High jumper finds right fit in Eugene

Ask Jesse Williams why he lives in Eugene, and the high jumper from North Carolina by way of Los Angeles rolls through a familiar list.

There’s Hayward Field’s historic past, and its immediate future. All those enthusiastic fans. The overall quality of life. And if we’re being honest, the proximity to Nike.

The support system for an elite-level track athlete is unsurpassed.

“It’s awesome,” Williams says. “Track Town USA’s not just a name, it really is. … It seems like everything’s up here, so why not move up here?”

You’ve heard this before. Really, who wouldn’t want to live here? Nobody embraces track athletes like Eugene. And here we get to the heart of the matter.

Pressed, Williams admits to another important factor. You want a support system?

“Oh yeah,” he says, “my girlfriend, too.”

Williams and Kalindra McFadden, a junior heptathlete at Oregon, have been an item for two years now. And if you want to know why Williams is here and not somewhere else — somewhere warmer and drier, for instance — look no further.