Archive for October, 2017

USATF masters records get big rewrite; ratifications are expedited

My Hero of the Year is Jeff Brower, USATF Masters records chair, who has done a massive rewrite of the AR books and reformed the ratification system. Quietly updating USATF age-group records, he’s added marks as old as 1985 (an M60 5000 of 16:52 by Jim O’Neil, wiping out a recently listed 16:56.9 by Nolan […]

October 20, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

W60 Carol Finsrud named USATF Athlete of the Week for 2 WRs

Two weeks after Joy Upshaw won USATF Masters Athlete of the Week honors, another Hall of Famer got the same recognition for a record-setting outing. On Wednesday, W60 Carol Finsrud was cited for world records in the discus and throws pentathlon. (Official results have yet to be posted, but Indy HQ took my word for […]

October 19, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Club West Masters Meet returns to Santa Barbara on Oct. 22

Jim Hanley writes: “I just heard the good news that our meet, the California State Senior Games Championship, is confirmed for June 2, 2018, at Caltech. … On another subject, attached is a flier for the Club West Masters meet scheduled for Sunday, October 22, 2017. …. Note that there is a late fee for day […]

October 18, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Huntsman World Senior Games track meet starts (and an apology)

That’s not egg on my face. It’s a ham and cheese omelet. A week ago, I posted a rant about results not being posted for the Huntsman World Senior Games. Of course, a good reason existed: The track meet had yet to start. (It officially opened Monday, Oct. 16, at Dixie High School.) I apologize […]

October 17, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments

W60 Carol Finsrud finally claims legal discus and throws pent WRs

After warming up at home recently in Lockhart, Texas, with all-comers throws beyond the listed W60 world records, Masters Hall of Famer Carol Finsrud reported on Facebook she notched two WRs last weekend at the Texas vs. The World meet at Texas State University in San Marcos. “I threw the discus 40.76 meters (133-9),” she […]

October 16, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Failing Times of India pretends Man Kaur is fastest W100 sprinter

For once, I have something nice to say about WMA and USATF and their record lists. Despite W100 Julia Hawkins not yet having gone through the annual meeting records review, her 39.62 over 100 meters at the June National Senior Games is listed as the American and world age-group record. This is important because in […]

October 15, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

How I fared on San Diego TV, using the M-word in political chat

“How dare he insert masters track into a political discussion!” That’s something nobody said Friday after my appearance on San Diego’s public radio-TV station. In my debut on the KPBS Roundtable, a weekly show featuring local journalists discussing current events, I defended the idea of 84-year-old Dianne Feinstein running for a sixth term in the […]

October 13, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

November street mile for over-65s features M60 Steve Scott visit

Ryan Lamppa, founder of bringbackthemile.com, shares news of a street mile on the Oceanside coast, a half-hour north of San Diego. It’s called the Tri-City Medical Center Festival of Senior Miles. The race targets 65-plus, but will include a cameo by former American mile record-holder Steve Scott, 61, who coaches in the area. Ryan writes […]

October 12, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Jeff Harrell ends M75 season in Texas just feet short of discus AR

M75 Jeff Harrell’s local paper in Texas tells how he saved his best throw for last this season, tossing his discus 42.44 meters (139-3). That’s close to the American record of 43.83 (143-9) by Roger Busch in 2016. “The throw is the longest by a Texan in 75-79 Masters history and third-longest by an American […]

October 11, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Vin Lananna hints masters events at 2021 IAAF worlds (if asked)

Vin Lananna brought his “listening tour” to San Diego on Sunday, and I joined a dozen local USATF brass at a shoe store where we sat in a semi semicircle on wooden folding chairs and peppered the prez with comments and questions. Since I was covering for Times of San Diego (see my story), I […]

October 8, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments