McCornack Elementary Students Keep One of Oregon's Oldest Unicycle Clubs Rolling

Dozens of students at McCornack Elementary School on Brittany Drive in Eugene are carrying forward what coaches, volunteers, staff, and the broader McCornack community describe as one of the oldest school unicycle clubs in Oregon, an institution so rooted at the school that outside visitors have noted the club's presence dating back well over a decade.

The club at McCornack Elementary, a kindergarten through fifth grade school in Eugene, has been documented meeting before school begins, a schedule that underscores just how seriously the McCornack community takes the tradition. The club draws students, staff, coaches, and volunteers into a shared effort that spans both regular training sessions and public performances, giving participants a visible role in school and community life.

The McCornack unicycle team has performed for community events, including cycling-focused gatherings in Eugene, drawing audiences from well beyond the school's immediate neighborhood. That kind of outside visibility is rare for an elementary school club and speaks to the club's standing in the local cycling culture that Eugene, one of the country's more bike-committed cities, has long cultivated.

McCornack Elementary is located at 1968 Brittany Drive in Eugene, within Lane County, and is part of Eugene School District 4J. The school serves approximately 306 students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. With dozens of those students currently participating in the unicycle club, the club represents a meaningful slice of the school's enrollment, sustained by coaches and volunteers who give their time to keep the program running.

The club's reach extends beyond the gym floor. Visiting unicyclists have joined club practices at McCornack, working alongside students and challenging them to keep practicing and never give up. That culture of mentorship, built into the club's regular routine, is part of what has allowed it to persist across years of changing student cohorts and staff.

McCornack is one of 27 elementary schools in Eugene School District 4J, and the unicycle club stands as one of the more distinctive extracurricular offerings among them. For the students rolling through the program now, they are not just learning to balance on a single wheel; they are the latest chapter in a tradition the McCornack community has kept alive long enough to earn a place among Oregon's oldest of its kind.