Top athletes sign contract extensions for 2017 TrackTown Summer Series
EUGENE, Ore. – TrackTown USA announced today that seven of the world’s best track and field athletes have agreed to contract extensions with their respective teams in the highly acclaimed TrackTown Summer Series.
The elite men and women who have signed on for a second season of competition with teams representing the cities of New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco are as follows:
- NEW YORK: Brittney Reese (long jump); Emma Coburn (1500m); Queen Harrison(100m hurdles)
- Note: Queen Harrison has been traded to New York. In exchange, Portland will receive one of New York’s first-round draft picks.
- PHILADELPHIA: Ben Blankenship (1500m); Phyllis Francis (400m); Brenda Martinez (800m)
- SAN FRANCISCO: Erik Kynard (high jump)
All of those athletes are Olympians and played key roles in determining the outcome of the inaugural TrackTown Summer Series Championship meet at Hayward Field last summer. San Francisco earned initial bragging rights – and a cash bonus for each team member – with a final score of 179 points.
Three of the athletes who have signed contract extensions for the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series won medals for Team USA at the Rio Olympics last summer. Francis won gold in the 4x400m relay, Reese earned silver in the long jump, and Coburn was a bronze medalist in the 3,000m steeplechase. In addition, Kynard was a silver medalist at the 2012 Olympics, Martinez earned a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships, Blankenship was an Olympic finalist in Rio, and Harrison placed fifth at the 2013 World Championships.
The official list of athletes currently eligible for a contract extension in 2017 can be found here. The list will be continually updated prior to the TTSS athlete draft as interest grows among returning athletes.
The 2017 TrackTown Summer Series Athlete Draft will be streamed in real time on Facebook Live on May 19 at 4 p.m. (Pacific). Make sure you Like our Facebook page and enable notifications so you don’t miss out on watching the draft! Click here to see the current list of entries for the draft.
Athletes are still eligible to be signed to one of the four teams as a free agent even if they are not selected in the draft or offered a contract extension. Those free agent signings will take place after May 19.
The 2017 TrackTown Summer Series is committed to providing top American track and field athletes with opportunities to compete in the U.S. during the summer months. The dates and venues for this year’s meets are as follows:
- · San Francisco: June 29 at Stanford University
- · Portland: July 2 at Mount Hood Community College
- · New York: July 6 at Icahn Stadium
Ticket information:
Tickets are now on sale for the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series Championship meet at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island Park in New York City on July 6. The prices are $20 for general admission, $40 for reserved seating and $100 for premier reserved seating with VIP hospitality.
To purchase tickets or for more information, go to: tracktownsummerseries.com.
About TrackTown Summer Series:
The TrackTown Summer Series is a U.S. circuit of professional track and field meets which features scored competition between four teams representing the cities of New York, Portland, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Team rosters are split evenly between men and women. The TrackTown Summer Series is designed to provide top American track and field athletes with innovative competitive opportunities on U.S. soil.
