Archive for July, 2017

Tributes pour in for Monte Upshaw, Joy’s dad and track inspiration

Joy Upshaw is a Masters Hall of Famer in large part because of her dad’s example and inspiration, not to mention his genes. Monte Upshaw in 1954 broke Jesse Owens’ high school long jump record. Joy, and her younger sister, Grace, went on to snap other long jump records in masters and college ranks. Grace […]

July 30, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  10 Comments

Scott McPherson lays out theories on how he tested positive at ABQ

In my Times of San Diego story on M60 walker Scott McPherson and his four-year doping ban, I report that USADA found no other drug positives at Albuquerque indoor nationals. So that’s newsy news. The rest is Scott’s theories on how steroids entered his system. I also quote a USADA spokeswoman at length saying they […]

July 28, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Denmark hosting strongest 2017 outdoor masters meet in the world

Don’t look now, but the best masters track meet this summer has started in Denmark. It’s the European Masters Athletics Championships, aka WMA regionals. Well, do look. The folks in Aarhus are likely to be your competition at 2018 worlds in Malaga, Spain. The meet continues through Aug. 6, with the sked here. They have […]

July 27, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

M60 Scott McPherson on USADA 4-year doping sanction: ‘I’m done’

Scott McPherson of Lubbock, Texas, called me Wednesday to talk about his 4-year doping ban by USADA. Yes, he’s the optometrist I found online. No, he’s not a drug cheat. He calls this case “comical” because he’s been race walking only a year as a hobby. Here’s what I learned in a 20-minute chat: He’s […]

July 26, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  19 Comments

Nick Symmonds offers Vegas plan to jumpstart pro track & field

Nick Symmonds, the great 800-meter man, is retired from pro track but not trying to fix the sport. He doesn’t turn 35 until the end of 2018, but maybe he’ll have ideas for masters as well. “If I could raise $2–3 million,” he writes, “I could put on the world’s greatest and most modern track […]

July 25, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Father Ted’s miracle: Beating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as M70

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a horrible illness, but Aussie priest Ted Miller is conquering it, thank God (as he does). M70 Ted told his local parish weekly that the CFS he had was linked to glandular fever he contracted in his 20s, “which – when linked to a virus like the Epstein-Barr virus that causes […]

July 24, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

MTF Chair Harvey answers critics, questions on LSU weather delays

Mike Travers, USATF Eastern Region masters coordinator, has posted on Facebook a memo from national masters chair Rex Harvey with the title “Weather Delays at Meets.” Here’s what Rex wrote Friday: “This past weekend at the Outdoor Nationals in Baton Rouge, the competition was interrupted several times by weather delays. Some people called them rain […]

July 23, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Yo, vaulters: Poles available for rent at Toronto world regional meet

A few weeks ago, word went out that USATF Masters would take reservations for poles it would ship to Toronto for the Aug. 11-13 NCCWMA world regional meet. “If we receive enough reservations, we will ship poles,” said the message to vaulters. Now the USATF and Doug “Shaggy” Smith, NCCWMA meet director, have reached an […]

July 22, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Rex Harvey has cancer setback, won’t step back from USATF roles

Rex Harvey reported Thursday on his six-month cancer checkup, and it wasn’t good news. “One tumor is growing a little bit after a year and half of no change, so we will attempt some more treatment,” our national masters chair began in a Facebook post. “I have been accepted into a clinical trial. It is […]

July 21, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Julia Hawkins at 101 becomes oldest USATF Athlete of the Week

With a nickname like “Hurricane,” Julia Hawkins couldn’t help taking the world by storm. In being named USATF Athlete of the Week, she’s likely to hold the title of oldest AoW for a long time — or until she’s picked again. Julia is 101. Just a pup. (The previous record-holder was spring chicken Ida Keeling […]

July 20, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment