Archive for May, 2012

Happy Mother’s Day to all this applies to (and their supporters)

Track and field, like mother’s work, is an individual activity. But all moms have support teams, and so do we in masters track. So here’s a big hooray for the moms in masters track, and all their backup systems. I’m especially grateful to my wife (mom of Bobby, 23), who joins me at big news […]

May 13, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Guest rant on records: Pete Magill tells why he won’t apply for 5K

Pete Magill went on record against our obscene and obtuse record-ratification process eight months ago. He hasn’t softened in his M50 dotage. He writes about his American record 5K: “You know what I did after running my 15:11? I jogged two miles with a friend, stopped by the timer’s tent to get a copy of […]

May 10, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  27 Comments

Bail and number of counts reduced against Kettrell Berry

M45 sprinter Kettrell Berry faces 11 years in prison if convicted of the charges against him, but the case has been reduced by the District Attorney’s Office. Originally, his bail was $1.1 million. Now it’s $150,000, which means he might get out if he raises about 10 percent of that. He pleaded not guilty today […]

May 8, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Mike McNees follows ex-CEO friend Logan out door at USATF

Not a surprise. Three years after USATF CEO Doug Logan brought him on board as chief operating officer, Mike McNees is exiting USA Track & Field, says this announcement. Until recently, Mike was acting CEO, since Doug got fired by the board. The wording of USATF release is ambiguous. But that means he probably got […]

May 7, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Pete Magill reclaims title of King of the 5K with American record

Pete Magill’s specialty is the 5000 meters. His cross country, road and track titles at that distance are many. On Sunday, he added another gem to the crown: M50 American outdoor record. It was the third lowering of the age-group record this season, following efforts by Ken Ernst and Mike Blackmore. (Is this a modern […]

May 7, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  15 Comments

Dick Camp puts faith in track as well as M-Infinity Guy Upstairs

Dick Camp, a world-class M75 sprinter, has Parkinson’s disease, he informs. “I am not taking medications for PD,” he says. “My wife is filling me with brain food like kale, cabbage, etc., and good supplements.  I also believe that wind sprints and sprinting produce dopamine in the brain, giving me reason to train more vociferously for health […]

May 7, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

M45 long sprinter Kettrell Berry facing child-molestation charges

Our longtime friend Kettrell Berry, whose young son is a running prodigy and whose masters friends are many, is sitting in a San Diego jail today after his arrest yesterday on 25 child-molestation charges. U-T San Diego reported: Kettrell Berry, who was a supervisor at the San Diego Center for Children for nine years until […]

May 5, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  51 Comments

A cautionary tale: Sacramento lost $300,000 on hosting worlds

In 2007, Sacramento won the right to host 2011 worlds. All was right in the world (except for a war here and there). Then in 2008, the economy collapsed, and with it a lot of retiree investments. That’s why 6,000 athletes didn’t show for the WMA championships as hoped. And that’s why the LOC took […]

May 5, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Roald Bradstock is living the Olympic Trials dream (again)

British native Roald Bradstock threw the jav in two Olympic Games (1984 and 1988) and caught a bug: the Olympic Trials bug. He became a U.S. citizen and threw in our Trials in 2000, 2004 and 2008. This year, at age 50, he’s been invited to compete in the British Olympic Trials. It will be […]

May 4, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Belated congrats to Nadine O’Connor for latest vault WRs at 70

Buried in the results of last Saturday’s Southern California Striders Meet of Champions was a vault mark for newbie W70 Nadine O’Connor. About six weeks after aging up, she demolished the listed WR in the vault of 2.36 meters (7-8 3/4) by Oregon’s Becky Sisley in 2009. Nadine went 2.75 (9-0 1/4) for an age-graded […]

May 4, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments