Archive for March, 2009

Collins, Martin and Glynn named Masters Athletes of the Year

Dave Clingan and his Masters T&F Awards Committee have chosen M55 sprinter Bill Collins as USATF Male Masters Athlete of 2008 and W55 stars Kathy Martin and Kay Glynn as co-female Masters Athletes of 2008. They and other honorees were informed over the weekend by Dave. The David Pain Distinguished Service Award went to John […]

March 16, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

2009 Empire State Games may be back from the dead

Two months ago, I noted a press release saying that the Empire State Games (and its masters track meet) would not be held in 2009, on account of the dreadful economy.  Now comes word from the Times Herald-Record of New York’s Hudson Valley that the Games may be held after all, with a full complement […]

March 16, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

No matter what they do, cheer Henry & Joanie at Landover

We get a buzz when Olympians and former world record holders enter masters meets. One reason is simple appreciation for their history. Another is selfish hope that they’ll attract wider public attention to our niche.  Then there’s Henry Rono. Search this blog, and you’ll find more than two dozen entries detailing his comeback from alcoholism […]

March 15, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Nolan Shaheed tunes up for Landover nationals with AR

Nolan Shaheed has miles of smiles. Poor Tucker Bass. He’s a freshman cross country kid at San Diego Mesa College — a local junior college. Yesterday he entered the 800 at the Occidental Distance Carnival south of Los Angeles and took 33rd. But that’s not the embarrassing part. Finishing in front of him were two […]

March 14, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Hope for record ratification of Hinton’s 2008 indoor mile

Records, and John Hinton, deserve more respect. John Hinton, then 45, ran a 4:20.18 mile on Jan. 19, 2008. Nobody disputes this. But did he set a world indoor record?  Well, yeah. The listed M45 age-group world indoor record was (and still is) 4:21.90 by Albin Swenson in 1993 (setting aside Tony Young’s 4:13 this […]

March 13, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  29 Comments

Ontario’s Doug Smith shows the way in masters promotion

Nobody can touch Doug Smith of Canada for ways of promoting masters track. He has 15,000 photos on his ontariomasters.ca Web site, produces a newsy email newsletter and helps organize the group’s mini-meets. Now he has a YouTube video, about 7 minutes long, explaining Ontario masters track and what athletes can derive from membership.  Why doesn’t USATF […]

March 12, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Heptathlon boasted 4 world bests: M55, M70, M75 and W60

As noted earlier, four world bests were set in the indoor heptathlon over the weekend in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Although USATF holds the masters lasix hep, no official world records exist for this two-day event because WMA  contests the one-day pentathlon at its indoor championships. But let’s see the Euros beat these marks: M70 Emil Pawlik (5956), M75 Bob Hewitt  (6273), M55 Bill […]

March 12, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

W50 Philly quartet claims American indoor record in 4×800

Chuck Shields reports an American record in the W50 indoor national 4×800 club relay Sunday. The quartet of Wendi Glassman, Mimi Newcomer, Cheryl Bellaire and Phyllis Yester ran 11:37.15 at the USATF Mid-Atlantic Open and Masters Indoor Championships at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.They smashed the listed record of 12:49.94. (The nonclub 4×800 American — […]

March 12, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Be prepared for a rush at Landover: tight nationals schedule

Record turnouts are great. But the Landover masters nationals this month will be severely tested, if the detailed meet schedule is any indication. At Penn Relays, we’re used to seeing an assembly line of races — one after another by minutes or less. But at masters nationals, events usually arrive at a more leisurely pace. […]

March 11, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

W60 weight throw records under assault by Myrle Mensey

Records are supposed to fall by tenths of seconds or by inches. Tell that to W60 Myrle Mensey of St. Louis. Competing at the USATF Midwest Regional Meet in Kenosha on Sunday, Myrle demolished two American records. In the 12-pound weight throw, Myrle went 16.64 meters (54-7 1/4). The old record by Carol Young was 14.04 (just over […]

March 11, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment