James Lofton making M50 sprint debut this month
James Lofton is one of the best long sprinters in the masters world. But he rarely gets the attention he deserves because he doesn’t compete at nationals. As wide receivers coach for the San Diego Chargers (with hopes of being a head coach someday), James can’t get away from his day job in early August. His NFL team’s minicamps compete with the late-summer track season. But James is listed as entered in the two-day USATF Western Regional Masters Championships this month at Long Beach State University, near Los Angeles. And he’s a newly minted M50. (His birthday was July 5.)
His bio tells of his track experience:
In 1978, he won the NCAA Championship in the long jump. Lofton graduated from Stanford in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
Lofton has competed in Masters track and field events since 1997. He won the 2003 Pacific Association Championship in the 400 meters and posted the fastest time in the world in the 300 meters for the 45-49 year old division. In 2002, Lofton won the Western Regional Championship in the 400 meters and in 2001, he captured the long jump championship. Lofton also won the championship in the long jump at the World Masters Games in 1999. His first titles were in 1997 in the 200 and 400 meters, and the long jump at the Texas State Masters.
James and his wife, Beverly, have three children, sons, David and Daniel, and daughter, Rachel. David is a senior free safety at Stanford. Daniel is a senior and an all-league wide receiver and a two-time All-CIF performer in track at Westview High School. He was the CIF Division-I Champion in the 400 meters in 2005. Rachel also attends Westview High School where she is a freshman and competes in soccer and track.
At this year’s Western Regionals, James is entered in the 200, 400 and long jump. (So I get to run against James in the deuce. Be afraid, be very afraid, James.)
(Also a chance he’ll compete tomorrow at the Trojan Masters Track Meet at USC. I’ll report back after the meet.)
The Status of Entries page offers other nuggets as well:
— W45 Lesley Chaplin-Swann is entered in the 800, 1500 and mile (yes, an added event). She lives in Georgia but competes for the club sponsoring this meet — SoCal/Fleet Feet TC. She’s a Linz indoor world champ.
— M55 Nolan Shaheed is down for his usual 800 and mile, but he’s also entered in the 200. A chance to see if his WR middle-distance speed translates to half a lap.
— M65 Ed Burke, the three-time Olympian, will go for another world record in the hammer throw.
— M75 Jim Selby, the ironman’s ironman, is now 77 and will compete in — take a deep breath — the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, mile, 300 hurdles and 2000-meter steeplechase.
More gems should emerge as entries trickle in.
One Response
James, Thanks for staying with your runnig you are a great athlete, I just wish I could see more of you. You like Billy “Whiteshoe” Johnson with Atlanta Falcons don’t get much time off to run. Good luck this weekend and the best to you always in your running.
Your Friend
Bill Collins
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