Archive for November, 2015

Jerry Bookin-Weiner wins David Pain Distinguished Service Award

Jerry Bookin-Weiner, national masters throws coordinator, has been named 2015 winner of the David Pain Distinguished Service Award. The USATF Masters Awards Committee (of which we are both members) made the selection in the past week or so. Jerry’s response: “I am humbled. Thank you all.” The honor was originally called Administrator of the Year […]

November 20, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  13 Comments

Russian masters get word, too: No international meets, transfers

WMA Prez Stan Perkins made it official Wednesday: “No Masters athlete who is affiliated with the ARAF [Russia’s USATF] is permitted to participate in any athletics competition outside of Russia. This includes all competitions, and applies equally to teams as well as individuals. In addition, any Masters athlete, or intending Masters athlete, who is affiliated […]

November 19, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

185 USATF masters records greenlighted, 24 rejected, 62 deferred

In his first year as USATF Masters T&F Records Committee chair, Jeff Brower handled at least 271 marks for consideration. To his credit, he’s giving dozens of folks time to fix problems in paperwork. According to his records report to the Houston annual meeting in early December, he’s recommending 185 be approved and 24 rejected. […]

November 18, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Like father like daughter: Leigh Petranoff sticks to the Rio plan

Tom Petranoff, whose monster javelin throws helped force a change in the specs, became a great masters thrower for a time. Now he’s pointing his daughter, Leigh, toward the Games. I interviewed Leigh for Times of San Diego. I also called in my chips — assembling some masters friends to form a panel commenting on […]

November 17, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Willie Banks looks back on open career and sees missed 60-footer

Lemme tell you. If I had run a couple more years of college — instead of being cut after my sophomore year — I would have run sub-54 in the 440 hurdles. But I’m not alone in woulda-coulda-shoulda. Some months back, I helped my masters friend Willie Banks prepare an article for Techniques magazine. (It’s […]

November 16, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Mastersrankings.com adds worldwide self-serve calendar function

The two biggest questions in masters track are: 1) How do I rank? And 2) Where are the meets? John Seto and his mastersrankings.com are beginning to answer Query 2 as well as 1. On Sunday, he wrote: “You all know that we are making this site your resource so you can excel and exceed […]

November 15, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

W65 Wilma Perkins strides out of hubby’s shadow in Aussie profile

Can you think of any couple more powerful in masters track than Stan and Wilma Perkins? Hubby Stan has been president of World Masters Athletics since 2009. Wilma, formerly the president of Oceania Masters, is now Australian Masters Athletics president. Wilma was profiled Thursday on an Aussie site. In 2016, with the world coming to […]

November 14, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Russian masters closer to being banned from Eurovets, Perth

Friday afternoon, when the IAAF made the stunning announcement that it was provisionally suspending the Russian track federation for all sorts of naughty stuff, I wrote to WMA prez Stan Perkins. Would a ban on Russian masters follow suit? Would he post word? Stan replied: “Yes, a statement will be made when ALL the facts […]

November 13, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Rejoice! Experts say we should avoid ice after meets or workouts

Several stories are linking to this BeCalm treatise saying ice as in RICE therapy is a bad thing. In other words, no more ice baths after workouts or between events. I neved liked them anyway. In fact, the guy who invented the Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation mnemonic now swears against it. “In this document, we will introduce you […]

November 12, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

George Haywood calls his shot: try for M60 WR in the 400?

“We baby boomers are very concerned with physical and mental decline,” says M60 world champion hurdler George Haywood in a great Washington Post story on masters athletes. “What many of us do not realize is how much of that decline is avoidable if one does the right things.” Lots of neat revelations in Tuesday’s story […]

November 11, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments