against state, regional, and national competition. Upon completion of the virtual competition, the top club in each of eight regions will automatically qualify for Nike Track Nationals competition in Eugene, Oregon on July 2, and the next four highest scoring clubs from any region will round out the twelve team field.

Clubs will compete in ten track and field events including: 100m, 110/100m Hurdles, 400m, 800m, Mile, Long Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Shot Put, Discus Throw. Each team is allowed to enter their top mark for each event, with a two-event maximum per individual athlete. Those marks will then be scored in decathlon fashion with performance marks awarded a point score. Although competition consists of ten events, the lowest scoring event will be dropped, making the total score the sum of their best nine events. The highest score takes homes the crown.

Key dates:
March 1: Online competition begins at www.NikeTrackNationals.com
May 3: Must be registered
June 13: Last day marks will be accepted
June 15: National qualifiers announced / final standings released
July 2: National Championships in Eugene, Oregon

For more information and coach/team registration, visit: www.NikeTrackNationals.com.

Click below to view the entire Oregon Sports Authority eUpdate.

The Pacific Northwest will be the backdrop for the premier lumberjack sporting event in the world. The Series features the world’s best lumberjacks and jills in the ultimate tests of strength, endurance, stamina, tool skill and agility. Thirty-two chopper/sawyers, six collegiate competitors, eight boom runners and eight speed climbers will converge on Oregon’s capital to chop, saw, climb, and run their way in to the record books, and celebrate the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series tradition during its silver anniversary festivities.

ESPN cameras have followed the competition for 25 years, earning the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series the distinction of being the one of the longest running programs on the network.

“We are excited about bringing the Series to the Northwest and to have the Oregon State Fair host The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series’ 25th Anniversary competition,” says Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc., “We look forward to bringing to Oregon the excitement and traditions of one of the most exciting sports championships on the air today.”

“This is an event that perfectly captures the essence of Oregon – we couldn’t be more delighted to have our state host the 25th anniversary of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series while showcasing the Willamette Valley’s scenic beauty on national TV,” said Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority.

The 2010 Oregon State Fair claims the motto “Too BIG to Miss!” offering attendees more than 9,000 things to do, see and taste throughout 11-days of shows, hot air balloon rides, carnival rides, six headlining concerts, arts and crafts, NPRA rodeo finals, Days of the Dinosaurs exhibit, various events and competitions. The Oregon State Fair opens its gates on Friday, Aug. 27 and culminates on Monday, Sept. 6.

“We can think of no better place to celebrate and highlight the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series and the timber industry, than in Oregon,” said Connie Bradley, Oregon State Fair Manager.

Since its inception in 1985, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series has challenged the world’s best competitors in lumberjack sports. Over the years the Series has gained popularity and expanded to 19 countries including athletes from USA, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, France, Benelux and Germany, all looking to earn a place in the World Championships. New Zealander Jason Wynyard holds the title of 2009 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Champion. Arden Coger, Jr. from West Virginia holds the 2009 U.S. STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Champion title.

The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Professional Series quarterfinals, semifinals and U.S. Championship will span the three-day event challenging lumberjacks in six chopping and sawing disciplines: hot saw, single buck, springboard chop, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop with the top overall competitor being crowned the 2010 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series champion and the top U.S. competitor named the 2010 U.S. champion. Both title holders will advance to the 2010 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series World Championships presented by Carhartt in Austria Friday, Sept. 3-Sunday, Sept. 5.

The 2010 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series will also culminate during the Oregon State Fair. This national competition pits six regional collegiate champions against each other in four professional disciplines: single buck, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop with the top contender earning the title of 2010 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series champion and an automatic ticket to the 2011 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series where they will compete among the professional ranks.

The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series boom run and speed climb specialty disciplines will also take place throughout the three-day event. Eight boom runners and speed climbers will compete in a bracket elimination format to determine the U.S. champion in each discipline.

For more details, visit www.sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/timbersports/index and www.oregonstatefair.org.

The series’ quarterfinals, semifinals, U.S. professional championship and collegiate championship will run during the fair’s opening weekend: Friday, Aug. 27, through Sunday, Aug. 29.

Athletes from other countries will also compete in the professional competitions, which include lumberjacks wielding souped-up chainsaws, hand saws and axes, and climbing 60-foot poles. Another event features women darting across bobbing logs in a 70-foot-long pool.

STIHL, an outdoor powertool maker, bills the competition as the “premier lumberjack sporting event in the world.” It’s the 25th season of the TIMBERSPORTS series, which has expanded to 19 countries and is televised on ESPN2.

The event has never been held in Oregon, said Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority, which helped bring the championships to the state fair. “We’re hoping it finds a home here because it just makes so much sense for it to be in Oregon.”

— OregonLive.com, February 28, 2010

The two-year agreement between USA Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, and Visit Bend is expected to bring more than 800 competitors and 2,500 visitors to the Pacific Northwestern city for seven days of racing leading up to the Labor Day Weekend. Bend expects to continue to enjoy a significant economic impact in conjunction with the cycling championships. According to a study by Oregon State University, the two USA Cycling National Championship events hosted by the city in 2009 brought Bend $2.5 million dollars in direct tourist spending.

“The National Championships we hosted here in 2009 left no doubt in USA Cycling’s mind that Bend’s enthusiasm for and appreciation of competitive cycling makes it unlike any other destination in the country,” said Doug LaPlaca, president and CEO of Visit Bend. “It is our goal to turn that enthusiasm into a long-term partnership that provides USA Cycling with consistently world-class championships, while providing Bend with a substantial amount of visitation tourism spending during traditionally slow times of the year.”

In 2009, Bend hosted the USA Cycling Elite, Junior and U23 Road National Championships, as well as the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. Both events will return to Bend in 2010.

“In hosting the 2009 USA Cycling National Championships Bend showcased an entire community who passionately embraces the sport of cycling and its various disciplines as a lifestyle,” said Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling. “That type of support is critical to growing the sport across the country and is a large reason why Bend was awarded the Masters Road National Championships for 2011 and 2012.”

The Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon made its debut in 2007 and will be held for the fourth time on August 22, 2010 in downtown Portland. Organizers made a commitment to social and environmental responsibility from the outset, pledging to minimize the event’s footprint while upholding a high standard of excellence for each participant. In three years the event has been named an Editor’s Pick for “Best New Races” by Inside Triathlon magazine, one of “21 Must-Do Triathlons” by Bicycling magazine, and one of the “10 Greenest Races” (and the only triathlon listed) by Runners World magazine. The event has been recognized as a model of sustainable event production by the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development and lauded by USA Triathlon, the national governing body for the sport.

The Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon earned distinction from Triathlete by introducing innovative green practices and products. The event was the first in the country to directly integrate carbon offsets into the online registration process, reducing the impact of participant travel on global climate change. In 2009, through a special project with Nike, the triathlon became the first event to provide swim caps made from recycled silicone. This year, the event will offer the first recyclable bib numbers. And in 2007, the triathlon hosted the first all-naturopathic medical tent in addition to traditional emergency medical services.

The Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon has spurred the development of both an environmental non-profit and a city-wide festival. The Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) was founded following the first edition of the triathlon in 2007 to administer a sustainability certification for sporting events. Modeled off the LEED standards for green building, CRS enables event directors to incorporate environmental responsibility into their events while informing consumers which events adhere to rigorous standards.

RiverFest, a city-wide festival celebrating the Willamette River, was founded by organizers of the Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon in 2008 to bring increased attention and resources to rehabilitation of the waterway flowing through the middle of Portland. The festival’s motto of “Respect – Reconnect – Renew” epitomizes efforts to restore the Willamette to a place of prominence in city life.

“It will be an honor to share the stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square with distinguished Olympians and Paralympians from Oregon,” said Governor Kulongoski. “Gathering together in Portland’s ‘living room’ to watch the Opening Ceremonies is quintessentially Oregonian.”

Following Governor Kulongoski’s speech, Oregon Olympians and Paralympians, including decathlete Dave Johnson and snowboarder Lisa Kosglow, who was recently named president of the Oregon Chapter of U.S. Olympians, will share memories of their unique Olympic experiences with the crowd. Portland Trailblazers founding broadcaster/ambassador Bill Schonely will also be on hand.

“Winter Celebration at the Square” is being organized by the Oregon Sports Authority, through fundraising and generous sponsorships.

The live event program with Governor Kulongoski and Oregon Olympians and Paralympians will begin at 7:30 p.m. Local Olympic programming on KGW NewsChannel 8 will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the LCD screens at Pioneer Square. NBC’s broadcast of the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremony will begin at approximately 9:00 p.m.

In addition to the broadcast, the Oregon Sports Authority is providing complimentary warm drinks, live music performed by Portland reggae band Rhythm Culture and great prize giveaways throughout the evening.

The event features a bucolic 13.1 mile course starting at Stoller Vineyards and Winery in Dundee. Runners then wind through the heart of the Willamette Valley, finishing in the town of Carlton where the Wine & Music Festival is held from 9:00am to Noon. Local wineries will be pouring at the festival which also features the race awards ceremony, live band, exhibitor booths, and beer and food garden. The festival is co-sponsored by Ken Wright Cellars and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association.

The Race Expo is held on Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm at The Allison Inn, a luxury resort located in Newberg. Open to the public, the expo features exhibitor booths, packet pickup for runners, informational seminars and a wine and food tasting hosted by Chehalem Mountain Winegrowers.

According to Matt Dockstader, founder of Destination Races, the event is positioned to introduce the Oregon wine country to a whole new market. “This area is very picturesque, the wines are outstanding and best of all, the people here are so warm and welcoming.” Dockstader added, “I really believe this is going to be one of the premier destination races in the country and if the other Wine Country Half Marathons are any indication of what’s to come, Oregon wine country can see a measurable boost in tourism that weekend due to the event.”

The Oregon Sports Authority played a leading role in bringing the event to Oregon and facilitated introduction to event partners, making it possible for a 2010 event to come to fruition. “We’re delighted to help bring the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon to the Yamhill Valley,” said Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority. “It’s a chance to share two of Oregon’s greatest passions — wine and running — with visitors coming to participate from across the country.”

Destination Races also produces the Napa-to-Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathons in California. These boutique-style events draw runners from all over the country and are limited to 3,000 runners or less, usually selling out well in advance of the race. The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon also offers a team competition and a 2-person relay.

Elite runners will compete for $2,000 in prize money sponsored by West Coast Bank, plus Ball Watches and magnums of wine. Each participant receives a technical running shirt, colorful finisher’s medal, and logo wine glass. Top three finishers in each age category win a bottle of wine and other awards. The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is limited to 2,000 participants in its inaugural year. Registration is currently open and can be accessed on the event website at www.run4oregonwine.com. For more information on the event series, visit www.destinationraces.com.

It’s the closest the Olympics have been to Portland, but if you don’t have a ticket to any events, a couple hundred hours of television coverage will be provided by NBC and other networks (see day-by-day list on page 4). NBC’s 17-day coverage, aired locally on KGW (8), begins with opening ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

— Excerpt from the Portland Tribune, February 4, 2010

“This is bigger than the Pacific Northwest being the hub of soccer in North America,” Paulson said. “This is about soccer finally taking hold in the country. You know, for years people have asked, ‘When will the world’s biggest sport finally matter in America? When will all those kids who play soccer actually watch soccer?’ And I tell you that that time is now.

— Excerpt from OregonLive.com, February 4, 2010