March 27, 2012

Goodman, Ovett to Join Ducks’ Track and Field Team

Both freshmen are eligible to compete immediately.

EUGENE, Ore. – International runners Richard Goodman and Freddy Ovett have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Men of Oregon, Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna announced Tuesday. Goodman and Ovett are both freshman who have enrolled at Oregon for the spring term and are eligible to compete for the Ducks.

“We are tremendously excited to have Freddy and Richard joining the men’s team for the spring season,” said Lananna. “Both are very talented, but also very young, so we will need to be careful and develop them for the long term.

“They both certainly have potential to become part of the great Oregon distance and middle distance tradition.”

Goodman, from London, England, was the 2011 runner-up in the European junior cross country championships, helping Great Britain win the team title. He is a two-time qualifier for the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships.

Goodman also won two golds and a bronze at the 2009 Maccabiah Games in the junior middle distances. As a high school runner for JFS, Goodman ranked in Great Britain’s top three in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters. His top prep times were 8.12 in the 3,000 meters, 3:45.66 in the 1,500 meters and 1:53 for 800 meters.

“Richard is an outstanding long distance runner who will certainly help bolster our cross country team next fall,” said Lananna. “What he does this spring is yet to be seen.”

Ovett, from Melbourne, won Australia’s national junior championship for both the 800 meters and cross country. He is also a two-time Associated Public Schools champion at both 800 and 1,500 meters and led Melbourne Grammar School to the 2011 national title.

The son of Olympian Steve Ovett, who won a gold in the 800 and a bronze in the 1,500 for Great Britain at the 1980 Moscow Games, Freddy Ovett has a best time in the 800 of 1:51.2.

“Freddy is a middle distance specialist who doesn’t have a lot of experience, but is an exciting addition to our middle distance group,” said Lananna. “We’ve had great success in the past with athletes coming over from Australia, like Zoe Buckman most recently.”

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