Archive for July, 2009

USATF posts hometown roster of Lahti world meet entrants

USATF today posted the roster of Americans entered in next week’s World Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland. Click here for the list, which includes hometowns. The list doesn’t reflect recent scratches, such as Nolan Shaheed, Larry Barnum and Kevin Forde. But it’s interesting to study. For example, at least six couples are entered — […]

July 24, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Nolan Shaheed, Kevin Forde among late scratches from Lahti

Nolan Shaheed Lahti worlds has lost some of its luster. In recent weeks, we’ve learned of the death of Aussie masters great and many times WAVA champ Shirley Brasher and a cruel injury to M45 miler Kevin Forde. Now comes word that world masters champ Nolan Shaheed won’t compete either. Noting that injuries are a masters […]

July 23, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  15 Comments

The spirit of Oshkosh: Photos testify to our better angels

A small boy glows with pride for his hero dad. Marty Krulee embraces Mike Waller as the new M50 sprint great. An injured hurdler shows his pain. Another hurdler holds his hammie and wonders: Why me? Leland McPhie eats up the attention after his M95 high jump world record. Old and young. Fierce rivals but fast friends. […]

July 23, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Sacramento launches Web site for 2011 world masters meet

The WMA world outdoor championships are off to a blazing start. I don’t mean Lahti, which begins next week. I’m referring to the 2011 Sacramento worlds. Local organizers have just unveiled a Web site devoted to the 19th World Masters Athletics Championships. In addition, I was sent this 24-page PDF — the snazzy, full-color brochure […]

July 22, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Ohmygosh: 400-plus photos posted from Oshkosh nationals

Kay Glynn’s hair rises as she clears the  bar. Bruce McBarnette lowers his center of mass a second before leaping an American record.  Mike Waller calmly holds off a pair of world champions in the M50 sprints. These and dozens of other dramatic moments are in our latest Oshkosh gallery. Chris and I covered all […]

July 22, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Enrico Saraceni edges closer to oldest sub-50 in history

Can a man over 45 run the 400 in 49 seconds outdoors?  Italy’s Enrico Saraceni is determined to find out. Results of a Sunday meet in Recanati show Enrico lowering his M45 season best to 50.27 — inches shy of Fred Sowerby’s storied outdoor WR of 50.20. (Fred holds the indoor WR of 49.89.) Enrico writes: “I […]

July 21, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Faces of Oshkosh: Photo gallery of pain, pique and pride

Smile!  You’re on Kendid Camera!  And Chris’ camera, for that matter. The Stones rocked and rolled throughout Oshkosh nationals with Nikons D80 and D40, and the first of three galleries are now posted. I call it “Faces of USATF masters nationals,” and it really captures the strength and focus of entrants in extremis. Or just […]

July 21, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Canadian masters nationals conclude, but where are results?

Kamloops, British Columbia, will host the world indoor championships in March 2010, but the LOC’s performance as site of the just-ended Canadian masters outdoor nationals was weak in the results department. We haven’t seen any. The three-day meet ended Sunday. Not even Friday’s results are posted, as of early Monday morning. Tsk, tsk. The entry lists have […]

July 20, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

YouTube archiving more masters track videos from nationals

Videos and slide shows of Oshkosh nationals are blossoming on YouTube. “Faster, Higher, Farther . . .  Older,” set to classical music, shares my fascination with age. This 5-minute masterpiece starts with the younger masters and ends with the M95s at nationals.  Meanwhile WBAY, a local TV station, focused on two M95s — Frank Levine […]

July 20, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Study shows damage done by competing June 6 SoCal meets

On June 6, masters tracksters were forced to choose between two high-quality events — a USATF association meet at Soka University in Orange County and another at Caltech in Pasadena. It wasn’t a win-win for anyone, according to a revealing study by Jim Hanley, assistant meet director of the Caltech meet — the California Senior […]

July 19, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments