It’s not Shakespeare, but it’s a serviceable summary of USATF Masters T&F in 2006. Along with other committee chairs, acting masters chair Suzy Hess reports to the wider Indy audience on what the geezers in USATF were up to this year. She begins by noting the resignation of Chairman George: “The resignation of George Mathews as chair of the Masters T&F committee, September 13, 2006, will prompt an election for a new chair during the annual meeting in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, I will try to do a brief report for the committee.”

Here’s the rest of Suzy’s report, whose original can be read here:
The elected officers for the committee are composed of Suzy Hess, Vice Chair, Lester Mount, Secretary, and Joy MacDonald treasurer. These officers were elected at the 2004 annual meeting. I am serving in my second term. There has been much discussion regarding the Strategic Plan, which was further developed in 2006 by Todd Taylor. It has helped to identify the goals and objectives and to look for ways to turn these into action for the future. We are a grass roots committee that derives our base from the Association level.
Championships International
There was not international outdoor competition this year, but world indoor competition was held in Linz, Austria. There were 97 U.S. athletes attending out of a total of more than 3000 masters from all over the world and over 50 medals were won by them including 24 gold. This was the largest attendance at a world indoor meet by U.S. athletes. Bill Collins won the M55 60m, 200m and 400m (54.22), and established en route, two world records in each of the semi-finals and finals of the M55 200, with 23.70 and 23.36, respectively. He also broke the world record in the finals of the 60m with 7.34 and earned the USATF “Athlete of the Week” honors for March 21, 2006.
National – Indoors
The 2006 Indoor Championships returned to the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Boston on March 24-26. It was the 10th USA Masters indoor meet held in Boston and drew 761 people, which was a little higher than the 726 of 2004. This year’s meet yielded seven world and 27 national age-group records. For three days, the athletes ranging in age from 30 to 92, competed in five-year age groups in events ranging from the pentathlon of Friday to the mile on Saturday and the Superweight on Sunday.
National – Outdoors
The 2006 Outdoor Championships were held in Charlotte, North Carolina at the UNC-Charlotte Irwin Belk Track Complex, August 3-6. After 39 years the Masters outdoor track and field Championships finally made national news. Not for the records being set, or the quality of the competition, but because of record temperatures. Unfortunately due to the heat-wave that swept through the East, Southeast and Midwest, the competition was stopped by campus police and EMR personnel. The Masters Games Committee and Chair George Mathews worked long and hard to reschedule events during evening hours, provide liquids, and transport athletes in the heat. Most of the athletes understood the problems. There were 1367 athletes who set 40 records. The USATF national office with Andy Martin and Tom Surber, and the Masters Media committee, chaired by Robert Weiner, did a great job promoting the meet, and media coverage was exceptional.
Regional
The following locations and dates held Regional Championships:
Indoor
East-Susquehanna U., Selingsgrove, Pa., March 19
Midwest-Carhage College, Kenosha, Wisc., March 5
Mid-America-USAF Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo, Feb. 26
Southwest-Texas Tech U., Lubbock, Texas, Jan. 14
Outdoor
East-Springfield, Mass., July 22
Southeast-Duke U., Durham, N.C., May 5-7
Midwest-Grand Valley State U., Allendale, Mich., July 29
Mid-America-Colorado State U., Ft. Collins, Colo., Sept. 2-3
Southwest-Austin, Texas, July 15
West-Carson (L.A), Calif., July 22-23
Northwest-Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 24-25
Other Committees
The committees that have made significant contributions during the past year include; media committee, Active Athletes, Awards, Championships Sites, Combined-Events, Masters Invitational, Race walking, Rankings, Records, Hall of Fame, Team Manager, Weight Events, WMA Delegates (Indoor), and most of all the Games Committee, who spent a tremendous amount of time helping to coordinate our National Championships. Thanks also to our regional coordinators who help to make masters track & field a success.
With much appreciation,
Suzy Hess, Vice-Chair (Acting Chair)
Masters Track & Field
Me again:
Meanwhile, the latest edition of Suzy’s National Masters News arrived in my mailbox today, and Randy Sturgeon is formally introduced as the new owner of NMN. He has some forward-thinking things to say, including a promise to talk to masters and find out what they want in their monthly newspaper.
One thing I don’t want is fake news. On page 3 is an eight-paragraph item headlined “ActiveWrap Releases New Product.”
The article begins:
“Helping U.S. athletes since 1997, ActiveWrap provides quality injury care and prevention wraps for all levels of sports and fitness.”
The article ends:
“For more information, visit www.activewrap.com or www.coldtherapy.com, or call toll-free XXXXXXX.”
And wouldn’t you know it! Right beneath the article (which carries no byline or attribution or source label) is a half-page ad devoted to ActiveWrap! Pictured on the ad are two folks masters will all identify with: “Roger Craig, SuperBowl MVP and marathon runner” and “Ashley Borden, Pro Cheerleader.”
This, of course, is bush league journalism. It’s an embarrassment. Agreeing to run a “news article” alongside a paid advertisement simply brands a publication as a sellout.
I hope this kind of do-anything-for-a-buck ethos ends when Randy and his editor, Juliet Wahleithner, take over in January.