Oregon Men’s Track Signs Seven

Oregon Men’s Track Signs Seven
Courtesy: GoDucks.com
Release: 02/04/2010

EUGENE, Ore. -- Seven high school stars, including the national leader in the javelin, have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Men of Oregon’s track and field team next season, Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna announced Thursday.

The seven are throwers Sam Crouser of Gresham, Ore., and Jacob Budwig of Fowler, Calif., decathlon state record-holder Dakotah Keys of Sweet Home, Ore., distance runners Parker Stinson of Austin, Texas, and Colby Alexander from Strongsville, Ohio, and middle distance standouts Cole Watson of Rogue River, Ore., and Brian Shrader of Flagstaff, Ariz.

“We are thrilled to announce that we have signed seven of the top recruits in the nation, and that three are from the State of Oregon,” said Lananna. “These young men know how special it is to compete at Hayward Field and will be welcomed enthusiastically by our Track Town, USA, community.

“Our entire staff did an excellent job of assessing our needs and attracting these talented student-athletes to the University of Oregon,” said Lananna.

The seven will join an Oregon team in 2011 that will feature All-Americans A.J. Acosta, Matthew Centrowitz, Daniel Mercado, Diego Mercado, Luke Puskedra and Alex Wolff.

COLBY ALEXANDER, DISTANCE, STRONGSVILLE, OHIO/BLOOMDALE ELMWOOD HS
Prep Bests: 800 Meters -1:53.1; 1,600 Meters - 4:14.95.
Alexander was a 2009 Foot Locker nationals qualifier in the fall after finishing seventh at the regional meet in 15:49. He also ran at the 2009 Nike Outdoor meet in the spring.
He begins his senior season at Bloomdale Elmwood High School as the top returning miler for the State of Ohio.

Lananna on Alexander:
“Andy Powell has done a marvelous job recruiting Colby to Oregon. He will be an outstanding addition to our distance program.”

JACOB BUDWIG, THROWS, FOWLER, CALIF./FOWLER HS
Prep Bests: Discus - 185-0; Shot Put - 55-0.
Although Fowler High School has a smaller enrollment than most schools in the state, Budwig ranked fifth in California in the discus at 185-0. He was the 2009 California small schools champion in both the shot put (48-2) and the discus (169-0).
Fowler has a prep best in the shot put of 55-0.

Lananna on Bidwig:
“Lance Deal has done a wonderful job creating a great connection with Jacob. We look forward to continuing a strong throwing corps and Jacob will be a great addition.”

SAM CROUSER, JAVELIN, GRESHAM, ORE./GRESHAM HIGH SCHOOL
Prep Bests: Javelin - 239-0.
Crouser led the nation in the javelin last season with a best throw of 239-0 (72.84m). As a junior, he also won the Oregon 6A state championship with a throw of 231-1 for Gresham High School last May at Historic Hayward Field. That mark broke a 21 year-old state record set by Art Skipper Jr. in 1988.
He also finished second in the shot put (54-7) and third in the discus (166-4) at the 2009 state meet.
Crouser’s best throw of 239-0 came after the high school season at the 2009 Portland ThRose Festival, a mark just over two feet shy of the national high school record.
As a sophomore in 2008, Crouser won his first state javelin title with a mark of 199-6, and was also fourth in the discus (150-4).
Crouser’s father, Dean Crouser, was a three-time NCAA champion for Oregon, winning the shot put and discus in 1982 and the discus in 1983. He was also a five-time All-American, four-time Pac-10 champion (twice each in the shot put and discus) and twice named the Pac-10 track and field athlete of the year (1982-83). Dean Crouser is still the Ducks’ school record holder both in the shot put and discus. His shot put record, 69-1.5., came in 1982, while his discus mark, 216-2, followed a year later.
Sam Crouser’s uncle, Brian Crouser, is a two-time NCAA javelin champion (1982, 1985) and was a key member of Oregon’s last NCAA outdoor championship team in 1984, where he finished fourth in the javelin at the NCAA meet. Brian Crouser, a 1988 and 1992 Olympian, is also a two-time Pac-10 champion in the javelin (1984-85) and the school record holder at 312-0 using the old implement.

Lananna on Crouser:
“We could not be more happy to welcome Sam and his family to the University of Oregon. Sam already has electrified the crowds at Hayward Field as a prep star and we look forward to his continued development as one of America’s best throwers.”

DAKOTAH KEYS, DECATHLON, SWEET HOME, ORE./SWEET HOME HS
Prep Bests: Decathlon - 7,204 points; Long Jump - 23-8.5; 110 Hurdles - 14.66; Pole Vault - 15-7; Javelin - 197-9.
Keys scored 7,204 points to break the state decathlon record at the 2008 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships. The old mark was 7,029 points set by Jay Goff of Cascade in 1998.
He is also a four-time state 4A champion for Sweet Home High School. As a junior in 2009, Keys won the 110 meter hurdles (14.67), the pole vault (15-6) and the long jump (a personal-best 23-8.5). He was also the state runner-up in the javelin (196-10). As a sophomore in 2008, Keys won the long jump (23-4.5) and was second in the 110 hurdles (15.00), the 300 meter hurdles (39.44) and the javelin (185-7).

Lananna on Keys:
“Dakotah will help us to reload with excellence in the combined events. As an Oregonian he understands the rich tradition of success for the Ducks in the combined events. He is an exciting athlete with tremendous talent in many events.”

BRIAN SHRADER, MIDDLE DISTANCE, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ./SINAGUA HS
Prep Bests: 800 Meters - 1:52.89; 1,600 Meters - 4:12.07; 3,200 Meters - 9:10.47.
Shrader is a two-time Gatorade Runner of the Year for Arizona. He was undefeated in cross country the past two seasons for Sinagua High School.
During the 2009 cross country season Shrader won the Queen Creek Twilight Meet, the 4A II Grand Canyon Regionals and the Arizona State meet.
Following the high school season, Shrader won the Foot Locker West Regionals before taking fifth at the Foot Locker Nationals.
On the track, Shrader was a three-time Arizona champion in 2009. He won at 800 (a personal-best 1:52.89), 1,600 (4:13.01) and 3,200 (a personal-best 9:10.47) meters. A week later at the Arizona meet of champions, Shrader won the 1,600 meters in a personal-best 4:12.07.
As a sophomore in 2008, Shrader was the state 2A 1,600 (4:20.04) and 3,200 meter (9:23.47) meter champion and was eighth in the 800.

Lananna on Shrader:
“Brian and his family have strong connections to the state and we are very excited about his potential to be an immediate impact athlete in our strong distance program. He had great success this fall and we are confident that we’ll see great races from Brian when he wears the Oregon singlet.”

PARKER STINSON, DISTANCE, AUSTIN, TEXAS/CEDAR PARK HS
Prep Bests: 3,200 Meters - 8:54.70.
Stinson won the national title in the 10,000 meters at the 2009 USA Junior Track & Field Championships at Historic Hayward Field, running 31:18.13. He went on to finish third at the 2009 Pan American Junior Championships.
Stinson also had one of the nation’s top 3,200 meter times last year. He ran 8:54.70 in winning the 2009 state 3,200 meter title for Cedar Park High School. That time led the state of Texas and ranked ninth nationally. It is also the top returning prep time for 2010. Stinson took third in the state at 3,200 meters as a sophomore in 2008 (9:19.45).
After placing third in the Texas State cross country championship last November, he ran 15:36.40 in the 5,000 meters at Nike Cross Nationals in December, placing 16th.

Lananna on Stinson:
“Parker has had great success as a prep athlete. His win at the 2009 junior nationals in Eugene was very impressive and the start of what will be many more great performances for him at Hayward Field.”

COLE WATSON, MIDDLE DISTANCE, ROGUE RIVER, ORE./ROGUE RIVER HS
Prep Bests: 800 Meters - 1:52.48; 1,500 Meters - 4:00.36.
Watson put on an impressive performance at the 2009 state 3A championships for Rogue River High School. He was a three-time state champion, taking titles at 400 meters (50.57), 800 meters (1:56.85) and 1,500 meters (4:06.32). Watson was also the state 800 meter champion as a sophomore in 2008 (1:54.71).
Most recently, Watson captured the 2009 state cross country title and his time was the fastest of all six classifications.
Watson was a 2009 USA Track & Field Junior Championships competitor in the 800 meters and was the 2009 recipient of the Nike Oregon Sports Awards Steve Prefontaine Award.
He is also a three-year starter for the Rogue River basketball team.

Lananna on Watson:
“Cole is a terrific athlete with natural talent as an outstanding middle distance runner. He will be a great addition to our already impressive middle distance corps.”

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