Hayward Field is the quintessential setting for track and field, and the new Hayward Field will be central to the sport moving forward. This embodiment of progress is analogous to the undergraduate research conducted at the University of Oregon. Researchers and athletes alike aim to push past perceived limits—limits on what can be discovered, limits on what the human body can do. Yet they also recognize that their achievements are possible in part because of those who came before them. Researchers build upon existing knowledge; track and field athletes look to exceed the accomplishments of school legends like Steve Prefontaine, Ashton Eaton, and English Gardner. In this sense, the construction of the new Hayward Field encapsulates the spirit of undergraduate research at UO. Just as we have in the past, Ducks will play crucial roles in the future of both academics and track and field.
