As promised, several masters events were contested before the University of Oregon’s Pepsi Team Invitational on Saturday at Hayward Field. The highlight was W75 Suzi MacLeod staking claim to the American outdoor record in the mile, clocking 8:54.80. Despite the existence of W70 and W80 records, USATF lists no outdoor mile record for W75!  The W75 American indoor record is 8:26.79 by Louise Adams in 1997. (The listed outdoor WR is 8:17.4 by Canada’s Hazel Cameron in 1999.) In 2004, Suzi was named W70 Female Masters Track Runner of the Year. At 75, she was poised to seize the record for her new age group.  Her 8:54.80 at age 75 corresponds on the Age-Graded Tables to an open time of  5:07.03. Great effort, Suzi! 

Here’s Suzi (left) with friend Madeline Bost at 1997 San Jose nationals .

Back in February, Suzi posted this comment on my blog:

Ohhhhhh@#$%^, I am hoping for a comeback! I get only ONE shot at the WR Mile ea year. It is usually in June before I am peaking in August — but I am training hard now, despite high winds and snow in Bend.

For nothing! Can’t we have it in August? it is not fair to have only ONE SHOT at the WR Mile per year. There aren’t many years left, new age group 75-79 this year —
Can anyone find me a WR Mile taking place this summer?

Here are other masters results from Saturday’s meet:

                        Pepsi Invitation Masters – 4/4/2009                     
                                     4/4/2009                                   
                                      Results                                   
 
  Event 1  X40-84 1 Mile Run Age Graded
  ================================================================
      Name                     Age Team                    Finals
  ================================================================
  Finals
    1 Yorges, Chris            M43 Oregon Track Clu       4:45.11 
    1 Clingan, Dave            M54 Bowerman AC            4:54.38 
    1 McKay, Jeff              M46 Oregon Track Clu       5:40.41 
    1 Kluge, Trisha            W49 Oregon Track Clu       5:54.77 
    1 Dougherty, DeeAnn        W50 Unattached             6:13.00 
    1 Vesey, Robin             W55 Unattached             6:29.56 
    1 Golly, Bob               M74 Oregon Track Clu       7:59.75 
    1 MacLeod, Suzy            W75 Oregon Track Clu       8:54.80 
    1 McMicken, Craig          M82 Oregon Track Clu       9:44.12 
    2 Kreuzpeinter, Thomas     M43 Oregon Track Clu       4:46.75 
    2 Maier, Bill              M54 Oregon Track Clu       5:16.83 
    3 Godwin, Craig            M41 Oregon Track Clu       4:59.36 
 
  Event 2  W45-69 200 M Dash
  ================================================================
      Name                     Age Team                    Finals
  ================================================================
    1 Sluys, Daphne            W47 Club Northwest           29.28 
    1 Stringer, Marie          W65 Oregon Track Clu         45.86 
    2 Johnson, Mary            W46 Oregon Track Clu         31.33 
 
  Event 3  M40-74 200 M Dash
  ================================================================
      Name                     Age Team                    Finals
  ================================================================
    1 Sanders, Steve           M43 Team Red Lizard          25.64 
    1 Budziszewski, Joseph     M50 Unattached               27.99 
    1 Golly, Bob               M74 Oregon Track Clu         34.47 
    2 Banuelos, Fidel          M42 Team Red Lizard          26.56

Craig Godwin of Oregon Track Club Masters, who provided these results, also writes:

 
I have some of you already entered, but just a reminder that there will  also be masters 100m and 800m races at the Men of Oregon vs. UCLA dual meet in two weeks on April 18th.  If you haven’t already, let me know if  you want to compete.