Archive for November, 2013

Back to the ’90s: Striders president calls for detente on meet dates

Robert Richardson, the national-class M60 jumper and sprinter, has taken the baton as new president of the Southern California Striders from nine-year leader Brenda Matthews. And he’s fast out of the blocks. At the masters track club’s annual awards banquet Nov. 23, he recalled how the late 1990s had more meet opportunities for SoCal masters. […]

November 29, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to all, and to all a good feast

M50 sprinter David Neumann reports he’s making progress in comeback from injuries. But no strain or pull has handicapped his thoughfulness. He sent along a masters track poem for the Thanksgiving season (below). Besides embracing my family and friends, I’m giving thanks today for meet directors who let a wretch like me run in their […]

November 28, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Please excuse this anti-commercial interruption: Spam-busters R Us

For five hours this week, I cleared out thousands of spam topics and posts in the Forums — my message boards. Starting the night of Nov. 21, hundreds of spammers (human and spambot) began bombarding the boards, leading to a flood of posts for drugs, porn sites, dissertation help and whatnot. I zapped most of […]

November 28, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Masters champ backs fight to save L.A. Valley College T&F program

Los Angeles Valley College doesn’t have the rep of a UCLA, USC or Oxy, but its track records are impressive, including 10.30 for 100, 40.4 in the 4×1 and 7-1 in the high jump. LAVC may lose its track program, though. (And with it more potential masters tracksters down the line.) Sacramento worlds M60 vault […]

November 22, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

50 years since JFK assassination and my 4th-grade track awakening

I was 9 years old when I heard the news — at lunchtime at Centralia Elementary School in Anaheim, California — that President Kennedy had been shot and killed in Dallas. I recall watching TV with my mother that long dreadful weekend. But while pondering who I was in 1963, a skinny fourth-grader recently moved […]

November 22, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Brit labeled the ‘world’s fastest sprinter over 50’ off his WMA victory

Winners of the Olympic 100-meter finals are tagged the World’s Fastest Man/Woman. But does the same apply to WMA champions? Of course not. Nations send their best to the Games. Nations hardly know masters athletes exist. So it was startling to read a British news story that said: “Mr (Pat) Logan, who is from Epsom […]

November 20, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  24 Comments

Christa Bortignon: IAAF Gala was ‘once in a lifetime experience’

What a lucky duck Usain Bolt is. In Monte Carlo over the weekend he had the honor of meeting Charles Allie and Christa Bortignon, WMA Best Masters of the Year. They shared the stage and limelight at the annual IAAF Gala, where Bolt got his latest IAAF Athlete of the Year award. Christa responded to […]

November 20, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Online pages will be portal for submitting, checking masters records

Patience, grasshoppers. As reported in March, USATF masters national chair Gary Snyder and his records-advisory committee are ramping up a new system for reporting and ratifying age-group records. Further, an online form under development will allow applicants to report their marks. And a pending records database (here using made-up names) would be a way for […]

November 19, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Family, friends recall Al Sheahen, ‘a man of great social conscience’

Bob Sheahen, 13 years younger than his eldest brother Al, noted the irony of holding his Celebration of Life at a swanky country club. “He would never dream of having an event at a place like this,” Bob told 70 family members and friends a week ago Sunday. “My brother would have been fighting down […]

November 17, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Nick Newton dances at his 80th birthday party: See video highlights

To me, the highlight of Nick Newton’s 80th birthday party was seeing him stand up, step aside from his electric cart and dance to the music. First he held hands with family members. Then he swayed under his own power. His face became serene, despite his painful hip. “Papa” Nick was loving it. My 16-minute […]

November 16, 2013   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments