USA INDOORS: Day Two

Portland, Oregon: I am very happy it is indoor track season, as it has been pouring buckets of rain and the wind has been whipping since my plane touched-down in Portland. I am also grateful to get into a car in our garage and get out of the car in the basement parking structure under the Portland Convention Center, thus completely avoiding the soggy bluster.

Pole Vaulters

A few highlights from day two: High-schooler Vasthi Cunningham (Randal Cunningham's daughter) winning the high jump (6 feet, 6.25 inches) and Sandi Morris clearing 16 feet for the first time in her career and winning the pole vault. Wow, did she jump for joy!

Dave and I waited (as patiently as one can) for the final distance event of the evening - the men's 1500m - when Matthew Centrowitz would be racing. It was a gutsy race, with Mr. Centrowitz running smart and winning in 3:44. Watch the race here. (From this link, venture over to the left side of the screen to find videos of all the events. You could be in there all day.)

Not only was a great final day of the USA Indoor Track & Field Championship and it was a great day to be a Duck. The Duck track teams were in Birmingham, Alabama competing in the NCAA Indoor Championships. Dave and I spent some time in the hospitality area where one of his co-workers had the meet playing over her laptop.

The Duck men had clinched their victory earlier in the day, but the women's title came down to the final 4x400 relay. I guess the only caption for this photo would be DT watching a track meet while attending a track meet? Talk about excitement. Everyone in the booth gathered around the little screen and cheered for the Ducks. After all the points were tallied, more cheering, as the Duck women were also national champions!

It never gets old.

And then it was over and everyone went home... only to return next weekend when the 2016 World Championships will be held at this same facility. America will send a strong team to the world championship. GO USA!

We did not go straight home. We stopped at a sports bar with Steve to watch the Ducks win the Pac-12 men's basketball tournament. (Yes, we have a television at home, but we have yet to purchase food. Or wine.) What a great day of The One True Sport ~~and basketball~~.

One positive note on being in Oregon in March? We are enjoying the bright daffodils and glorious flowering trees all over town. We have a beautiful camellia bush in our garden, which must blossom each spring, but we are never here to witness the glory.

But... it is 80 degrees in Indio.

Until my next update, I remain, your happy correspondent.