Archive for January, 2012

Former ESPN sportscaster nails the mystery of masters track

Sandra Neil Wallace, a former ESPN sportscaster who now writes children’s and other books, composed a great essay on masters track after her M55 sprinter husband, Rich (also an author), competed in Sunday’s USATF Eastern Regional Masters Championships. See it here. Sandra says it as well as anyone: “I know if you asked masters competitors, […]

January 30, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  13 Comments

American Records to Michelsohn, Peterson at East Regionals

Pat Peterson cannot be stopped — by cancer, injury or Mother Time. At Sunday’s USATF Eastern Regionals Masters Championships, she set W85 American records in the 60 and 200, clocking 14.32 and 54.70. See results here. The 60 mark doesn’t beat any Yank’s listed record, becuz there ain’t any. See W85 records here. At the […]

January 30, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Carl Wallin pips M70 superweight record at Harvard indoor meet

Carl Wallin, longtime Dartmouth coaching legend who retired a couple years ago, hasn’t quit the sport. He now competes for Thor’s Stone (no relation). About a week ago, he chucked the 35-pound weight 10.62 meters (34-10 1/4) at the Greater Boston Track Club meet. His January 22 mark, at age 70, nipped Bob Ward’s listed […]

January 28, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Jeff Laynes scorches 55 meters at Run for the Dream meet

M40 Jeff Laynes, running in the open division, clocked 6.38 for the 55-meter dash at the Run for the Dream indoor meet in Fresno last week. Masters events were held (see results below), but Laynes was easily the top age-grouper at the Save Mart Center. USATF and WMA don’t contest the 55 (close to 60 […]

January 27, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  18 Comments

David Pain made sport go viral, like video by Rita Hanscom’s son

Profiles of masters track founder David Pain and W75 star Jeanne Daprano are featured in running magazines this winter. In the December issue of Running Times, 5K superstar Pete Magill quotes David as saying: “When I started masters, I got a phone call from a guy who’s a captain in the Navy, and he said, […]

January 27, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

My apologies for making fun of Finnish green skies! They’re for real!

My snarky remarks on the 2012 Jyväskylä worlds website haven’t gone unnoticed in Finland. Professor Jouko Ylä-Liedenpohja writes: “Your web-page recently wondered whether the logo of the indoor Worlds describes the sunset or the Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis was excellent last night in Lapland.” Jouko also sends a link to a gorgeous sky video of […]

January 25, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Houston Elite pioneer John Hartfield dies at 67; jumps record-holder

Bill Collins writes: “It it with a sad heart that I have to inform you of the death of John Hartfield, one of the original members of Houston Elite, and a former world recorded holder in the high jump as a master.  He had been battling cancer for the past few years. John’s service will be held […]

January 24, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

WMA explains Porto Alegre 2013 change of dates, in greater detail

Confirming my report of Sunday, World Masters Athletics has posted info on how Porto Alegre, Brazil, pushed back the dates of 2013 worlds by a couple months — to October 15-27. See statement here. The main points: “The change of dates had been requested by the LOC after an announcement that the Government had agreed […]

January 23, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  29 Comments

Half of finishers at Olympic Trials in 50K walk were masters age

With 39-year-old Tim Seaman taking second, five of the 10 finishers at Sunday’s Olympic Trials for the 50-kilometer race walk team were over 35. But since winner John Nunn, 33, made only the “B” standard for the London Games, he’s the whole team. I covered the race in Santee, California (10 minutes from my home) […]

January 22, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Hartshorne Diary: Peter Taylor regains his focus after car scare

Hartshorne announcer Peter Taylor’s journey from Virginia to Upstate New York was eventful — a metaphor for masters track. Worried about his car, then relieved it wasn’t a disaster. “I am just below Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, on Route 15 North, and I notice that my temperature gauge is on “hot.” It’s all the way up. This […]

January 22, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments