Archive for November, 2005

Praise for Pashkin and updated USA records online

Sandy Pashkin of Eugene, Oregon, is taking her gig seriously. As the new records czar for USATF Masters, she’s updating the American masters records page with gusto. The latest incarnation was amended Oct. 21. That should be it for the year (unless some marks emerge from last week’s Hawaii Senior Olympics). A nice touch is […]

November 21, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Glowing report from Paradise Mid-Pacific on Senior Olympics

We here in the blogosphere have a rep for the negative — always whining about something. So just in time for Thanksgiving Week is a note from Paradise Mid-Pacific, aka Hawaii (as distinguished from Paradise Left Coast — San Diego). Jack Karbens of the Aloha State shares his praise of the track meet portion of […]

November 20, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Happy birthday to Gail Devers — and don’t quit just yet!

Gail Devers turned 39 today, and the two-time Olympic 100-meter champ and American record holder at 100 hurdles is, theoretically, still competing. She hasn’t uttered what she once called “the R-word” — retirement, although she took the 2005 season off after making it to the Athens Games in 2004 in both the 100 and 100 […]

November 19, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

WMA to athletes: Sorry for screwing you out of a record

I have to give World Masters Athletics credit. Or rather Brian Oxley of WMA. As the outgoing records chairman, Brian broke with WMA policy of staying mum on dirty laundry. But lame-duck status may have given him the cojones to publicly admit that three would-be record holders were denied certification due to incompetence. Two cases […]

November 18, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Gill Athletics becomes official supplier to USATF

Gill Athletics has been veddy, veddy good to us — a prime sponsor of this Web site. But I’m a little confused about today’s joint announcement with USATF that Gill has become the official supplier of USA Track & Field. Free loaner poles for W70 vaulters at nationals? No other companies’ javelins at nationals? What […]

November 17, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

A model masters club and site: Masters Athletics Western Australia

My old penpal John Stone of Perth, Australia (related by interests and slow speed only) has done a great job with the Masters Athletics WA (for Western Australia) Web site, which features lots of color and Flash. And most of all, great content. The club’s November newsletter is out (in PDF form), and it features […]

November 16, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Spokane alone in the running for 2008 masters nationals

In response to my queries, two nice folks have identified at least two cities hoping to host the 2008 national masters championships. Spokane, Washington, is bidding for the outdoor nationals and Boston (again) wants the indoor nationals. In fact, a lady involved with the Spokane bid sent a note to one of my sources offering […]

November 15, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Will Joe and Jane Masters have a say on 2008 nationals?

Intrigue is the word when it comes to selecting a host city for the USATF National Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Maybe mystery is a better word. That’s because the folks who vote on where to put the Big Dance generally have little advance knowledge. Certainly the grass roots don’t have much of a […]

November 14, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Chance for masters track to up its USATF income

Behind the scenes, but on a semipublic mailing list, local USATF leaders around the country have heatedly debated a possible doubling of membership fees for everyone in USATF — youth, elites, masters. Annual fees could rise to $40. USATF Grass Roots honcho Andy Martin kicked off the discussion Aug. 11, 2005, and more than a […]

November 13, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

IAAF still can’t figure out who these WMA folks are

Last May, I poked fun at the IAAF for referring in its newsletter to the “World Masters Association” — the boogered botching of WMA (World Masters Athletics). Well, as Ronald Raygun used to say, there they go again. The IAAF’s current newsletter stumbles over the name of its affiliated organization anew. In the course of […]

November 12, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed