The trials are over. For those of us who have put our normal lives on hold the last eight days so that we can do our part in putting on this great event, it is bittersweet. Yes, we are tired and ready to go back to our normal lives but we also are sad that it is over. Every day there were great moments, and a few sad moments. Seeing these athletes give it all they had, diving over the finish line, pushing their bodies to the limit, some pushing over the limit. There were records of all sorts. We won't be sending the top three winning athletes in every event to Beijing because they haven't achieved the A standard (minimum for each event). Some that finished fourth get to go because they did have the A standard but in some events we still didn't have three athletes with the A standard. It all sounds very complicated but those are the rules and that is why this is the hardest team to make. What you have done in other meets before this one doesn't count. Even if you are the world record holder, if you didn't make the top three in these trials you don't make the team. It was very high stakes for these athletes and they gave it their all and I'm glad I was there to see them. Many of us today were commenting how watching this team perform in Beijing will be different because we saw them make the team. Being a track and field athlete is cool again and young people see that and this will be great for the future. Eugene really lived up to its name these last eight days, we really are TRACK-TOWN USA.

Joseph Calbreath