The feature about Steve Prefontaine brought back memories of the day after he died (“The story behind the Stop Pre shirts, which have endured for decades in Steve Prefontaine’s memory,” July 14). My mother told me the news, and as planned, I drove to Eugene with high-school friends to watch my track and field teammates compete at the state championships that day. Everyone was shocked, and the event was being held at the same field!
I was a long-distance runner, and nowhere near good enough to earn a spot at state finals, but as such, felt the loss that bit much more. The event I recall most vividly is of Bill McChesney, Jr. dominating the 2-mile run, as it was done back then. The Prefontaine event. He was short and slight but he could run really fast for a long time. Even my friends who were more into the field events called it the highlight of the day.
Sadly, he later died in a car accident, like Pre. Here in Oregon, we are lucky to have an abundant supply of track and field heroes to inspire us.
Michael Davenport, Portland
