Archive for December, 2009

Greatest masters vaulter in history set for Reno PV Summit

Wolfgang Ritte Germany’s Wolfgang Ritte, the Sergey Bubka of masters track and the 2008 World Masters Athlete of the Year, is coming to America. He’s reportedly set to compete next month in the world-famous National Pole Vault Summit, an indoor event in Reno, Nevada. Wolfie, with his vaulting wife, Ute, apparently are having their travel […]

December 31, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  14 Comments

Nick Berra aims to deliver more goods after 1:57 anchor leg

Nick Berra Two days before American Neil Fitzgerald took a close second in the M40 800 final at Lahti worlds, Nicholas Berra ran essentially the same time — high 1:57s — at a meet in York, Pennsylvania. Nick ended his first season of masters track as the No. 4 American in his age group. His […]

December 30, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

When should races be run at sizzling Sacramento nationals?

A young masters steepler has started a poll on our Forum. He asks: “Due to the high temps in Sacramento in July, when should races be run?” His choices are “1) Status Quo: everything during the day. 2) Sprints in the Day, Distance Races at night and 3) Everything under the lights. Let’s beat the […]

December 29, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  31 Comments

Greater Philly TC claims WR for 4×800 relay at the Armory

Anchored by the 1:57.4 of M40 newbie Nick Berra, the Greater Philadelphia Track Club took a tenth of a second off the listed M40-49 world indoor record for the 4×800 relay Sunday. The club’s Chuck Shields reports that the GPTC foursome of Scott Landis, Bob McGinty, Kevin Forde and Berra — average age 43 — […]

December 29, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Mark your calendar for 2045: Stacy Dragila is preggers!

Ian and Stacy Waltz Becca Gillespy Peter, knower of all things vaultish, has reported on a Track & Field News message board that Stacy Dragila is pregnant. Stacy, who turns 39 in March, will be a first-time mom at a late age, but at least this will give her a year or so to recover […]

December 28, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments

WMA president confirms second doping case at Lahti worlds

Stan Perkins Stan Perkins, president of World Masters Athletics, has replied to my query on drug cases at last summer’s Lahti world masters championships. We’ve been aware of the Finnish thrower’s case for a couple months. Now a second shoe is about to drop. Stan writes: “In Lahti there were two adverse analysis results. The […]

December 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Mary Harada gets Boston Globed for Hall of Fame induction

Mary Harada in 2006 . Mary Harada, the mouse that roars, is featured in today’s Boston Globe as well its online site. Under the headline “A lifetime of running,” writer John Vellante notes her recent induction into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame and quotes Mary (a frequent visitor here): “I’m really not sure how […]

December 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments

2010 U.S. meet calendar updated; all-comers sked up, too

Dave Clingan, our Masters Hall of Famer to be, has updated the 2010 USA masters meet calendar on this site. Here it is.  Dave plans to post international meets in the next few weeks. And Andy Hecker writes: “I’d like to announce that the Winter edition of the North American All Comer Meet Directory is […]

December 26, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Horton who? Bay Area running club never heard of dreamer

Responses are dribbling in to my queries about Chris “I’m gonna set world records and win Olympic titles” Mitchell-Horton, whose logic-defying story I told a few days ago. One came from Ken Grebenstein, president of the Tamalpa Runners Club. On his Web site profile, Chris says he’s a member of this club. But Ken writes: “I […]

December 25, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  10 Comments

All we want for Christmas are some PBs (and maybe a record)

M55 vaulter John Carmony in Colorado has sent a charming little Christmas greeting to friends — a takeoff on Twas the Night before Christmas. It ends perfectly. (See it below.)  We’ve also gotten word of another masters age-group record. This time it’s at a USATF-sanctioned Senior Games. Dr. James E. Oglesby, an M75 thrower, writes that […]

December 24, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments