The Oregonian/OregonLive is officially kicking off its Oregon's Greatest Athlete contest, and we'd like your help to help us decide who is the best.
We've put together 64 of the best athletes to play sports at any college or university in Oregon, organized them into a tournament bracket and will now rely on our readers to either move athletes through or eliminate them.
The bios of our first set of 16 performers, headlined by No. 1 overall seed Ashton Eaton, are below. Read through their accomplishments during their collegiate careers in Oregon, and vote for who you think should move on to the next round.
The rest of the first round matchups will be posted each day the rest of the week.
Today's matchups are as follows:
(1) Ashton Eaton vs (16) Sarah Zerzan
(8) Ken Simonton vs. (9) Chad Cota
(5) A.C. Green vs. (12) Dan Fouts
(4) George Shaw vs. (13) Peter Jacobsen
(6) Les Gutches vs. (11) Jordan Hasay
(3) Rick Sanders vs. (14) Joni Huntley
(7) Tiffeny Milbrett vs. (10) Fred Jones
(2) Robin Reed vs. (15) Michael Conforto
Round of 64, Eaton Regional
No. 1 - Ashton Eaton, Oregon
Born in Portland, Ashton Eaton, 26, holds the world record in the decathlon, having scored 9,039 points in June 2012, and in the heptathlon, having scored 6,645 points. The multi-event star is a three-time USA outdoor champion, a 2012 USA Indoor long jump champion, a 2013 World Outdoor gold medalist, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, a two-time World Indoor gold medalist (2012, 2014), and a 2011 World Outdoor silver medalist. Eaton, who attended the University of Oregon, won three NCAA decathlon championships (2008-10), two heptathlon championships (2009-10), and is a three-time Pac-10 champion (2008-2010).
No. 16 - Sarah Zerzan, Willamette
Zerzan captured two consecutive NCAA Division III cross country titles in 2006 and 2007, and was the national runner-up in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III track championships in 2007. She established six school records, four on the track and two in cross country. Her records are in the 5K (16:49.4) and 6K (20:32.7) in cross country, and her records in track and field were in the 1,500-meter run (4:31.52), the 3,000-meter run (9:39.01), the 5,000-meter run (16:28.54) and the 10,000-meter run (35:20.17). With a 3.94 cumulative GPA, she was also named to the first team of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team in 2006-07.
No. 8 - Ken Simonton, Oregon State
Simonton is one of the most prolific running backs to ever play in the Pac-12 Conference and led the Beaver football renaissance that resulted in appearances in the 1999 Oahu Bowl and winning the 2001 Fiesta Bowl. He concluded his career, which spanned the 1998-2001 seasons, second in Pac-12 Conference history for rushing with 5,044 career yards. The Pittsburg, Calif., native was one of only six players in league history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark three different seasons at the time and left OSU with 11 school records. During his 46-game career he reached the 100-yard plateau 26 times and arguably his brightest moment came in his freshman-redshirt season scoring the winning touchdown in triple overtime against Oregon in 1998 in what may be the greatest Civil War football game ever played. Simonton graduated in 2002
No. 9 - Chad Cota, Oregon
The backbone behind a "Gang Green" defense which paved the way for the school's first Rose Bowl appearance in 37 years, the four-year starting strong safety may have completed his Oregon career tied for sixth in career tackles (329) but his impact was immeasurable. His teammates recognized the magnitude of his efforts as the first-team Pacific-10 Conference all-league choice was anointed his team's Most Outstanding Player following a brilliant senior season that witnessed him making 91 tackles and two interceptions.
No. 5 - A.C. Green, Oregon State
A.C. Green was a four-year letterman during some of OSU's best ever basketball teams. Green led the Beavers to three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT. He helped OSU to the NCAA West Regional Championship game in 1982 as the team finished No. 4 in the nation in the AP and UPI polls. The Benson High School graduate earned third team All-American honors as a senior and honorable mention as a junior. He was named the Pac-10 player of the Year in 1984. He is also a member of the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. Green ranks in the top five at OSU for career scoring, rebounding, and free throws. At the conclusion of his college career, he was the third pick in the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He earned two championship rings with the Lakers.
No. 12 - Dan Fouts, Oregon
He may best be remembered at Oregon for throwing the winning pass in what many consider the most exciting football game in school history, a three-touchdown rally at UCLA in 1970.
He established 19 school records while at Oregon, including those for career passing yardage (5,995) and total offense (5,871) which stood for 14 years and the one-game passing mark that only was broken in 1989. He joined the San Diego Chargers in 1972 and completed a 15-year career with more than 43,000 yards passing and as one of only three NFL quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards in multiple seasons.
No. 4 - George Shaw, Oregon
Shaw was a four-sport star at Portland's Grant High School and played quarterback as the Generals won two state championships. He also received All-America mention in two sports at the University of Oregon and turned down a bonus to play baseball for the New York Yankees to play in the NFL. Better known as a quarterback, Shaw played both sides of the ball at Oregon. He intercepted a school-record 13 passes in 1954 and his career interception total of 18 also is an Oregon record that stands to this day. He was a first-team All-America selection in 1954. That year, he helped lead the Ducks to their first Civil War victory in six years. He played all 60 minutes, passed for three touchdowns and 121 yards on offense, returned an interception 39 yards and ran back a kickoff for 65. He was the first pick in the 1955 NFL draft and was poised to become the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Colts in the 1956 season when he broke his leg. Johnny Unitas took the job and didn't let it go.
No. 13 - Peter Jacobsen, Oregon
Jacobsen was born in Portland, where he attended Lincoln High School. He played golf at the University of Oregon and won the 1974 Pacific-8 Conference Championship. Jacobsen turned professional in 1976 when he won the Oregon Open as an amateur. He's won 22 times as a pro and has finished third twice in majors (PGA Championship). He's won a major on the seniors circuit, winning the 2004 U.S. Senior Open and the 2005 Senior Players Championship.
No. 6 - Les Gutches, Oregon State
Les Gutches was born in southern Oregon in 1973 and attended South Medford High School. Gutches won three state championships while wrestling for the Panthers. After high school, he attended Oregon State University and was a four-year letterman on the wrestling team. He won the NCAA individual titles in the 177-pound weight class in both 1995 and 1996. Gutches was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy in 1996, which recognizes the nation's best collegiate wrestler. He was an All-American selection his sophomore, junior and senior seasons at Oregon State. After college graduation, Gutches won the gold medal at the 1997 Wrestling World Championships in the freestyle competition.
No. 11 - Jordan Hasay, Oregon
The most decorated runner in school history with 18 combined all-America awards (track and field/cross country), two national titles and four Pac-12 crowns. A three-time academic All-American, who was twice named the women's track & field/cross country academic all-American of the year, including her first as a sophomore, which made her the first sophomore to win that honor in any sport in the program's 60 year history.
No. 3 - Rick Sanders, Portland State
Sanders went a remarkable 103-2 during his wrestling career at Portland State. He won silver medals in the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games, and was the first American wrestler to win a world freestyle championship when he claimed the crown in 1968. He was a four-time member of the USA AAU world wrestling team, and won four national championships between NAIA and NCAA affiliations. He went on a steak of 65 consecutive dual meet wins, 48 of which were won via fall. He was 40-2 during NAIA and NCAA tournament matches.
No. 14 - Joni Huntley, Oregon State
Joni Huntley grew up in Sheridan and attended Oregon State, where she holds the school high jump record. She was a four-time U.S. champion, made three Olympic teams and won the bronze in 1984 at Los Angeles by clearing 6 feet, 5 1/2 inches. She missed chances to medal in 1976, when a competitor moved her mark in the middle of competition, and in 1980 because of the boycott. After retiring, she became an elementary school teacher.
No. 7 - Tiffeny Milbrett, Portland
Milbrett was the pride of Hillsboro High School on the pitch in the late 1980s, and then became the pride of the nation. Milbrett, who played her college soccer at the University of Portland, won a gold medal as part of the United States Women's National Team in 1996 at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, and a silver medal in the 2000 games in Sydney. She earned 204 caps and scored 100 goals for the USWNT during her 15-year career with the team from 1991-2006. While at UP, she set a school record for career goals with 103.
No. 10 - Fred Jones, Oregon
Fred Jones was born in Malvern, Ark., in 1979 and moved to Portland in middle school before attending Sam Barlow High School in Gresham. Jones was voted Oregon High School Player of the Year and earned a basketball scholarship to play at the University of Oregon. The shooting guard led the Ducks to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Basketball Tournament and averaged 18.6 points per game during his senior season at Oregon.
No. 2 - Robin Reed, Oregon State
Reed, who attended Franklin High School in Portland and Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State), is widely considered the greatest amateur wrestler in history. He won three AAU national championships while at OAC, and he coached Corvallis High School to a state title while he attended college. Reed won the Olympic gold medal in 1924 at 134.5 pounds, and won the Pacific Northwest Olympic Trials at four different weight classes. He won every match at the Olympics by fall, and led the OAC Beavers to the 1926 AAU team championship, the first-ever national title for the now Oregon State Beavers. He known for never losing a wrestling match at any level, despite often wrestling in classes above his actual weight.
No. 15 - Michael Conforto, Oregon State
Conforto, now on the cusp of making it to the Majors with the New York Mets, was a three-time All-America performer and two-time Pac-12 player of the year on the diamond. His career hitting line for the Beavers was a remarkable .341/.463/.560. He helped the Beavs get to the College World Series in 2013, and was named the national freshman of the year in 2011. He skipped his senior season at OSU after he was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Mets. He was a finialist for both the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser awards.