Dunbar rumor

RipCityPilot wrote:http://issuu.com/universityofportland/docs/portland-magazine-winter-2011?mode=window&viewMode=doublePage

Anyone see this nice little piece on Dunbar in the latest Portland Magazine?

University of Portland coach Rob Conner has come to terms with star mid-distance runner Trevor Dunbar's decision to transfer to Oregon.

"He's a pretty dynamic track athlete," Conner said wistfully.

Conner granted Dunbar a release in December so that he would be eligible immediately to run for Oregon.

Dunbar will compete indoors and outdoors for the Ducks as a redshirt sophomore this year after helping Portland to an eighth-place finish last fall at the 2011 NCAA cross country championships.

In two-plus seasons at Portland, Dunbar put together a nice resume:

-- He was the second-highest finishing non-African at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

-- He was the 2010 U.S. junior 5,000-meter champion.

-- He was the 2010 NCAA West Regional cross country champion.

Conner runs one of the best distance programs in the country on a shoestring, which, ultimately, became part of the problem.

The Pilots don't have a track. So Conner concentrates on cross country. He sometimes jokes that the outdoor track season is spring cross country for Portland.

He and his hardy band of distance runners spend the winter and spring shuttling around town just to get in their track workouts.

Dunbar increasingly saw his future on the track, in the mid-distances.

"Our deal is mainly long distance," Conner said. "We can do all-long distance on a cheaper budget than we can do anything else. If we're going to go to just three big meets, that's OK as long as we're long-distance oriented. If you're mid-distance, you need more."

The Ducks have their own track, fabled Hayward Field. They have home meets. They have a high-profile conference meet. The outdoor track season is a big deal in Eugene.

The 2011 outdoor season was frustrating for Dunbar, who battled injuries.

Conner said Dunbar came to him in late August and said he was contemplating a transfer. Conner said he asked only that Dunbar compete for Portland in the 2011 cross country season.

When Dunbar said he would, Conner gave the transfer his blessing.

DaTruRochin wrote:Seems to me this should be a wake up call to the AD that any riverside expansion plans should include a track that is (at the very least) viable for training purposes, if not for full competition. He cannot be the first to lean away from UP because of this deficiency, and certainly will not be the last...

DaTruRochin wrote:Well Geez, the statutory period for adverse possession in the state of Oregon is 10 years... So if you wanted to stake a claim and start building a track now and hope the current owners don't notice....

PurpleGeezer wrote:UofO didn't offer him a scholarship. Up did.