Archive for October, 2006
It’s finally official: Oerter has retired from the discus
After reading about Al Oerter’s near-fatal heart problems a few years back, I was certain that the four-time Olympic discus champ had called it quits. Not so, according to today’s New York Times. In an article about Al’s being honored on the 50th anniversary of his first gold medal, Frank Litsky writes that Oerter, now […]
October 11, 2006
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Dragila dissing masters? She says she’s oldest at 35
I’m one of Stacy Dragila’s biggest fans. I saw her set a world record at the 2000 Olympic Trials in Sacramento. And she’s still hanging in there, hoping to make the 2007 UAAF World Championships (in Osaka) and the 2008 Beijng Olympics. But in a story yesterday in her local Boise newspaper, she is quoted […]
October 11, 2006
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Willie Banks nets M50 American Record, misses WR
Willie Banks, the former open WR man in the triple jump, added another masters record to his collection Saturday at the Club West Masters meet at UC Santa Barbara. He writes he had only two fouls in his series, topped by a wind-legal 14.00 (45-11 1/4) — which crushes the listed American record for that […]
October 10, 2006
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Henry Rono’s progress toward masters mile record
Henry Rono, the distance legend of the 1970s, has dropped his weight to just under 200 pounds but is still hoping to shed 30 more before going after the M55 world record in the mile this coming spring. He had planned to run a mile time trial yesterday, but rain and cold in his home […]
October 9, 2006
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Alisa Harvey is oldest female winner of Army Ten
Alisa Harvey is amazing. She demolished a series of W40 middle-distance records early this year on the track. But how to account for her victory yesterday in the Army Ten-miler in Washington? As our M45 friend Steve Nearman reports in The Washington Times: “When the 41-year-old Manassas resident seized the lead yesterday before the seven-mile […]
October 9, 2006
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Eurovets nominate pair for IAAF Masters of 2006
M70 walker Arthur Thomson of Britain and W75 runner Melitta Czerwenka-Nagel of Germany are Europe’s nominees for IAAF Masters Athletes of the Year, according to the Eurovets Web site. Melitta looks like an especially strong rival to Canada’s Karla del Grande, previously nominated by the New World (along with Bill Collins). The IAAF honors will […]
October 8, 2006
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W40 star in the making? Amy Haddad sets goals
You’ve never heard of Amy Haddad on the masters circuit? No wonder. She has barely begun to compete. But according to a recent article in a Florida newspaper, Amy has her eye on masters medals. She says: “My next sport is masters track and field. I want to be a national champion in the high […]
October 8, 2006
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Barnum wins essay contest marking a million hits
Larry Barnum, an M60 middle-distance man who runs his 800 at my 200 pace, also outpaced all entries in our modest essay contest. He’s been sent a masterstrack.com T-shirt for his efforts on the topic: “Why masterstrack.com is valuable to me.” But my co-webmaster, Dave Clingan, and I also decided to award T-shirts to two […]
October 7, 2006
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‘Masters track’ becoming part of the public vernacular
Writers and editors for Sports Illustrated know track. Many know masters track. But when you see the phrase “masters track” in a baseball column, you KNOW that’s special. I don’t know Michael Farber’s background (beyond his bio), but in his SI online column he throws out this telling nugget: “In a mere two years, when […]
October 6, 2006
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Fame buzzes around Waldo McBurney again — at 104
Unlike some Republican congressmen from Florida, I prefer older boys — like 104-year-old Waldo McBurney of Kansas. Whattaguy. This week, his name was heard on National Public Radio, and newspaper stories around the country told of his being named the oldest worker in America. He’s also one of the oldest masters athletes, although I haven’t […]
October 5, 2006
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