USATF cited ongoing litigation around the renovation project that includes Hilmer Lodge StadiumMT. SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE
USA Track & Field's BOD "voted unanimously to take the Olympic Trials" away from Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., citing "ongoing litigation" involving the college’s $87M renovation project that includes Hilmer Lodge Stadium, according to Scott Reid of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Mt. SAC Sports Information Dir Brian Yokoyama said, "We were a little blindsided. We’re disappointed. The cases were going our way." Mt. SAC officials "disputed USATF’s contention that two lawsuits had created 'resulting delays on planning for a successful 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.'" In recent weeks, USATF officials and attorneys have "attended a Mt. SAC board meeting, a town hall in Walnut and a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on a lawsuit by a local taxpayers group that alleges Mt. SAC was illegally using bond money for the stadium project." Mt. SAC officials said that the "stadium project will proceed." Yokoyama: "Our stadium will be finished (by 2020). That’s a non-issue, although apparently not to USA Track." While the '08, '12 and '16 Trials in Eugene, Ore., were "hugely successful," the USATF BOD last June voted 11-2 to award the '20 Trials to Mt. SAC before the stadium project "ran into two legal challenges." USATF had indicated that it "needed to grow the sport beyond Tracktown especially in major media markets" such as L.A. (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 5/2).
SECOND CHANCE: In Eugene, Chris Hansen notes the city is expected to make a "bid to host the 10-day meet" in '20. TrackTown USA CEO Michael Reilly said, "Obviously we’re just learning about this, and I don’t have a lot of details about what the bidding process means. But yes, we’re excited by the possibility." However, Eugene has some "stadium issues of its own." Plans for a "complete teardown and remodel of 99-year-old Hayward Field were unveiled two weeks ago with construction expected to begin this summer." The stadium is "expected to reopen for business" by the start of the Univ. of Oregon’s '20 outdoor track & field season. Eugene’s experience and expertise from "staging the last three Olympic Trials could play in its favor." USATF said that it "wants to name a host city" for the '20 meet by June (Eugene REGISTER-GUARD, 5/2). Sacramento Sports Commission Dir Mike Sohia said that his group "likely will rebid." The city hosted the Olympic Trials in '00 and '04 at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium, "drawing record crowds" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 5/2).
