The thing that jumped out at me about Edward Cheserek was the way he could change gears.

One stride he was loping along. The next he was at warp speed.

It was so fast and so complete, the result often was devastating.

The best way to beat Cheserek was to run the kick out of him early in the race, but it didn't always work. Cheserek was too good.

It's a shame he won't he be able to put a wrapper on a college career that includes 17 NCAA championships -- 15 of them victories in non-relays races -- in the NCAA Outdoor Championships two weeks from now at Hayward Field.

And it's a shame UO fans won't see him unleash that kick in an Oregon uniform one last time because of the lower back injury that has brought his time as a collegian to a premature close.

But I think Cheserek will run again at Hayward Field.

It will be interesting to see where he goes for the next chapter. Assuming Cheserek gets U.S. citizenship, I think he will have his choice of lucrative landing spots. There are three Nike-funded, Oregon-based training groups that would seem likely destinations -- Oregon Track Club Elite, the Bowerman Track Club and the Nike Oregon Project.

There is some crossover between the Ducks and the Oregon Project. Physical therapist David McHenry and sports psychologist Darren Treasure both work with the Oregon Project and the UO track program.

And Eric Jenkins, who trained with Cheserek at Oregon, is a member of the NOP.

Thumbs up for the UO coaching staff for being unwilling to risk Cheserek at the NCAA Championships, even though the Ducks have no practical hope without him of winning the men's title or even of receiving a team trophy for a top-four finish.

The most recent NCAA Championships men's form chart shows Oregon fifth with 35 points. That was with Cheserek scoring 20 by himself -- 10-point victories in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

OK, more links:

Cheserek wraps ups his career as the most decorated track & field field athlete in NCAA history.

UO coaching staff takes Cheserek's post-collegiate hopes into consideration while making the call.

Cheserek's unparalleled collegiate career ends.

Cheserek's legacy? A brilliant championship racer.

Citius Mag looks at Cheserek's five best races, and settles on his 2014 loss Arizona's Lawi Lalang in the NCAA 5,000 final as his best so far.

With Cheserek out of the picture, a look at the leading contenders for the NCAA 5,000.

On his most recent vlog, UO decathlete Mitch Modin stops to smell the flowers en route to pole vault practice with Olympic champ Thiago Braz da Silva.

Hayward Field crowd favorite English Gardner withdraws from the Prefontaine Classic.

Pre Classic loses some star power.

Matthew Centrowitz still is expected to be on the Pre Classic start line for the Bowerman Mile. He talks about his career and his Olympic gold medal in this video from Gillette World Sport.

Here the provisional entries for the Pre Classic, which begins Friday night at Hayward Field.

Jordan Hasay dishes about the Boston Marathon, her parents, and being coached by Alberto Salazar in this podcast with Carrie Tollefson. There are some insights here about Salazar that offer a picture that is different than the way he often is portrayed.

Oregon Track Club Elite's Ben Blankenship had a happy homecoming in Minnesota.

Which U.S. men have the world championships standard? Which U.S. women have the world championships standard?

Gabe Grunewald delays her chemo treatments until after the USATF Outdoor Championships.

This Citius Mag Q-and-A with Columbia's Keenan Piper provides a good window into mental makeup of distance runners.

Poland's Pawel Fajdek extends his world lead in the hammer.

Renovation of Berlin's Olympic Stadium may end its time as a track venue.

Martin Bingisser and Nick Garcia rant about doping on this hmmrmedia.com podcast.

Willamette hurdler Jewell Sparks will compete in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.

The front page from LetsRun.com.

The links package from Track & Field News.

The links from Duck Sports Now.

The links from Beaver Sports Now.

-- Ken Goe

kgoe@oregonian.com | @KenGoe