Archive for June, 2009

Sorensen’s latest daily double: 1:55 and 4:18 within an hour

Jim Sorensen had a nice workout yesterday at a Los Gatos all-comers meet near his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. As detailed by Pete Magill,  Jim ran the 800 in 1:55.78 and clocked a 4:18.49 in the mile about 45 minutes later. Not too shabby for a 42-year-old schoolteacher from San Leandro. “1:55 was my […]

June 26, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Nominations sought for Canadian Masters Hall of Fame

Seven years ago, Canada joined the United States in honoring its masters track legends: It created a Masters Athletics Hall of Fame. But organizers of that inaugural class “ran out of steam,” and only now is the process back on track. (The idea is to add inductees every year, after all.) Diane Palmason, herself an […]

June 26, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Jim Roth tries to explain joy of vaulting to dimwit reporter

Check out this audio recording of 72-year-old Jim Roth, who has an 8-2 vault best in his four-year masters career and a 12-8 all-time best. (Scroll down the page to “Listen to Roberta’s entire interview with Jim Roth.”) He’s not world-class, but he has fantastic passion for the sport, and represents us well in an […]

June 26, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Oshkosh meet official vows a ‘great experience for you all’

Jason Fast Coach Jason Fast, assistant meet director of Oshkosh masters nationals, has graciously replied to my quickie Q&A. He couldn’t tell me when the detailed event-by-event timeline will be posted, but I’m guessing that it’s likely to be sometime today or tomorrow at the USATF schedule page. He also noted in a separate email: “(The) quarter-inch pyramid […]

June 25, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  29 Comments

WMA candidate Serge Beckers balks at interview request

Serge Beckers Spurning a chance at some free publicity, WMA candidate Serge Beckers has turned down my request for an interview. He writes: “I want to thank you for your interest in my candidacy for Vice-president Stadia in WMA. However, I only want to make my program and my ideas public to the delegates of […]

June 24, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

In WMA, Friedel Schunk makes it three’s-an-illegal-crowd

Friedel Schunk of USA? Intrigue!  Citizenship mysteries! Hints of lawbreaking!  WMA politics has it all. When Annette and Robert Koop of Germany picked up the news of Tom Jordan’s appointment as acting president of World Masters Athletics, they added some insider spin. The Koops note that Friedel Schunk, acting executive VP of WMA, is a naturalized U.S. citizen […]

June 24, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Join appeal to Flotrack.org: Please cover masters in Eugene!

USATF has announced that Flotrack.org will do a live webcast of “selected events” at this weekend’s USA open nationals in Eugene. I’m hoping (and begging) that this includes the masters exhibition events  Sunday. The masters women’s 1500 will showcase Aeron Arlin Genet, and any time she runs should be good for a W40 national record […]

June 23, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Earl Fee lowers own M80 world record for 800 in Ontario

Doug Smith reports from Canada the latest exploits of Earl Fee: an M80 world record in the 800 of 2:48.95, crashing through the 2:50 barrier and beating his own WR of seven weeks ago of 2:53.29. Doug writes that 41 records (including meet records) were set Sunday at the 38th Annual OMA Championships at the […]

June 23, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Entries sparse but marks strong at USATF West Region meet

A steady drizzle Saturday morning hindered some field events, but athletes attending the two-day USATF West Region Masters Championships at Soka University in south Orange County posted some great marks. Here are results. Again, M95 Leland McPhie of San Diego shook up the record books. This time, his marks will be submitted. He stands to become […]

June 22, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  10 Comments

Dragutin Topic topples own M35 world record in high jump

Even though the highest M35 jumps on record are indoor marks of 2.30 (7-6 1/2) by America’s Charles Austin and Serbia’s Dragutin Topic,  a potential M35 world record was set Saturday by 38-year-old Dragutin, whose 2.29 (7-6) won a European Cup team meet in Norway.  That exceeds his own listed WMA record of 2.27 (7-5 […]

June 21, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment