What time is your event? Check this Spokane schedule!
It was like pulling polar bear teeth, but we finally have an unofficial, subject-to-change time schedule for Spokane masters nationals — which starts in only five days. The Games Committee headed by Jim Flanik finally relented and made the sked public. (Click here for the events and times.) Neither the local organizers nor USATF’s Indy media office was responsible for the holdup. I’ve also posted a new, improved press release that lists Olympians and current world champions entered.
16 Responses
The release left out Chris Grant who won the 400m hurdle at the World Championship in Italy last year.
FR: David E. Ortman (M55) Seattle, WA
I wish to register the strongest possible protest to the way USATF has handled the 2008 Masters Outdoor Championship entry process.
The tenative meet schedule, which is still posted at: http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/USAMastersOutdoorTFChampionships/schedule.asp
was the only information provided by the entry deadline on which to base event entries.
For example, on Saturday the event order is listed on the website as:
100m finals
200m prelims
400m Hurdles Prelims
However, now that the final actual schedule is released the actual order of Saturday events is:
400m Hurdles Prelims
100m Finals
200m Prelims
That is a big difference. I would have made different entry selections had an accurate schedule (at least of the order of events) been available.
This is unacceptable. I would have thought that by now the meet events order would be standardized and not shuffled around at the last moment.
Spokane has hosted this meet twice previously. Athletes deserve an explanation on why the schedule of events was changed at the last moment from what was posted on the website.
Chris Grant indeed is entered in Spokane (in the M35 100 and 400 hurdles) and won gold in the long hurdles at Riccione — competing for Jamaica.
However, I tried to list only USA gold medalists, since I didn’t have access to the names of all foreign athletes entered in Spokane, including Canadians.
For example, I’ve heard that Karla del Grande of Ontario is entered in the sprints, and she’s won many recent world titles.
It’s cold comfort, David, if you do have to run a prelim, but the last two years I recall we had more than 9 entered for the 55-59 IH but scratches made the prelim unnecessary. But, really, at our age, do we want to be running a 400m hurdle trial? Or would a final on time, if necessary, be acceptable?
Tony Encheandia did not win a gold medal for the USA, he won a gold medal for Puerto Rico. Both athletes have competed at our National Championships for years so I think that they should both be recognized.
Your release is incorrect. Tony Encheandia did not win a gold medal for the USA, he won a gold medal for Puerto Rico. Both he and Chris Grant have competed at our National Championships for years so I think that they should both be recognized.
Two comments about the meet:
The weather. We did not luck out, as the temperature (latest forecast) for the four days is predicted to be as follows:
Thursday: 64 to 94
Friday: 61 to 86
Saturday: 61 to 90
Sunday: 57 to 87.
When you consider that the average August high in Spokane is a very mild 83 degrees, you see that we will be a bit unlucky, but the low humidity should make things tolerable.
Turnout. Every indication is that this will be an exciting meet, with an overload of superstars. On the other hand, the numbers are disappointing. It seems quite likely that this meet will rank in the bottom three of even-year meets for the 1992 to 2008 era. Why focus on even-year meets? Meets in these years do not have to contend with the Worlds and, in recent years, with the Sr Games.
Ken Stone mentioned the costs of fuel, I believe. Any other ideas on why this meet will draw in the range of 980 to 1010 ( a bit of a guesstimate based on my own calculations and word from Spokane)?
Why not 1600 or more? After all, way back in the year 2000 we had 1503 entrants, and the US population has grown by a staggering 23 million since 2000. Why should we be struggling as we are, especially as Louisville had almost 4200 in track and field for 2007 Sr Games (as reported by National Masters News)?
On a third note, re 400 intermediate hurdles. Masters should NEVER have to run trials in the 400 hurdles in a national meet. The trials in this event are good for producing injury, tiring the hurdlers out, having people check in for an event that “rolls over” to a final, etc. A split final on time is absolutely the way to go.
Thursday: 64 to 94
Friday: 61 to 86
Saturday: 61 to 90
Sunday: 57 to 87.
Are you kidding me? I’d better bring some long-sleeved shirts and a good warm up suit….talk about lucky temps!! I’ll take that any day of the week!!
Heat index in my Texas town yesterday (Saturday) was 115 degrees!! Plus whatever the temp was on the black track I was bouncing around on, like walking on hot coals!!
Looking forward to the favorable schedule and daytime temperatures..
Thank you Ken for hunting down the schedule for us.
It’s lame that it’s not available online at the event website!
Hmmmm… On July 25 I emailed the provided contacts and and asked “Hi. Looks like M50-54 will probably have prelims for both 400 and 800 meters on Thursday August 7. Which event will be run first ? i.e.will you run 400 then 800, or 800 then 400 1st rounds on August 7?”. The reply from Spokane folk was as follows: “It will run on the order on the schedule for prelims.”. This was recieved on 29 July. I (of course) assumed 400 then 800 like the website said, and adjusted training and focus for something new and very challenging for me assuming this were the case.Now I see its reversed.
I guess the mysterious logjam (Jim Flanik?) prevented me from getting even this simple info.
This is kind of lame to say the least. I agree with Ortman.
In response to Pete’s notice above: I’d say there are many factors holding Spokane’s attendance down but the most obvious is the uncertain economic situation many of us, especially folks that live in the northern half of the country face. Two years ago I paid $150 on my budget plan for heating oil. This past year it was up to $450 a month and will go higher for the 08/09 heating season. Add to that another $500 to gas up the cars. What used to cost me $350 a month is now $950 a month. With the injuries I’ve had this year, and not being fully up to speed yet, it’s hard to justify spending close to another thousand dollars to travel to Spokane to compete. I’ll stay close to home and head to the Nat’l weight pentathlon which is 90 miles away.
As to the attendance at the NSG…they do a much better job of grass roots marketing. Their events are decidedly more low key than USATF events, attracting newcomers to the sport, as well as former competitors dusting off the spikes after 30 years of rest.
With the folly of having the 2009 USATF Nat’l meet in Florida in the middle of the summer, I’ll head to San Francisco for the 2009 Nat’l Senior Games. While they won’t have my event of choice, I can still compete in the javelin and long jump, with fields that are as deep as the USATF meet.
I think the lower attendance is partly explained by the uncertain economy, travel cost and location.
Getting to Spokane is not cheap.
For for those who have kids there’s not a lot of reason to have a family vacation based in Spokane.
If you live on the west coast, a trip to Spokane is reasonable. Lots of flights on SWA and Alaska Air from Seattle to Spokane. Now Orono last year….THAT was an expensive trip for us “west coasters.”
Things to do with kids? My family and I went on a camping,fishing, and hiking vacation in Coeur D’alene, Idaho, about 35 miles from Spokane. Breathtakingly beautiful and we all had an excellent time. Think outside the amusement park and shopping malls!
You could always go to Clermont next year and visit Mouseworld in Orlando.
I always understood the daily tentative schedule to be simply plopped into place with running events listed generically from short to longer, but I can see why someone (and I heard from more than one) would get confused and assume this was the order minus the times. Let’s face it, the lack of schedule serves no one but the organizers…period. I didn’t know whether I was running at 7am or 7pm until today, and there’s no good excuse for that.
Schedule is now posted on the USATF site as well.
Nice how they throw the steeplers in the middle of the day…bring it on!
“Things to do with kids? My family and I went on a camping,fishing, and hiking vacation in Coeur D’alene, Idaho, about 35 miles from Spokane.
Think outside the amusement park and shopping malls!”
I can assure you that my definition of vacation hell is malls and theme parks, but don’t let that stop you insulting people.
Put another way, Spokane has nothing within half a days drive in any direction that would justify spending many thousands.
We have countryside on the east coast too.
🙂
Leave a Reply