A few things ...
-- I'll be interested to see what kind of effort the Oregon Ducks put into continuing their reign as Pac-12 champions when this year's meet unfolds on Saturday and Sunday at Hayward Field.
The Ducks have swept the men's and women's team titles for eight consecutive seasons. The UO men's team has won the last 10 Pac-12 championships.
It's becoming routine.
There have been years when Oregon has gone all-out to win the conference meet. At Cal in 2010, for instance, they brought decathlete Ashton Eaton back in three individual events -- the 100, long jump and 110 hurdles -- and tripled A.J. Acosta in the 1,500, 5,000 and steeplechase to hold off USC.
But two years ago at UCLA, they held out Jenna Prandini, and just squeaked past USC in the women's meet.
We won't know for sure until we see the entries, but USC could make things very interesting this year on the men's side of the meet. And the USC women are good enough to cause problems if the Ducks are looking ahead to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, June 7-10, also at Hayward Field.
The UO women, remember, are going for a NCAA triple crown -- national championships in cross country, indoor and outdoor track in the same academic year.
-- Speaking of the NCAA Championships, Track & Field News is out with revised form charts.
Analyst Jack Pfeifer has the Ducks winning the women's meet comfortably to complete the triple crown. I think he is being conservative with Oregon's world-class sprinters in the 100 and 200 meters.
Analyst John Auka has Florida decisively winning the men's title and Oregon fifth, with UO distance ace Edward Cheserek sweeping the 5,000 and 10,000
-- This superb piece by John Barr and Nicole Noren for ESPN is a chilling account of the way former Arizona throws coach Craig Carter pursued a sexual relationship with Arizona thrower Baillie Gibson, and later stalked and threatened her.
Carter is quoted in the story, His attempts to defend himself from the charges only make him look worse, in my opinion.
OK, more links:
Texas A&M is barely holding off the Oregon Ducks in the USTFCCCA women's college track rankings.
No. 1 both the men's and women's rankings, Texas A&M heads into the SEC Championships.
Pac-12 Networks video about UO sprinter Hannah Cunliffe, who has overcome injury to star at the college level.
Pac-12 Networks video about UO decathlete Joe Delgado and his family from the Pac-12 combined events. Delgado's strong performance in the final three events took him from fourth place to second.
UO decathlete Mitch Modin vlogs about the Oregon Twlight, the Ducks' Senior Day and about preparations for the Pac-12 Championships combined events. Modin would win the decathlon.
Here is what Modin had to say in an interview with reporters after his victory. (RunnerSpace.com video)
Western Oregon's David Ribich, who beat a field of Division I and professional runners in the Oregon Twilight 1,500, is one of the GNAC athletes of the week.
Suzy Favor Hamilton talks about Oregon's Raevyn Rogers, who broke her collegiate record in the 800, her recovery from bi-polar disorder, and a possible movie deal.
Matthew Centrowitz will take on a world-class field in the Prefontaine Classic's Bowerman Mile.
Centro returns to Hayward Field for the Pre Classic.
Sifan Hassan of the Nike Oregon Project closed the top section of the women's 5,000 in blazing fashion, which is why it's FloTrack's kick of the week.
After breaking through last year, Olympic champ Ryan Crouser powers up for the Pre Classic shot.
Joan Benoit Samuelson will be the star of the first night of this year's Pre Classic.
NAIA All-American distance runner Greta Van Calcar -- daughter of ex-Oregon State NCAA champ Karl Van Calcar -- will transfer to OSU.
Pac-12 Networks video about Oregon State's Kara Hallock after her second-place finish in the conference heptathlon.
Washington State's Alissa Brooks-Johnson talks to reporters in this RunnerSpace.com video after winning the Pac-12 heptathlon title.
Former Concordia thrower Darien Moore, who won the 2017 USATF indoor shot title, fails a drug test.
Moore tests positive twice and accepts a four-year ban.
After a journey from Togo to Portland State, triple jumper Jean-Luc Toku has made himself successful on and off the track.
The USTFCCCA announces the college athletes of the week.
Olympian Aisha Praught Leer, formerly a member of Oregon Track Elite, signs a deal with Under Armour.
E. Garry Hill for Track & Field News: Six reasons why we'll be spared an Olympic hangover in 2017.
If you can believe Stephen Kersh of Citius Mag, one of the best things about Saturday's Portland Twilight is the after party. A personal aside here, one of the worst things about it is that it takes place on the same day as the first day of the Pac-12 Championships, which means it has little chance of local media coverage.
In the face of metastatic cancer, Gabe Grunewald chooses to continue running.
World record-holder Keni Harrison will have surgery on a broken figure on her left hand.
In the "Department of the Obvious," Usain Bolt says football player John Ross would have no chance against him in a 40-yard foot race.
Bolt shrugs off the Ross challenge.
Adidas sets aside the rivalry to congratulate Nike for Breaking2.
Sarah Barker praises marathoner Eliud Kipchoge and takes shots at Nike in this review of Breaking2 for Deadspin.
Paul Snyder speculates about why marathon participation is declining for Citius Mag.
How much will the high-profile visit of the IOC delegation is making to Los Angeles weigh in the decision of where to put the 2024 Olympics?
The IOC looks at a win-win scenario for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics.
A look at the issues and questions standing between Los Angeles and the 2024 Olympics.
The new Olympic reality is not many cities are willing to host.
European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen says the proposal to rewrite track and field's record book has initiated a conversation.
Carrie Tollefson interviews distance runner/movie maker Alexi Pappas on this podcast.
The House of Run guys weigh in on Breaking2 and more on their latest podcast.
This week's FloTrack guys riff on Breaking2, the Payton Jordan Invitational, the Diamond League opener at Doha and more on this week's Run Junkie.
The front page for LetsRun.com.
The links package from Track & Field News.
The links from Duck Sports Now.
The links from Beaver Sports Now.
-- Ken Goe