Nation's top hammer thrower talks Duck pledge

Oregon’s track program had an outstanding recruiting class of 2017 including the nation’s top-ranked 16-pound hammer thrower, Jared Briere. The Woonsocket (RI) senior led all high-schoolers this year with a mark of 177’9”, claiming the title of USATF Junior Olympics Champion.

Briere signed a letter of intent with the Ducks in late 2016 joining 13 other men and women as incoming freshman track and field athletes. Like the rest of this elite group, this 5-foot-10, 220-pound national champion brings more to the table than just athletics.

Jared Briere was afforded a unique opportunity at the end of May through his athletics, a chance to see a country that until recently, was off-limits to Americans.

“This past week I was selected to represent the national scholastic athletics federation and represent Team USA in Havana, Cuba in the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational. We brought a team of 25 boys and girls from everywhere across the country to compete in the track meet there called Barrientos Memorial.

“I learned how much respect they have for their own culture as a whole. I thought it was a very different experience to see how they treat Americans there. I know for a long time relations, between the two countries were broken. Now you can be walking down the street and you have people start chanting USA. It was a wonderful experience.

“But it also gave me a better appreciation for what I have back home, seeing a country not as developed as ours. It made me realize I should be more grateful for all the opportunities I have been blessed with here.”

Having lived his whole life on the East Coast, it was only natural that the majority of his list of top schools would be not too far from home. In fact, Oregon was the only University in his final five west of Interstate 35.

“I visited the University of Wisconsin, LSU, William and Mary and then I was still considering Tennessee. When I visited Eugene it felt like a place I could call home. Not just for four or five years, but even for the rest of my life.

“I spent three days in Eugene in September on my visit and it went quick. I was sad to leave. But in my short time there I enjoyed absolutely everything that was thrown my way and I grew to love the school even more than I could have expected.

“What I noticed from when I came out on a visit is that everybody is very laid back out there. It seemed like the difference between the East Coast where I grew up and Eugene is that everybody doesn’t seem to be in a rush in Eugene. In the northeast, it seems it is so busy and bustling that you don’t get to enjoy a lot of the experiences that run across every day.”

In the end, picking Oregon was not a difficult choice for Briere, the perfect storm of being a childhood fan of the program, a generous scholarship offer, an excellent match academically and quality facilities.

“I know what a rich history they have in track and field. They have had such a great tradition in the throws as well, having such great hammer throwers come through there. Recently they had Greg Skipper and I know the Director of Facilities for the track team is Lance Deal, American record holder in the event. So that was a big plus.

“I also looked for a competitive track program. I was looking for a team that had a chance to actually win a national championship year-in and year-out. I wanted that consistency.

“From an academic standpoint, I looked at the fact I will be majoring in Sports Marketing and they have the top program in the world through the Warsaw School of Business.

“Oregon just had everything I was looking for.”

And as it turned out, Briere had exactly what the Ducks were looking for.

“I think they liked how I transitioned to the heavier implement, I think that was attractive to them. Also I think they like that I am a well-rounded individual. At the end of the day I am a student-athlete but above all that a person and a man.

“My goal while I am out there is to have an impact not only on my track team and my classmates but on the community as a whole. That is the type of person that I try to be.

“People ask me all the time “why did you search for a school so far from home?” I tell them that I really didn’t. When I was a little kid, seven years old, I dreamed of going to the University of Oregon. To have that dream come true through track and field, and to have academics good enough to get into a school like this. It has been an incredible year for me.”