Becky Sisley makes history as first American 200m hurdler
Check out these results from the June 27-28 Portland Masters Classic (actually held in Gresham, Oregon). They apparently contested the first 200-meter hurdles for masters women in America — an event ordained by World Masters Athletics for ladies 70 and older. Becky Sisley ran the race solo, apparently, so her time of 42.42 could be considered the American record. So now we have a baseline. Who will be the first to go sub-40?  Of course, Becky isn’t he first to run a half-lap hurdle race. Guys like Jesse Owens did it up through the 1930s. So it’s back to the future for Becky and her fellow W70s-pluses.
3 Responses
We usually run the 180-yard hurdles at our annual retro meet version of the Club Northwest all-comers, but the first year they ran 200 yards. We haven’t done it in two years, but we’re bringing it back this year.
2008 – no retro meet
2007 – no retro meet
2006
Women’s 180-yard Low Hurdles
1. Shaquana Logan (un/F15) 25.2h; 2. Renee Gittins (un/F16) 28.8h; 3. Robin Mueller (un/F16) 31.6h.
2005
Women’s 180-yard Low Hurdles
1. Renee Gittins (un/F15) 29.2h; 2. Cheryl Robinson (un/F33) 45.9h.
2004
Women’s 180-yard Hurdles
1. Caitlin Bonney (CNW/F16) 26.0; 2. Barbara Johnshoy (un/F17) 30.0.
2003
Women’s 180-yard Low Hurdles
1. Barbara Johnshoy (un/F16) 29.0h; 2. Laura Bangerter (un/F22) 30.3h; 3. Susan Sifferman (un/F18) 30.9h.
2002 – no entries
2001
Womens’s 220-yard Hurdles
1. Stella Orechia (un/F44) 32.8h.
I forgot to mention the W70 hurdles specs — which are different from the 1930s (20 yards to first hurdle and 20 yards between hurdles).
Here are WMA’s specs:
W70+ 200m .687m(27″) 5 20m 35m 40m
That means: 5 hurdles with 20m to first hurdle, 35m between hurdles and 40m from last hurdle to finish.
There was a period of time in the mid to late 80’s when we started running a 200m IH race that was double the W100H spacings. Frank Reiley started holding races in this new event at the many meets he put on back in the day. The race and the specifications spread, races were held not just here in Southern California but at some other meets across the country. “Records” were kept for this invented event. The step pattern suited me perfectly, I held the M35 record for a little over a year until (after a few failures) ‘Dray Hargrove figured out the weird step pattern and blew it away. Its a shame we lost Frank’s energy in hosting meets, but he moved out of town.
And by the way, we are planning to have a 180 LH (20y) race at the Club West meet in Santa Barbara this coming October.
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