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General Releases
Oregon Athletics
STEVE PREFONTAINE
1951-1975
Born: January 25, 1951 in Coos Bay, Ore.
Died: May 30, 1975 in Eugene, Ore.
Height: 5-9
Weight: 152
Family: Parents Ray and Elfriede Prefontaine, one older (Neta) and
younger sister (Linda, who played tennis at the University of Oregon).
Raised in Coos Bay, Ore.
Degree: B.A. in communications
Prep: Coached by Walter McClure, a former Oregon track star, at
Marshfield High School. He went undefeated in cross country and track
as a junior and senior. As a senior, he also broke the previous
American record for two miles (8:48.4, Rick Riley of Spokane, Wash. in
1966) at the Corvallis Invitational with a time of 8:41.5. Bill
Dellinger, then an Oregon assistant track and cross coach, first saw
him run as a junior at the state cross country meet in November 1967
at the urging of McClure, and he signed with Oregon on April 29, 1969.
College: Entering the University of Oregon in the fall of 1969 and
graduating in the summer of 1973, he won seven NCAA titles (three in
cross country (1970, '71, '73), and four in the three-mile in track
(1970 (13:22.0), '71 (13:20.2), '72 (14:01.4-5K) and '73
(12:53.4)--the first collegian to accomplish the feat in track and the
second ever in cross country). In Pac-8 Conference track competition,
he won 3-mile titles in 1970 (13:27.4), '71 (13:18.0), '72 (13:32.2)
and '73 (13:10.4) and also the mile title in 1971 (4:01.5). In his
first outdoor track race, he won the 2-mile (8:40.40.0) at a
triangular against Fresno State and Stanford at Fresno, Calif., on
March 21, 1970. Later in that first track season, he clocked 3:57.4
for the mile at the Oregon Twilight (6/5/70), finishing second and
setting an Oregon freshman record and a then-personal best. Adding
to those victories' drama, Pre's first NCAA 3-mile track title came
with a dozen stitches in his foot after a diving board accident days
before. The final cross country win came after making up a 100-yard
deficit on Western Kentucky's English distance star Nick Rose. At the
close of his collegiate career he had set nine collegiate track
records. Pre's first-year notoriety earned him Sports Illustrated
cover honors (6/15/70), showing him running on a ridge near
Bowerman's house. Altogether, he never lost a race more than a mile
in length as a Duck.
Overall Records: He owned every (8) American record between 2,000 and
10,000 meters and between two miles and six miles. He also held eight
collegiate records while at Oregon, with his three-mile (12:53.4) and
six-mile (27:09.4) still standing. During his career, he broke his
own or other American records 14 different times, broke the
four-minute barrier nine times, ran 25 two-mile races under 8:40 and
10 5K races faster than 13:30.
Olympics: He competed at one Olympiad, the 1972 Summer Games in
Munich, when he was 21 years old -- two years younger than anyone else
in the 5,000-meter field. Taking the lead with a mile to go, and
holding it until less than 600 meters remaining, he ultimately
finished fourth (13:28.25) behind Lasse Viren of Finland (first,
13:26.42), Mohamed Gammoudi of Tunisia (second, 13:27.33) and Ian
Stewart of Great Britain (third, 13:27.61). Stewart passed
Prefontaine less than 10 meters from the finish line for the final
medal.
The Hayward Connection: Pre raced at Hayward Field in 38 races
between 1970-75, losing only three times, all at one mile. His first
loss came as a freshman at the Twilight Meet on 6/5/70, running an
Oregon freshman record and then-PR of 3:57.4. As a sophomore, he
finished second to teammate Arne Kvalheim at the Twilight Meet
(6/6/71) in a time of 3:57.4. He lost his other race in front of
"Pre's People" in one of the greatest mile races ever. In a rare
appearance as a rabbit, Prefontaine paced '72 Olympic 800 gold
medalist Dave Wottle through an attempt at the American record on June
20, 1973. Pre led until 200 meters remaining and finished second in a
PR of 3:54.6. Wottle kicked to the win in what was then the
third-fastest American mile and a PR of 3:53.3.
The Activist: Not afraid to speak out against injustice, Prefontaine
was an activist and reformer in various areas. In the community, he
often volunteered at Roosevelt Junior High School and at the Oregon
State Prison (even starting a running club while corresponding with
many of the inmates). One of Pre's most famous stances was against
the AAU, the American track and field governing body, and its
treatment of amateur athletes.
Pre Today: Besides the books, movies and magazine mentions, tangible
evidence of Pre's impact can be found in the Steve Prefontaine
Memorial Jogging Trail, nine and a half miles of wood chip path that
winds through Alton Baker Park in Eugene. The Prefontaine Classic
track meet, held annually at Hayward Field at the end of May, features
the best mix of American and international talent on American soil.
Statues commemorating him stand at the Nike corporate headquarters in
Beaverton (he was the first athlete to sign with the company for
$5,000 in 1974), the site of his fatal car accident in Eugene (near
Henricks Park near the intersection of Skyline and Birch Drives), and
in his hometown of Coos Bay. A documentary narrated by Ken Kesey and
entitled "Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story" came out in
1995. A Hollywood Prictures movie, 'Prefontaine' was released in the
fall of 1996, while a second movie produced by Warner Brothers,
'Without Limits' is scheduled for release in April 1998.
PREFONTAINE'S OVERALL PERSONAL BESTS
1,500 meters 3:38.1 6/28/73, Helsinki
Mile 3:54.6 6/20/73, Eugene
2,000 meters 5:01.4 5/9/75, Coos Bay
3,000 meters 7:42.6 7/2/74, Milan
5,000 meters 13:21.87 6/26/74, Helsinki
10,000 meters 27:43.6 4/27/74, Eugene
OREGON'S TOP 10 LISTS
1,500 meters
1. Joaquim Cruz 3:36.48 1984
2. Matt Centrowitz 3:36.7 1976
3. Dub Myers 3:37.89 1984
4. Steve Prefontaine 3:38.1 1973
Mile
1. Joaquim Cruz 3:53.00 1974
2. Steve Prefontaine 3:54.6 1973
3-Mile
1. Steve Prefontaine 12:53.4 1973
5000 meters
1. Bill McChesney 13:14.80 1982
2. Rudy Chapa 13:19.22 1979
3. Alberto Salazar 13:22.31 1979
4. Steve Prefontaine 13:22.4 1973
6-Mile
1. Steve Prefontaine 27:09.4 1973
Steve Prefontaine's Record Performances
1969
2-mile American H.S. Record 8:41.5
1971
5,000 meters American Record 13:30.4
1972
5,000 meters American Record 13:22.8
(Olympic Trials at Hayward Field)
2-mile 8:19.4
1973
5,000 meters American Record 13:22.4
2-mile indoor American Record 8:24.6
6-mile American Record 27:09.4
1974
Feb. 17, San Diego
2-mile Indoor American Record 8:20.4
3,000 meter indoor record 7:50.0
April 27, Eugene
10,000 meters American Record 27:43.8
(Hayward Field)
6-mile American Record 26:51.8
June 8, Eugene
3-mile American Record 12:51.4
June 26, Stockholm, Sweden
5,000 meters American Record 13:21.9
July 2, Milan, Italy
3,000 meters American Record 7:42.6
July 18, Stockholm, Sweden
2-mile American Record 8:18.4
1975
May 9, 1975 Coos Bay, Oregon
2,000 meters American Record 5:01.4
ALL-TIME U.S. JUNIOR LISTS
Mile
1. Jim Ryun 3:51.3 7/17/66 Berkeley
2. Dub Myers 3:57.06 5/14/83, Eugene
3. Steve Prefontaine 3:57.4 6/5/70, Eugene
5,000 meters
1. Steve Prefontaine 13:39.6 7/16/70, Stuttgart
3-Mile
1. Gerry Lindgren 13:04.2 7/10/65, London
2. Steve Prefontaine 13:12.8 4/25/70, Eugene
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