Archive for May, 2006

WMA world records ‘updated’ but still full of crap

With no fanfare, except a brief note on the WMA Web site, WMA Records Committee chair Sandy Pashkin has updated the official world indoor and outdoor age-group records. They are now all updated as of “May 19, 2006.” Yeah, right. While the list includes marks from Linz and Boston, many legitimate world records are still […]

May 31, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Brazilians offer Norte Americanos a major meet

Yes, they have masters track Down Under. And I’m talking about South America, where their track season is topsy-turvy like the Aussies’ and Kiwis’. Phil Raschker sent me this link to the South American Masters Athletics Championships set for November 3-11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although the site doesn’t explicitly say non-South Americans are […]

May 30, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

California masters meets offer Fantasy Track venues

One of the kicks we get as masters is competing on tracks (and fields) used in major open meets. Like the Olympic Trials and NCAAs. Two meets coming up in California offer such thrills. First is the Pacific Association USATF Masters Championships July 1 at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium, site of the 2000 and 2004 […]

May 29, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Record holders pad their age-group PRs in vault, shot

Nadine O’Connor and Bud Held generally take turns setting records. Yesterday at the San Diego-Imperial USATF Open Championships at San Diego State University, the couple from Del Mar, California, both set world age-group records — improving their own marks in the pole vault. M75 Bud went 3.00 (9-10) and W60 Nadine cleared 3.11 (10-2 1/2) […]

May 29, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Linda Cohn again raises AR in W50 javelin

Had to leave the San Clemente masters meet before the javelin was done, but I saw folks on a grass field north of the track chucking spears. One was Linda Cohn, who a week earlier at Long Beach State set an American Record in the W50 age group. A masters mole sent me this note […]

May 28, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Brumel at SoCal masters meet in form of John Dobroth

I saw Valeri Brumel jump today in San Clemente, California. Yeah, I know he’s been dead for three years. But the form of the Russian high jump god was being channeled by a 65-year-old Superior Court judge from Ojai. When newly minted M65 straddler John Dobroth did his straight-legged power jump this morning, I couldn’t […]

May 27, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Gerry Davidson pushing the envelope in W85 distances

My friend Gerry Davidson of Fallbrook — an hour north of San Diego — doesn’t look fast when she’s chugging around the track. But the clock doesn’t lie. At 85, she may be the best female distance runner in the world over 80. As I noted last Saturday, she claimed the 3,000-meter world age-group record […]

May 26, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Strong 100 men’s field set for Indy open nationals

USATF Masters Invitational Chairman Mark Cleary reports the bulk of the field for the men’s masters field in the 100-meter dash at the Indianapolis USATF open nationals in late June: “The exhibition 100m race for Indy is shaping up nicely — Willie Gault, Ken Travis 11.17, David Ashford 11.21, Don Fields 11.23, Rawle Crichlow 11.27 […]

May 25, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Grace Upshaw story gives sister Joy long-overdue credit

With Marion Jones in sprint purgatory — and not long jumping much anymore — the title of best American female horizontal leaper is a tug-of-war involving Grace Upshaw and a few others. Grace won’t turn masters age until September 2010, but a newspaper story about her gives welcome credit to her biggest fan and supporter […]

May 24, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

W75 d’Elia averages 9-minute miles in 5-mile victory

Longtime masters track star Toshiko d’Elia of Ridgewood, New Jersey, won the Vincent Carnevale Award (and $300) at Sunday’s Run for Freedom, which I wrote about a month ago. Race founder Frank Schiro of New York wrote me with some highlights of the pair of races (1 mile and 5 mile) that benefited Integrity House, […]

May 23, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment