Archive for December, 2007

Suzy and Jerry’s first comments on National Masters News

A year ago today, Suzy Hess and Jerry Wojcik were counting down the hours until the start of the new year — and the end of an era. On December 31, 2006, Suzy and Jerry closed the office of National Masters News in Eugene, Oregon. On January 1, 2007, Randy Sturgeon succeeded Suzy as publisher; […]

December 31, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Brian Pope to local gunman: “Show me what you got”

Brian Pope isn’t just a fearless runner. He’s just plain fearless. Farrell Evans, writing for a magazine in Brian’s home of Oxford, Mississippi, recounts how Brian came face-to-face with the business end of a rifle — and blew the hunter off. He basically told the ingrate: Don’t bother me, I’m running. Great story, with a […]

December 30, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Woe to M55 hurdlers at Lahti: Beware the blogmaster!

It’s been 53 days since ACL surgery on my lead (left) knee — a prime time to update y’all on my recovery. Last week, I was given the green light to shed my bulky, itchy leg brace and begin ramping up my rehab. Under the six-weeks-after-surgery protocol, I’m allowed to walk on the treadmill (maximum […]

December 29, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

USATF says Wasserman Media Group deal still a go

USATF media czar Jill Geer has responded to my query on what’s up with Wasserman Media Group. I had noted a few days ago that press reports suggested this media marketing company was in bad shape financially. And I wondered aloud what this meant to masters, since WMG provided the camera crew that webcast the […]

December 28, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

USATF formally announces Masters Hall of Famers

Better late than never. Five weeks after announcing inductees into the kids’ Hall of Fame, USATF’s press office today released names of the 2007 Masters Hall of Fame class. In its 100th News & Notes of 2007, USATF basically cribs the column that appears in the January edition of National Masters News (page 5). The […]

December 27, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Cesare Beccalli’s legacy: making WMA safe for elitism

Since its founding in 1977, the governing body of world masters track — first WAVA and now WMA — has had only four presidents — and Italy’s Cesare Beccalli was two of them. His 1987-1997 stint followed that of founding president Don Farquharson of Canada. Cesare’s latest term — 2005 until his death yesterday — […]

December 27, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

USATF Masters allocates money for new Web site

Joy McDonald of Virginia has graciously sent me the 2008 budget for USATF Masters Track & Field, for which she’s treasurer. (I’ve also requested a copy of the USATF Masters minutes from the Hawaii meeting, but Chairman Gary Snyder says they haven’t been approved yet. So we’ll check back later on that.) The 2008 budget […]

December 27, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

WMA reports the death of President Cesare Beccalli

World Masters Athletics reports: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing away of our President, Cesare Beccalli. He died unexpectedly in the early morning hours of December 26, 2007, while at his winter residence in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The WMA family extends their condolences to Cesare’s wife Lidia and her […]

December 26, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

National Masters News Web site gets a nice face-lift

Jeff Brower, an M45 hurdler with design skills, has given the Web site of National Masters News a slick, new look. It has the same information as the old site, including records, links, All-American standards and the like. But it’s still a static site. Seen it once, and you’ve seen it. I’d love to see […]

December 26, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

M60 Aussie racewalker takes eighth in Olympic Trials!

Phil Raschker was named IAAF Female Masters Athlete of the Year, we all know. But we know little of the IAAF Male Masters Athlete of the Year — M60 racewalker Andrew Jamieson. That’s been rectified by a local paper Down Under, which has given Andrew a nice writeup, headlined: “Golden oldie Andrew Jamieson keeps ahead […]

December 26, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment