Archive for August, 2007

Peter Taylor, announcer/survivor, shares Orono stories

If Peter Taylor announced your event Sunday at Orono, you have even more to appreciate. He almost didn’t make it to the track. Peter spent Saturday night at the Eastern Maine Medical Center, and was released at 6:50 a.m. in time to call the first race at 7:40 a.m. — the first of the 1500s. […]

August 9, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Overjoyed over Orono: Thousands of photos now online

Orono and the Web go together. Besides the USATF webcast, photographer-athletes and others have posted thousands of images of last weekend’s masters nationals. About 900 shots are on Pam Swan’s Google gallery. Pam writes: “Wish I had gotten coverage of more events, but this time around I had to fit my own competition schedule in!” […]

August 9, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

M45 Steve Nearman does double duty at Orono

Steve Nearman, a running columnist for The Washington Times, competed at Orono over the weekend and was able to write off his expenses (we hope). He wrote a nice story on Olympian Jan Merrill-Morin, another Orono entrant. The story was written before the 1500s on Sunday. Jan didn’t run. But her presence Thursday in the […]

August 6, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Merlene Ottey, at 47, mulling IAAF Osaka worlds

From the Merlene Ottey Tribute site comes this news: “Bouncing back from recent illness that curtailed her training, Merlene Ottey took the women’s 100m title at the Slovenian Championships on Saturday. Her winning time was 11.69 sec. — a season’s best for the 47-year-old. “This isn’t nearly fast enough to compete at the World championships,” […]

August 5, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Orono nears finish line after another day of records

So many track tales, so little time. After returning from tonight’s Athletes Banquet at the University of Maine fieldhouse, I’ve been hunkered down preparing photos of masters nationals for Geezerjock magazine. And it’s time for bed. So I gotta punt on details from today, except to highlight Gary Hunter’s 15-7 WR in the M50 vault. […]

August 4, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Orono battles the elements, dodges thunderstorm bullet

It wasn’t Charlotte hot, but it was hot. Halfway through the USATF masters outdoor nationals, athletes are looking forward to cooler weather Saturday and Sunday after an evening T-storm brought heavy rain and lightning to this area of Maine. With radar showing electrical storms about six miles away, meet officials canceled the final field events […]

August 3, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  10 Comments

Official Riccione schedule doesn’t separate sexes

After a last 20-hour push ending Sunday, the technical team overseeing the WMA world championships in Riccione has produced this official schedule. And unlike an earlier iteration, it doesn’t separate the sexes. In other words, men and women will run the same event at the same track in the standard oldest-to-youngest order. Three tracks are […]

August 3, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Mastersathletics.net adds to its legend: 2007 rankings up

Martin Gasselsberger of Switzerland, the founder and webmeister of mastersathletics.net has updated his world masters rankings in time for Orono nationals and Riccione worlds. Among its many revelations: Jeff Hartwig and Pat Manson aren’t the only stud M35 vaulters around. In fact, the No. 2 M35 in the world is Bulgaria’s Ilian Efremov, who jumped […]

August 2, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

WMA to weigh radical changes in hurdles, steeple

Uh oh. Delegates to the WMA General Assembly at Riccione in September will consider a proposal to eliminate the steeplechase for all men and women over 60. This won’t fly, of course. But other tweaks include dropping the water barrier for older age groups and changing the heights and distances of most hurdle events. These […]

August 1, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Maine works for masters: It’s friendly to corporate track

USATF Masters and the Senior Olympic circuit aren’t the only games in town. I’m reminded by W50 sprinter Kim Williams in Portland, Maine, that her state has an active corporate track presence. Called the Maine Corporate Track Association, or MECTA, it gives employees a chance to bond with their fellow worker bees and stay in […]

August 1, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments