NEW ORLEANS – Before college track & field’s brightest stars shine in front of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships’ first-ever national audiences in primetime on ESPN and ESPN2, watch online as many take the stage for the second annual “TrackTown LIVE” preview show. Get to know some of the biggest names of the Championships – to be held June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon – as they join hosts Paul Swangard and Jordan Kent live from Historic Hayward Field for an in-depth preview of the four-day spectacle of speed, power and flight. Check out TrackTownLIVE.com for a pair of 90-minute shows Monday, June 8, starting at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT and Tuesday, June 9, at 4pm ET/1pm PT, brought to you by a partnership between the USTFCCCA and TrackTown USA. Throughout the course of an hour-and-a-half on each day, numerous high-profile athletes and coaches will share their Championships insights and backstories, while members of the national track & field media will break down the weekend’s most intriguing match-ups. Plus, several very high-profile professionals from the Oregon Track Club will join the show to reminisce on their glory days as NCAA Champions and talk about their current pro successes. The shows will also be simulcast on USTFCCCA.org, Flotrack and Runnerspace. Guests will be announced later this week, but for some perspective, last year’s guests combined for seven NCAA event titles and a national team title. About the HostsSwangard has been the lead public address announcer at historic Hayward Field for more than two decades, providing in-stadium commentary for University of Oregon home meets as well as previous NCAA national championships, the Prefontaine Classic, USATF national championships and the last two U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. In addition to his in-stadium announcing duties, Swangard also provides commentary for track and field broadcasts on NBC Sports Network and USATF.tv. Away from the track, Swangard is the Managing Director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon considered one of the world’s top programs for aspiring sports business professionals. Kent was a standout three-sport letterman at the University of Oregon, competing in football, basketball and track & field. A 2007 NFL draftee by the Seattle Seahawks, Kent was also a four-time USTFCCCA All-American on the track as a member of the school-record and NCAA-scoring 4×100 and 4×400 relays for the Ducks. His broadcasting career includes three years as studio host at Comcast Sportsnet NW for a variety of shows, and he has served as an in-studio analyst for NCAA and NBA basketball, NCAA football and USA track and field. About the USTFCCCAThe U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members encompassing 94% of all NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field. About TrackTown USATrackTown USA, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to setting a standard of excellence in the sports of track and field and running by hosting premier events, creating a supportive environment for elite athletic performances, improving facilities and inspiring the next generation of track and field athletes and fans. The company is responsible for organizing the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, the 2015 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Track & Field. |