Out of mainstream.

Byline: Curtis Anderson The Register-Guard

Only one Oregon athlete enters the 2004 USA Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field today as both a national champion and a national record-holder.

His name is Jared Swehosky.

The 17-year-old from Stayton established himself as one of the state's elite distance runners as a sophomore last year with a runner-up finish in the 1,500 and a third-place performance in the 3,000 at the OSAA Class 3A track and field championships.

At the Junior Olympics, however, he will step outside the mainstream in terms of prep competition as he prepares for the 2,000 steeplechase, 4x800 relay, 5,000 racewalk and 5,000 meters.

None of those events is contested at the high school level in Oregon, yet Swehosky hopes to medal in each event at this week's national meet, which means placing in the top eight to earn a spot on the awards podium.

`That's my goal,' said Swehosky, who represents the Salem Track Club.

Of course, he plans to do better than just medal in at least one event - the 5,000-meter racewalk.

He set the Junior Olympic national record for Intermediate Boys (ages 15-16) in that event at last year's meet in Miami with a time of 23 minutes, 30.93 seconds. It was his third national title in the racewalk.

Swehosky, who learned how to racewalk by following in the footsteps of his older brother, Terran, moves up an age group this year to Young Men (17-18), so duplicating last year's feat will be a difficult task.

His main competition will likely come from Zach Pollinger of the New Jersey Striders. The Harvard-bound Pollinger is ranked No. 1 in the event with a qualifying mark of 22:30.94, and he recently beat Jared Swehosky for the 10K racewalk title at the USA Junior National Championships in Texas.

Jared Swehosky's PR in the 5K racewalk is 22:58, and Terran Swehosky's personal best is 24:03.

Along with Pollinger, they are the top three seeds among 11 listed entrants in the Young Men's final, which is set for Wednesday at 11 a.m. Ernesto Vergara, who was seventh at the junior national meet, also is a contender.

`We hope Zach comes out (to Eugene),' said Jim Bean, a three-time all-American in the racewalk who trains the Swehosky brothers through the Salem Track Club. `He's a very gifted athlete and a true racewalker.'

In the same breath, Bean said the Swehoskys are `two of the best' racewalkers he's ever coached, and he indicated the rewards for those who stick with the event can be immense given the lack of high-level performers in this country.

Although the racewalk is contested in the Olympics, Maine is the only state in the U.S. that supports the racewalk for both boys and girls in its high school championships, and at the collegiate level, the NAIA is the lone division that awards titles in racewalking.

`Jared and Terran are two of the best I've coached,' said Bean, head coach in track and cross country at North Marion High School. `A lot of kids with potential quit the event because they get teased, or they decide it's just not the thing to do. But there are pretty good rewards if you stick with this sport. There are hundreds of elite runners in the U.S., but in racewalking, there are only 25-30 in the whole country, and with a little work you can get into that group.'

Bean first spotted the Swehoskys about six years ago during a workout at the McCullough Stadium track at Willamette University in Salem.

Terran Swehosky, who was a middle-schooler at the time, was poking fun at the distinctive hip-swaying, heel-to-toe motion of a couple of racewalkers on the track when Bean noticed his form and asked, `Who is that kid?'

The racewalk was not an easy sell to either of the Swehoskys.

`At first, I said no, I didn't want to do that,' said Terran Swehosky, who will run cross country at Clackamas Community College this fall. `It didn't look like it would be any fun. But coach Bean talked to my parents and they convinced me to try it.'

The racewalk turned out to be a blessing for Terran Swehosky because it lessened the problems he was having with Osgood-Schlatter disease, and it didn't take long for Jared Swehosky to get interested in the sport.

`We try to tell them how lucky they are to have each other as brothers because they can push each other in practice,' said their father, Dan Swehosky. `They're both extremely competitive, but they do support and encourage each other.'

The Swehoskys open competition at the national meet today with the 2,000-meter steeplechase final at 11:15 a.m.

Jared Swehosky moved into the favorite's role with his victory over Luis Cuevas in that event Sunday at the Track City International Classic with a meet-record time of 6:11.00. Cuevas, who represents the Southern California Roadrunners, is listed as the top qualifier among 31 Junior Olympic contestants with a time of 6:17.32.

Jared Swehosky placed 11th overall in the 3,000 steeplechase at junior nationals with a time of 9:47.93.

CAPTION(S):

Stayton's Jared Swehosky (right) runs with Luis Cuevas in the 2,000 steeplechase at the Track City meet before pulling away for the victory. Wayne Eastburn / The Register-Guard Jared Swehosky (right) owns the Junior Olympic national record for Intermediate Boys in the 5,000-meter racewalk.