TrackTown USA announces Summer Series, draft for athletes

A new track and field series has been created with athletes being drafted on teams.

TrackTown USA announced a track and field meet series that will take place after the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

A draft will be held on June 25 to select the athletes that will compete on four teams that will represent Philadelphia, Portland, New York City and San Francisco. Teams are expected to carry about 36 athletes (18 men and 18 women) on each squad. Athletes will be able to declare for the draft between June 1 and 15.

The first meet will take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on July 29. The competitions will be scored track meets with about $500,000 available in prize money. The prize money breakdown has not been finalized yet.

The meet in Eugene will be the only competition in 2016 before the series expands in 2017 and 2018.

TrackTown USA president Vin Lananna has been vocal on attempting to make a U.S. track and field series to grow the sport in the United States. Most athletes tend to travel to Europe after the U.S. championships to compete on the European circuit. Agent Paul Doyle started his own American Track League series in 2014.

International athletes may also be a part of some teams, according to the Register-Guard.

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The U.S. Olympic Trials will be held in Eugene, Ore., from July 1 to 11. The top three finishers in each respective event, that also hold the Olympic qualifying standard, will compete at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The opening ceremonies will take place on Aug. 5.

Eugene was also selected by the International Association of Athletics Federation, track and field's governing body, to host the 2021 world championships.

The TrackTown USA Summer Series will be broadcast on ESPN, according to the press release.

- Chris Chavez