Former Oregon football linebacker Fotu Leiato II was found dead after a car rollover crash near Autzen Stadium on early Friday morning, according to the Eugene Police Department. Leiato, 21, was the passenger and UO student Pedro Chavarin Jr., 22, was the driver of the vehicle.

Chavarin Jr. was initially arrested for a DUII in result of the crash and Leiato’s body was only found four hours later. KEZI first reported the crash and the discovery of the passenger’s body, which has been confirmed to be Leiato’s.

On Tuesday, June 19, Eugene police announced that Chavarin Jr. was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the first degree.

Leiato was arrested in late April for theft, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief after trying to remove a parking boot and failing to appear in court for a previous incident. He was dismissed by the Oregon football team in May.

Leiato played in 38 career games for the Ducks, finishing with 37 total tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups.

Hit with the bad news tonight… former teammate of mine fotu leiato was killed in a car accident last night… prayers out to his family… rest easy Fotu🙏🏼

— Tanner Carew (@Tcarew10) June 16, 2018

My uso will forever be in my heart. What happened was tragic but what makes me feel better is knowing that you are in paradise with our Heavenly Father🙏🏽 Rest In Love my uso Fotu. Love you uce💯 pic.twitter.com/AnC6kpGAKn

— Austin Faoliu (@Faoliu_10) June 16, 2018

This post will be updated when more information becomes available.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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As the rain began to come down with force on the final day of the men’s meet at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships, Oregon middle distance runners redshirt senior Sam Prakel and redshirt sophomore Mick Stanovsek were Oregon’s best chances of glory as the two ran in the 1,500 meters.

Stanovsek ran into trouble early on as the physical race took its toll on the walk-on. Prakel was still in it, though. He was forced inside and his battle to get to the outside and into the front fell short, finishing sixth in 3 minutes, 45.73 seconds to earn the Ducks’ first points of the championships.

“Definitely lost some momentum on the last lap, had to slow down a bit,” Prakel said. “At some point I slowed down a little bit ot get to the outside but that’s something that you never want to do.”

Oregon men’s track and field ended the day with just eight points total from Prakel and sprinter Cravon Gillespie, as the team came 35th overall in the team event. The Ducks’ struggle to perform on the big stage for the final time at Historic Hayward Field left a sour taste in the mouth of head coach Robert Johnson.

“Not what we’re accustomed to,” Johnson said. “One of those things where we have to go sit and evaluate how we can do better. This is the crown jewel of our season and for us not to perform is disheartening.”

Prakel said he was too focused on favorite Josh Kerr, who finished third, and ignored the top two finishers: Wisconsin’s Oliver Hoare and Virginia Tech’s Vincent Ciattei.

“Something I can learn from and a race like this keeps me hungry and I’ll be back for sure,” said Prakel, who now moves onto the U.S. championships in two weeks.

For Stanovsek, focus shifts to next season.

“It’s kind of hard not to lose your patience with these championship races but that’s the name of the game,” Stanovsek said. “So come back next year and have this experience under my belt to use as an advantage I guess.”

Junior Ben Milligan failed to get beyond the second height in the high jump, but the scoring continued for Oregon with Gillespie flying into a fourth place finish in the 100-meter dash in 10.27 seconds.

“Disappointed with my finish,” Gillespie said. “I didn’t have the start I had on Wednesday. Still missed a few things throughout the race. This doesn’t define who I am.”

Gillespie had dreamt of competing in an NCAA championships meet, saying he’d watched it on television. Having the opportunity to run at home at Hayward Field made it much easier on the redshirt junior. But Gillespie was not satisfied with his fourth place finish — he wanted to be on top.

“[I was] feeling good in warm ups, had great starts,” he said. “Went out there and kind of got out of character a bit.”

Freshman Cooper Teare, the Pac-12 cross country freshman of the year, was Oregon’s final men’s athlete of the meet in the penultimate race of the day in the 5,000.

Teare, who finished sixth in the Pac-12 championships and 12th in the NCAA West Regionals, crossed the line in 17th in 14:08.18.

“It’s a surreal experience,” Teare said. “It was an amazing race, amazing atmosphere. Just the support here is crazy.”

On Saturday, Oregon’s women will make up 11 entries in nine events in search of a repeat NCAA team title.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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In Eugene’s pitch to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships, two-time Olympic decathlon gold medalist and Oregon alum Ashton Eaton was featured in a video.

He talked about the “magic” of Hayward Field during the 1,500-meter race of his world record-setting decathlon at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials.

“I heard the clapping. I heard the yelling,” Eaton said. “I saw people’s hands hitting the side of the east grandstand on the backstretch. At that point I felt ‘I am feeling the magic — this is the magic.’”

The pitch for 2019 failed, but Eugene was given the 2021.

With plans to renovate Hayward Field in time for the 2021 IAAF World Championships, a mix of emotions have surfaced from those in support of the construction of the state-of-the-art stadium and those against the complete overhaul of the historic stadium. Some fear it will lose its magic.

The East Grandstand

Bob Penny has a connection to Hayward Field that not many have. He grew up near Hayward, went to elementary school in what is now UO’s Agate Hall, ran his first race at Hayward when he was 5 years old and was part of Bill Bowerman’s experiments with shoes at South Eugene High School.

Now he’s fighting to keep the East Grandstand in place at Historic Hayward Field as part of the East Grandstand Supporters group.

“Eugene is not Lausanne. It’s not Paris,” Penny said. “It’s not a city of 5 million people. It’s not going to support a 30,000-seat stadium all the time or even a 13,000-seat stadium.”

A 2016 engineering report came to light recently, revealing that the Hayward East Grandstand is in better condition than reported. Reports that said the East Grandstand was not fixable were proven false.

“There’s rot in places. There’s surface rot in places that you’d expect,” Penny said. “Nothing that you wouldn’t expect for a building that’s 100 years old. To keep a hundred-year-old building going, you’ve got to be doing things every year to keep it going.”

Penny’s proposal to make Hayward a historical city landmark was struck down by the city council because he isn’t the property owner, and therefore the construction can continue.

Hayward Field lays covered in a layer of snow after a period of snowfall in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)

University of Oregon President Michael Schill sent a letter to the city council, stressing the importance of getting the renovation done in time for the 2021 championships.

That was a blow for the East Grandstand Supporters group, but it hasn’t deterred them. According to Penny, nothing will compare to the way the stadium is now.

“The whole crowd can act together emotionally — it’s really hard to do that in concrete grandstands,” Penny said. “It’s really hard to do that when you don’t have an overhanging roof that works like a megaphone.”

Not only will the stadium get a new look, but the area around it will too, including 23 trees nearby Hayward that are set to get torn down.

This could play a role in the fight over the renovation, as residents and local activists push back against UO, which would have to pay for all the trees to be removed according to city code. UO does plan to put in replacement trees while the Eugene forestry and Public Works will make a decision on the trees by June 9.

In an email published by the Oregonian, the original designer for the new Hayward Field, Tinker Hatfield, voiced his displeasure regarding the changes from his original design that included the East Grandstand.

“The demolition of the EAST GRANDSTAND is unnecessary and completes the severing, only this time I am referring to the important connections from past to future,” Hatfield wrote. “…Once the EAST GRANDSTAND goes down, (city ordained) street setbacks kick in and the number of seats go way down as does the encouraging RUMBLE of the wooden structure when all 4,800 stomp their feet.”

Hatfield also referred to the structural report, writing, “ANYBODY who says the EAST GRANDSTAND is unsound is being untruthful.”

In an exclusive interview with the Register-Guard, Nike founder Phil Knight was asked about the East Grandstand’s demolition.

“I’m sure of one thing: When those bulldozers in July knock that East Grandstand down, I am the most reviled man in Eugene,” Knight said.

Memories

Opened in 1919, Hayward has hosted countless events, even serving as the home of Oregon football in its early days. But the best memories for Hayward Field have come from the sport it solely houses today — track and field.

“You can’t beat it,” hurdler Devon Allen said. “This is my favorite place to run by far. When it’s 65, 70 degrees and sunny and a tail wind, you can’t beat that.”

Allen’s connection to Hayward Field runs deep, having run as a Duck and qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games there. It builds a bit of pressure for Allen when he returns now as a professional, but it only drives him to keep coming back to perform at his best.

Devon Allen crosses the finish line to win the 110 meter hurdles. The Track and Field Olympic Trials are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on July 9, 2016. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)

“I expect a lot for myself and I want to compete well in front of my home fans,” Allen said. “But I think I have an advantage. They’re rooting for me no matter if there’s record holder or world champ. I get the loudest cheer so it’s pretty cool.”

He’s not the only Oregon alum to feel that pressure. For distance runner and 2016 1,500-meter Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz Jr., Hayward is part of his family — Matthew Centrowitz Sr. competed for the Ducks at Hayward during the 1970s.

For Centrowitz Jr., one memory that comes back to him at Hayward is his first U.S. Championship win in 2011 while he was still an Oregon runner. It was the first night he went out and partied during college.

“I remember asking guys that had gone out before me and the guys on the team and was like, ‘Is going out always that fun?’ and they were like, ‘Absolutely not,’” Centrowitz Jr. said. “I was like, ‘Good’ because I felt like I might have missed a lot of my college experience.”

Going to Oregon paid off for Centrowitz Jr., who said that when he first visited Oregon with his dad, he did not see himself attending the university. But after an official tour, he fell in love.

“[Hayward] definitely lived up to its expectations,” he said. “When you come back here and they announce your name and talk about being a former Duck, you get that extra boost, that extra applause in the crowd and that’s what we look for in the last lap — that last 100 meters. That little extra ‘oomph.’”

That “oomph” is referenced by all athletes, not just those associated with the school or state.

Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian says he feels a connection to Hayward Field, where he set his personal best in the 100 meters.

“This field, it means a lot,” Bingtian said through a translator. “Before everything gets torn down, I want the No. 1 lane to put it in my home. It was the lane I first ran in here.”

Knight said that the memories of Hayward won’t be lost with the new stadium.

“Those are ghosts that will be there forever,” he said. “I think they’ll be there in the new stadium as well. The object is to give it the best chance to continue those memories and those ghosts, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”

World-class stadium

Track and field-specific stadiums are uncommon in the U.S. The new Hayward Field, which resembles Helsinki, Finland’s 1952 Olympic Stadium — a horseshoe shape that Penny compares to a toilet bowl with a large tower — will be worthy competition with other track and field stadiums around the world, comparable to those that host Olympic Games.

“There’s plenty overseas, and so for it to be a track-specific stadium like that is going to be huge,” American sprinter Christian Coleman said. “Hopefully I can make that World Championship team and compete here.”

But, the attractive venue was criticized by Hatfield.

“For all that moola you get a fancy looking stadium but you get a second-rate PERFORMANCE venue and a third rate INDOOR training facility,” Hatfield said in his email.

Hatfield said in the email that the new design “does not work” because the roof is not functional and does not protect most fans from the wind and the rain.

“The magic of Hayward Field is really the crowd,” Hatfield said in the email. “Keep ’em dry and they will come. Let ’em get wet and they will NOT come.”

Hayward Field’s draw currently exists from its history, but with the renovations, the attraction will be for the modern facilities, which will be on the world’s stage in the 2021 IAAF World Championships.

A rendering of the new Hayward Field, slated to open in 2020. (Courtesy of UO)

Eugene was awarded the 2021 championships without a formal bidding process, leading to an FBI and IRS investigation and subpoena.

The new stadium might be ready in time for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, which USA Track and Field reopened the bidding for, stripping it from Mt. San Antonio College.

That sped up the process for Hayward’s renovation, and the latest plans were set in place and announced by the university in April.

Despite the bittersweet feelings, some have simply accepted it.

“Now it’s starting to hit me,” 400-meter world champion Phyllis Francis said at the 2018 Prefontaine Classic. “It’s so great to be out here with the fans, it just brings back memories of my college years.

“Out with the old and in with the new.”

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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Tyler Dorsey, former Oregon men’s basketball player and a rookie for the Atlanta Hawks, was arrested on Saturday for DUII, driving without lights and an open container, which was first reported by KVAL and confirmed to the Emerald by Eugene Police Department spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin.

Police say that Dorsey was pulled over in a Land Rover Discovery onto Agate Street from Broadway at 2:38 a.m. on May 26. The vehicle came to a rolling stop before coming to a complete stop. Then, the officer spoke with Dorsey, spotted an open alcohol bottle on the floorboard of the passenger side and charged the 22-year-old after an investigation.

Dorsey, a second-round pick in the NBA Draft this last year, was an instrumental part of the Ducks’ run to the Final Four in 2017, averaging over 20 points per game over the last eight games of the season.

Dorsey spent two years at Oregon before turning pro. He averaged 7.2 points in 17.4 minutes per game for the Hawks this season.

Hawks statement:
“We are aware of the situation involving Tyler Dorsey that occurred this past weekend in Eugene, Oregon. We are still gathering information as it pertains to the situation, and out of respect for the legal process, we will have no further comment at this time.”

— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) May 30, 2018

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Nearly one year ago, Raevyn Rogers sprinted over the finish line in the 4×400 at Hayward Field to earn Oregon women’s track and field the triple crown along with the outdoor national championship. At the 2018 Prefontaine Classic, it was just another day for her in Eugene, where she is currently living as she finishes up two degrees at the University of Oregon.

“Being able to still live this day like a normal day, helps me be calmer than I usually am,” Rogers said. “Once I came out here I just tell myself, ‘you can do this, you’re ready.’”

Rogers and other former Ducks competed one last time at Hayward Field at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday. With some of the biggest stars in track and field lining each event, the IAAF Diamond League meet gave the 12,667-person crowd its money’s worth.

Returning to Hayward Field for former Oregon track and field athletes is always a rush. The fans roar when the names of former Ducks get announced at the start lines, and at this year’s Prefontaine Classic, it’s even more special before the stadium gets renovated.

“They’re rooting for me no matter if there’s record holder or world champ, I get the loudest cheer so it’s pretty cool,” hurdler Devon Allen said.

Allen finished third in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 13.13 seconds, 0.12 behind the defending Olympic and world champion Omar McLeod in the top spot of the race.

“He’s consistent,” Allen said of McLeod. “Really, 10 top guys in the hurdle world that we run against all the time. You always want a fast race and 13.01 is a really fast race.”

World champion and former Duck Phyllis Francis finished second behind Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the women’s 400 meters. Francis nearly was edged out by Shakima Wimbley, who came 0.04 seconds behind Francis’ 50.81 run. Francis said she didn’t realize how close behind her she was until there was 50 meters to go.

“I was just focusing on my own plan,” Francis said. “Whatever happens happens.”

Before the race, Francis said she was hoping to improve her start to the race, saying it’s publically known that her jump “sucks.” But in the race, she got it right, and said she was pleased with her start.

Just like Allen, and many other athletes, Francis also reflected on the Hayward renovation.

“Now it’s starting to hit me,” she said. “It’s so great to be out here with the fans, it just brings back memories of my college years. Out with the old and in with the new.”

Rogers didn’t win her race, nor was she very close. But she did improve for a season’s best 1:59.36, finishing seventh in a race won by South Africa’s Caster Semenya in 1:55.92 — the fastest women’s 800 run on U.S. soil.

That doesn’t bother Rogers, who was more than happy with her result and personal performance as she gears up for the summer.

“Once I saw I was really close to everyone, I was really excited because for a while I was scared to get in the mix,” Rogers said. “With this meet, I was really able to do the best that I could and actually finish close and still go two seconds faster than I did in Boston. It’s a good day for me.”

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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Oregon’s Shannon Rhodes singled off Kentucky pitcher Grace Baalman to load the bases in a scoreless, one-out top of the fourth inning. The Wildcats decided not to risk it and brought in pitcher Erin Rethlake to face freshman Lauren Burke.

With a smooth stroke on a 3-1 count, Burke knocked the ball straight up the middle gap to center field, where Kentucky’s Brooklin Hinz retrieved the ball but overshot her throw to third. The Ducks’ two runs from Burke’s single increased to three runs on the error, causing some heated discussions between coaches and umpires on whether the third run should count.

“Mike [White] does an exceptional job of going in there and getting in the middle of umpires and kind of getting things to go his way,” Kentucky head coach Rachel Lawson said.

Burke’s heroics, which are becoming the norm after two home runs in Regionals, led the No. 1 Ducks (51-8) to a season-saving 6-1 win over No. 16 seed Kentucky (35-20) in game two of the Super Regionals on Friday night at Jane Sanders Stadium. Miranda Elish pitched a two-hit game over the seven innings, setting up a rubber match on Saturday to decide who gets a place in the Women’s College World Series.

Ducks utility player Lauren Burke (4) hits a 2 RBI single. The Oregon Ducks play the Kentucky Wildcats in the super regional round of the NCAA tournament at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Friday May 25, 2018. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)

“You could tell we were fighting for our lives,” head coach Mike White said. “That’s what we had to do with our backs up against the wall.”

Burke’s big postseason thus far earned her the start at designated player, and now the Eugene native possess a 6-of-8 batting record with seven RBIs to add to her two home runs after Friday’s win.

“We talk about empty head, full bat — she just doesn’t feel it,” White said. “That’s what’s going to make her a great hitter in years to come. She just wants to go swing the bat.”

She got some support when Mia Camuso batted her in for a 4-0 lead before Kentucky earned a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.

But just one inning later, senior third baseman Jenna Lilley brought the game out of reach for the Wildcats by adding another pair of runs on a two-RBI double that she lined up the middle to make it 6-1.

On the defense side, Lilley had just one bloop during the fifth inning, which saw Oregon surrender its only run. The rest of the Ducks fielders didn’t have much work to do with Elish dueling from the circle.

Elish struck out seven and had a perfect game through three innings before allowing the only hits of the game in the fourth. She also clocked several pitches over 71 miles per hour.

“She was pounding the zone pretty hard,” Kentucky second baseman Alex Martens said. “She was just moving around, mixing it up a lot and that kind of kept us off balance.”

The Ducks and Wildcats will square off at 6 p.m. at Jane Sanders Stadium to determine who can book a ticket to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series.

“It’s a big game but we’ve got to come do the same thing,” White said. “We’ve got to play it like it’s our last game of the year.”

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Ahead of the final Prefontaine Classic at Historic Hayward Field, former Ducks Matthew Centrowitz Jr. and Phyllis Francis participated at the pre-meet press conference among many other athletes set to compete in this weekend’s Diamond League meet.

“Not just being American, but a former Duck, it’s always exciting racing at Hayward,” Centrowitz said. “Obviously being the last Pre Classic at Hayward Field in this state is obviously going to be pretty exciting for me and memorable for me.”

For the former Ducks, Centrowitz — the 2016 1,500-meter Olympic gold medalist — and Francis — the 2017 IAAF World Champion — the feeling this weekend is bittersweet.

“I’m just a little bit sentimental, but more excited because who doesn’t love something new?” Francis said. “I still feel like they will retain the historic feel to the new designs of Hayward.”

While much of the conversation was geared toward Hayward Field, some of the discussion revolved around athletes who will not be in Eugene to compete this weekend.

American sprinters Justin Gatlin and Allyson Felix both dropped out of the races this weekend. Gatlin is out with a hamstring injury, while no explanation for Felix’s absence has been announced.

Gatlin’s absence from the 100 meters is disappointing for those excited to see the much-anticipated showdown between the world champion and the world indoor 60-meter dash record holder Christian Coleman.

“I have the same mindset going into the race no matter who’s in the race, who’s on the line,” Coleman said. “I just try and come out and compete for the win no matter who it is. … When you’re a professional, regardless of who’s in the race, it’s going to be a world-class field.”

In the bigger scope of track and field news, Asbel Kiprop, a Kenyan middle-distance runner and the 2008 1,500-meter Olympic gold medalist, tested positive for EPO — a banned substance. As doping continues to plague the sport of track and field, frustration for competitions grows.

“You want to think of everyone is on the same playing field,” Centrowitz said as he recalled his 2016 Olympic gold-medal race, which Kiprop finished seventh. “… Right after the race Nick [Willis] (bronze medalist) and I were walking to the medal ceremony and I remember he was like happy that [Taoufik] Makhloufi got second over Kiprop.

“When everything came out recently, that reminded me of what Nick said right after the race.”

The Prefontaine Classic begins on Friday night and carries on into Saturday for the majority of the events, which will feature more former Ducks including Devon Allen in the 110 hurdles and Raevyn Rogers in the 800.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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There’s a feeling of deja vu for Oregon softball this weekend as the No. 1 Ducks host the No. 16 seed Kentucky Wildcats at Jane Sanders Stadium in the NCAA Super Regionals for the second straight year.

Last season, No. 3 Oregon got by the No. 19 Wildcats in the minimum two games, as the Ducks beat Kentucky 4-0 and 6-5 behind the pitching of Megan Kleist and Miranda Elish, a dominant paring Oregon will likely toss in the circle again for this season’s matchup. But head coach Mike White hinted that he could even play Kleist in back-to-back games.

“You never know what I’ll do,” White said. “Sometimes I go back there and make crazy decisions. I do have that possibility of running her back-to-back but with the way that Miranda’s throwing, there’s no way to think about that.”

Kleist was one out away from pitching a perfect game in the second game of the Eugene Regional this past weekend. Elish pitched 14 scoreless innings for the Ducks, which did not allow a run over the entire weekend.

The Ducks got big production from freshman Lauren Burke, who hit two, two-run home runs as a pinch hitter. Oregon’s small-ball game also added to the power from Burke in each of its wins.

Against Kentucky last season, Oregon scored all of its runs from no more than a single. That small-ball play helped advance the Ducks to the Women’s College World Series, which Oregon will look to do again by the end of the weekend.

Kentucky won via run-rule in each of its three games during the Lexington Regional this past weekend, beating Illinois-Chicago once and Notre Dame twice to advance to the Super Regional.

“They’re athletic,” White said. “They’re just really good team and I think it’s a tough matchup.”

This season, Kentucky brings seven players hitting above .300 and three pitchers with more than 20 appearances each.

Freshman Grace Baalman has a 13-8 record with a 2.28 ERA while Kentucky’s ace, Erin Rethlake possesses an 11-4 record with a 2.77 ERA. Rethlake pitched in the Wildcats’ Regional opener and closer while Baalman threw five shutout innings in a 10-0 game two win for Kentucky over Notre Dame.

“Their pitching is maybe something we can get after if you look at their numbers,” White said. “But still, their freshman Baalman is doing a good job for them and has faced some pretty good teams.”

The Wildcats’ pitchers let up only one run over the Regional this year. That run, which was unearned, came in a 10-1 five-inning game against Illinois-Chicago in game one.

Kentucky had productivity from all over the roster during the Regional, with eight different players batting in runs, including pitcher Rethlake. Pinch hitter Rachael Metzger had the best weekend among Kentucky batters, tallying seven RBI over the weekend, hitting 2-for-2, to bring her season total to 14 RBI.

“They hit balls hard and they hit mistakes so I think our defense needs to be ready to make those SportsCenter Top-10 plays that make or break a season,” Svekis said.

The series, which starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday, could go one of two ways: a true pitchers’ duel, or a run-filled weekend.

“They gave us a run for our money last year and we expect just as much of a dog fight this year,” Svekis said.

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