Not a huge Duck fan at all, and agree U of O is nothing special as a school, but it should be totally unsurprising to anyone why they routinely snag state champion distance people from all over the country.
Easily the best distance legacy of any college, running at Hayward, training with the best, great coaching, decent weather, few distractions and good running culture in small town Eugene, great conference competition, solid chance of winning conference and NCAA team championships, generous academic scholarships, internships with Nike, proximity to NOP if you're good enough when you graduate.