Wildfires ravage area near Spokane masters nationals
This isn’t likely to affect our meet, but folks in the Spokane Valley were being evacuated from the path of an out-of-control wildfire tonight. Here’s one story on the situation. My best friend Rick (a high school track teammate) wrote me: “Several wildfires started in the high winds and low humidity in Spokane today. One is near our home. The terrain is hilly, so the firefighters on the ground are having a hard time putting a line around it. The high winds kept aircraft out of the sky so there was no air support. . . . Red Cross set up the shelter at a high school gym about 7 miles from our house. I spent a few hours volunteering at the shelter near the fire, both to help out and to be closer to the fire to monitor its whereabouts.” Let’s hope fire crews snuff this sucker soon!
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Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that they can get this fire out quickly. Just checked, the temperature at 3:45 this afternoon in Spokane was 73 degrees with 18% humidity. Low temps should help the firefighters. Predicted highs for next 10 days (July 12 through 21) range from 82 degrees to 88 degrees, a bit hot for Spokane, as the average high during July is just 82 degrees (average high in August is 83).
On another subject, I just looked at the entries. They’re still lagging in most age groups, and the regular deadline is just 13 days away (July 24). Some encouragement in the M70 group and a few others. As a proxy, I checked the 200 dash — there are 53 entrants in that event overall. I certainly hope that by next Thursday (July 17, exactly 3 weeks before the meet) there are at least 150 in the 200 dash. I say that because in 2006 (Charlotte meet), there were 294 entered in the 200 dash exactly 3 weeks before the meet. Thus,we really need to see a kick as we near the deadline.
I’d give almost anything for 73 degree temps in Spokane during Nats.
Thanks for the constant updates on entries, PT.
So I’m curious with such low numbers- why has the Red Lion been full for 2 months for August 6th?
EconoLodge 8 minutes from the venue: $54 a night, free wireless internet, complimentary breakfast and a nice pool…you can’t beat that with a stick!
That EconoLodge used to be $40.50 a night through Expedia. Now it’s $54 as simpdog has mentioned. If you go to choicehotels.com and enter the USATF code, it’s $50.96 a night.
Thanks, Mellow Johnny. Everything has a reason, but I can’t figure out for the life of me why the entries continue to drag. BTW, I am using the 200 dash as a proxy because it is too hard after awhile to count every person. Why? Names are too similar, and everyone must be counted only ONCE, even if they are in 10 events. For example, in M30 we have a Josh Q., a Joshua D., and a Joshua S. (too easy to make an error).
I also have good historical data on the 200. The even-numbered years are the ones to look at, because these are the years when the masters get an easy ride – no Worlds and, especially, no Senior Games to worry about. Just checked; we now have 54 in the 200 dash, up 1 from yesterday’s 53. To keep pace with Charlotte (2006) we need to add 240 in the 200 by this coming Thursday, July 17, as that is the point when Charlotte hit 294 in the 200(EXACTLY three weeks before the meet started).
As for hotels, always go with Kimmy Nakatake for information, as she is a whip (can high jump, long jump, sprint, and figure out the best deal like nobody’s business).
The bad news: Recent count revealed only 71 competitors in the 200 …quite disappointing. Good news: I have been informed by a competitor in Colorado that based on her experience there may be a significant delay in the posting of mailed entries, perhaps as long as 2 weeks. Of course, I believe that mailed entries may be below half of all entries, but still this comes as a relief.
Let us hope that a combination of late posting of entries already in (through US mail) and entries over the Internet in upcoming days will have us soaring (regular deadline is Thursday, July 24, or 10 days from today).
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