Elite trophy on display at athletic club

A 10-foot wall banner featuring University of Oregon track superstar Ashton Eaton stares down upon the aerobics room at Sisters Athletic Club, inspiring members to go the distance on their treadmills and elliptical trainers. Downstairs in the lobby, his amazing Bowerman trophy greets guests and visitors from beneath a glass display case, a testament to his incredible achievements.

Since 2009, The Bowerman is awarded annually to the top male and female collegiate track and field athlete in the United States and is nicknamed "The Heisman of Track and Field." The gleaming award is named in honor of Bill Bowerman, the legendary coach for the University of Oregon and co-founder of a little shoe company called Nike. Its shining surface is embossed with his iconic image and celebrates his work as a pioneer in training methods and improvements in running shoe design. Under his reign the university won four NCAA championships and provided a launchpad for over 30 Olympians.

Tate Metcalf, owner and director of Sisters Athletic Club, coached Eaton at Mountain View High School in Bend and has maintained a close relationship with the track phenom through his meteoric rise on the international athletics stage.

"This was awarded to Ashton for the 2010 year at a ceremony December before last in San Antonio, Texas," he said. "It takes a year for them to make and finish the trophy and get it to him. His mom just got it this past fall and we're lucky to have it here at the club until he's more settled. He's had a pretty busy year."

Eaton graduated last year from the University of Oregon and is now a member of the U.S. Track and Field team competing in the decathlon event. He will be featured this June at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, where he is a favorite to make the final cut to represent our country in the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London. Currently, Nike is his primary sponsor.

Metcalf first met Eaton at a summer track camp in Salem when he was a fifth-grader.

"In high school I saw how he could capture a crowd, and that's when I really knew he could be great on a world stage," Metcalf recalled. "I've coached a lot of kids, but the coolest thing was to see someone actually fulfill their potential. It's fantastic. The biggest part is his maintaining such a strong character. He's genuinely a really good person. This is the culmination of all his mounting victories, great timing, not straying from the path and staying true to himself."

The futuristic design of the prize is an upside-down track spike and was created by Nike's Tinker Hatfield, one of the sportswear company's senior designers. It's milled from a solid block of aluminum and plated with 18-karat gold.

Eaton's freshman year, Metcalf saw he had the gift and recognized something special in him as an athlete. Coming into his senior year, Metcalf remembered one beautiful spring day when Eaton was coming out of the locker room and suggested he try doing the decathlon, to which Eaton replied, "What's the decathlon?"

The United States has a long history of producing Olympic champion decathletes, beginning with the great Jim Thorpe in 1912, Bruce Jenner's memorable, flag-draped performance at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and 2008's Beijing gold medalist Bryan Clay. With its ancient Greek origins, the two-day combined event began as an Olympic sport in 1904 and consists of ten track and field tests that include the javelin, shot put, pole vault, high jump, discus throw, 110-meter hurdles, long jump, 100-meter sprint, and the 400- and 1,500-meter runs. Its heroes have been branded the title of "World's Greatest Athlete."

"He was a really good sprinter and long-jumper, but didn't do anything else," Metcalf said. "So I called some track coaches at USC, UCLA, Boise State and U of O and asked if they'd be interested in taking on this talented kid. He'd never pole vaulted or high jumped before but Oregon Coach Dan Steele had a free weekend and came out to see Ashton at a meet in Salem. He recognized that same awesome potential and took the leap of faith."

Eaton finished his college career with three consecutive NCAA championships in the decathlon and Pac-10 titles in the decathlon, long jump and 110-meter hurdles.

"This past summer at the World Championships in Korea, Ashton was runner-up in the decathlon and was ranked number one in the world in 2011 due to his stellar high score in the event," said Metcalf. "He is expected to be on the podium at the London Olympics.

"Most successful decathletes are good in all 10 events, but in Ashton's case he's world-class in the track events, specifically the hurdles. And he's just 23, he hasn't even hit his peak yet, which for decathletes is around 28."

The Bowerman trophy will be on display at Sisters Athletic Club along with literature describing the significance of the award alongside a photo of Ashton in action. Metcalf encourages anyone to come see the prize in person or try and attend the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene held June 22-July 1 to cheer Eaton on as he attempts to qualify for the Olympic decathlon squad.