ASHLAND — Jud Logan hoped the contingent of track and field athletes representing Ashland University at the U.S. Olympic Trials approached the meet like any other, but AU’s longtime coach knows better.
A four-time Olympian and five-time Olympic Trials veteran, Logan understands better than most the unique nature of the event, which began June 18 and runs through Monday at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. Five former or current AU athletes made the trip to Eugene, Oregon to take part in the trials.
“Normally in a big meet you say, ‘This is just like any other meet.’ But this is not like any other meet,” said Logan, who represented the United States at the Summer Games in 1984 (Los Angels), 1988 (Seoul, South Korea), 1992 (Barcelona, Spain) and 2000 (Sydney, Australia). “This is the best track and field meet in the world. It’s an event that only comes around once every four years.”
The quintet representing AU at the trials includes Madison graduate Alex Hill in the men’s hammer throw, Myles Pringle (men’s 400 meter dash), Drew Windle (men’s 800 meter run), Trevor Bassitt (men’s 400 meter hurdles) and Katie Nageotte (women’s pole vault). Hill, Pringle and Windle already competed while Bassitt and Nageotte begin competition Thursday.
“How many times do you have a small school like Ashland get five athletes at the Olympic Trials? It really is amazing,” Ashland University Director of Athletics Al King said. “You can’t buy advertising like that. The visibility is amazing.”
Logan, who was a captain on the 1992 Olympic Team, made the trip to Oregon to watch some of his former athletes compete. He was in the stadium when Rudy Winkler broke Logan’s Olympic Trials record in the hammer throw with a heave of 271 feet, 4 inches, which also broke the American record. Logan’s Olympic Trials mark of 262-10 had stood since 1992.
“My Olympic Trials record had held for 29 years,” Logan said. “Records are made to be broken and I was there to watch it happen. Now there’s a new Olympic Trials record and a new American record.”
Bassitt, who helped AU to a fourth-place finish at the Division II outdoor track and field championships late last month in Allendale, Michigan, and Nageotte represent AU’s best chance at the trials. Bassitt is ranked fifth in the 400 hurdles with a best time of 48.80 seconds while Nageotte is ranked first in the pole vault with a vault of 16 feet, 2 inches.
Logan appreciates what his athletes will go through in the hours leading up to their competitions. He can’t wait to see how high his Eagles can soar.
“We always tell our athletes that when you are nervous, that’s your body telling you that you’re ready to do something special,” Logan said. “When it’s meet day and you’re feeling those butterflies, that’s a good sign.
“There are Division I programs all across the country that wish they had one athlete at the trials. We feel pretty fortunate.”
