Archive for November, 2008

What’s next – masters pole dancing? And a blog update

Dave Ortman in Seattle shares this hoot of a story: “Poles might be used for more than just vaulting at the 2012 Olympics in London. A group of supporters has started a petition to get pole dancing into the Olympic Games. It’s not what you might think. Often associated with strip clubs, pole dancing is […]

November 22, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Club West Masters Meet organizer escaped major fire

Beverley Lewis, an Aussie track Olympian back in the day, is better-known as the respected USATF official who acts as starter at major meets, including her own Club West Masters Meet. Held every October at UC Santa Barbara, the meet attracts elite age-groupers from around the country. And also the neighborhood. John Whittemore, who threw […]

November 21, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

TheFinalSprint.com: sinking spikes into USATF scandals

Adam Jacobs of New Jersey is the CEO of TheFinalSprint.com, a blog-style track site that features podcasts and news blurbs. Today Adam channeled his inner Woodstein, announcing a series of in-depth investigative articles that will question and examine USATF and its governance. Adam appears ready to tackle recent scandals head-on. The series is titled “Dysfunction […]

November 21, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

2011 USATF Masters nationals up for grabs! Get bids in

Here we go again. Another year, another dearth of candidates. A source inside USATF tells me that the Masters T&F Committee has received no bids to host the summer 2011 USATF masters national outdoor championships. Apparently, some cities or USATF associations have expressed an interest in 2011. But nobody has submitted bid documents. Sacramento will […]

November 20, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

1984 Olympic champ Mogenburg jumps 5-10 at age 47

Dietmar dinked over 5-10 3/4. Former world record holder and Olympic champ Dietmar Mögenburg of Germany made a laid-back comeback yesterday. Jumping indoors, he cleared 1.80 meters (5-10 3/4) at the Auto Lounge Comeback meet in Gothenburg, Sweden. Video also was shot of some of the jumpers. The IAAF reported: “The technique of 47-year-old Mögenburg […]

November 20, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

USATF prez hopeful Dee Jensen adds masters pledges

Expanding on some ideas and promises in our interview here, USATF president candidate Dee Jensen of North Dakota says on her campaign Web site that USATF should consider “mirroring the elite program of inviting, selecting and fielding masters’ elite athletes for the World Masters Championships.” Very interesting. This wouldn’t preclude shlubs like me from entering […]

November 19, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Dreaded robocalls used in USATF presidential election

According to posts on the USATF Associations listserve on YahooGroups, Stephanie Hightower’s campaign for president of USA Track & Field is using robocalls to reach potential voters. Jon Krupa wrote the listserve: “This is disheartening. The problem with politics in America is we allow the behaviors to continue and have lost sight of what it […]

November 19, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments

How to launch a revolution: Start a masters track club

I had a masters track club once — the first virtual masters TC. Called it the Webmaster Track Club. I even found someone to register it within the Illinois Association of USATF. But after it didn’t pass muster with officials at the 1997 San Jose masters nationals (for relay purposes), I gave up. No more […]

November 18, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Alfred Guidet dies at 90; early masters sprint champion

Alfred “Al” Guidet, a pioneering masters sprinter and record holder, died of heart failure Oct. 29 in Lancaster, California, his family reports. He was “90 years young,” his three daughters said in a letter to Al’s closest friends. One was Nick Newton, who shared the note with me today in a phone chat. Guidet (pronounced […]

November 17, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Liz Johnson sees courage/greatness after Sahara ordeal

Liz gloried amid the Pyramids. Three weeks ago, W50 multi-eventer Liz Johnson of Charlotte, North Carolina, was battling symptoms of what she calls the “Egyptian death virus,” an intestinal illness. After a day of recuperation at the Sahara Race 2008, she fought cramps, nausea and sun poisoning to complete 20 miles, stopping only at the […]

November 16, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments