A yearly tradition in Oregon, an event that attracts thousands of athletes and schools across the nation. Held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Tracktown, USA. The competition is stiff, the pressure is high, and the invitational is fantastic. Welcome to the Oregon Relays.

Carter Cutting, senior, is no stranger to Hayward Field. Still, he said that he felt “really excited” going into his race. “It’s a really big meet where we get to compete against some of the best athletes on the West Coast from all divisions.” Before the race, he said his “legs felt good” and he “felt really good about the race.” When the gun went off, he got out in front and “took everyone through in 53 seconds.” 

Cutting was running the 800 meter, a very difficult event. There’s not much room to pace yourself, you have to run a very fast 400, then run another quick lap. He said his “legs kind of locked up with 100 meters left to go and got caught at the line.” He finished second with a ridiculous time of 1 minute and 50.07 seconds. “I wanted to break 1:50, so to miss it by seven hundredths of a second was kind of a bummer,” He said, reflecting on the race. “I realize it’s all part of the process, and I have plenty of opportunities left this season.”

Only a fraction of the Wilsonville track team competed in the Relays, Cutting said that we brought “our 25-30 best athletes.” The team attitude going into the Oregon Relays was definitely more serious according to Cutting. “Everyone was more focused since this was one of the biggest meets of the year. The competition was really good and it was at Hayward, which is like one of the best facilities in the nation.” 

Gregory Keswick, senior, ran in the 400 meter and 4×100 meter relay at the meet. “It’s an awesome experience, you can’t find a better facility than Hayward,” Keswick said. “Going into my race (the 400m) I was definitely a little nervous, but I like being seeded last. I really do like running there, it’s a fast track and it’s a great experience.” He said being seeded last makes him feel like he has something to prove, and loves to outperform his seeding. “I wanted to PR, that’s always my goal for each meet.” He said both his relay and his individual race went well in his opinion.

When asked about how the Oregon Relays is different from a normal NWOC track meet, Keswick said the biggest difference was just in who was there. “The competition is way better. There’s like 60, 70 schools there from all over Oregon, and then a bunch from out of state. There’s top athletes at this event who run crazy times. Watching some of these races was a crazy experience.” Keswick said that watching these very strong athletes run under the lights at Hayward Field was one of his favorite parts of the Oregon Relays. “Even when Carter is running, the atmosphere is just crazy. Everyone gets so excited and there are so many fans.”

The Oregon Relays is a crazy good track meet, an annual spectacle taking place in Tracktown, USA. Every race is stacked with some of the best athletes from the West, and the experience of this event can’t compare to any other.