Lananna Closing in on Worlds

Published by the Register Guard on December 12, 2013

The nameplate outside the second-floor office says “Oregon Track Club,” but that only tells part of the story.

The office, located in a nondescript building across the parking lot from Trader Joe’s, is barely big enough to accommodate TrackTown USA and its seven-person staff. It has the feel of a makeshift campaign headquarters, which might be appropriate for the work that happens here.

The man in charge is, of course, Vin Lananna, the caretaker of all things track and field in Eugene. “Advocate” might be a better word, because Lananna is always campaigning for something: for bigger meets, for more exposure, for the perpetuation of Hayward Field as the Mecca of the sport.

Another thing about Lananna: He tends to get what he wants. Wednesday, Hayward Field was announced as the home of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships through 2021, a step toward Lananna’s goal of making Eugene a permanent home for the NCAA meet.

Some coaches opposed this idea, saying it gives the Ducks an unfair advantage. Lananna can make a forceful case, though, especially when he’s talking about Eugene and its reverence for track and field.

“Most places the football coach is the person everybody has to pay attention to,” Lananna said. “Here it’s the track guy.

“We’re never going to be Football Town. We’re never going to be Baseball Town. We’re never going to be Basketball Town. We’re going to be good in all those sports and we want to be great in everything, but everyone who’s anyone in this community is somehow connected to track and field.”