Innovative National Senior Olympics
The National Senior Olympics is pioneering a new way of listing track meet entries. In a delightfully compact 67-page Adobe Acrobat file, athletes are alphabetized by first name. But get ready for a challenge akin to a double decathlon. And put on your Sherlock Holmes cap if you’re trying to ferret out results of the track meet, which began May 28 and lasts through June 7.
About those meet entries. First we’re treated to:
Aaron Demeyere WA TRACK & F200M
Adan Quintana NM TRACK & FDiscus
Addie Solomon NC TRACK & FLong Jump
Albert Farrenkopf VA TRACK & FDiscus
. . . all the way to . . .
Zacharias Romero NM TRACK & FJavelin
Ziggy Pakiet MI TRACK & F100M
Zofia Turosz CT TRACK & F1500MZofia Turosz CT
Then to unsave space, the athletes’ names are repeated for every event they’re in.
So instead of seeing:
Phil Raschker, GA W100, 200, 400, 800, Discus, High Jump, Javelin, Long Jump, Pole Vault, Shot put
We see:
Phil Raschker,GA TRACK & F100M
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & F200M
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & F400M
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & F800M
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & FDiscus
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & FHigh Jump
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & FJavelin
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & FLong Jump
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & FPole Vault
Phil Raschker GA TRACK & FShot Put
Whatta wunnerful innovation.
About those meet results. Nobody can find ’em.
The track meet is at Norfolk State University, but nobody there responds to email. Same for the National Senior Games Association office in Louisiana. It appears closed for the duration of the Games in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The local paper has been running sporadic features, but not of track yet.
Besides Phil Raschker, the meet also features Ed Gonera, Emil Pawlik, Larry Colbert, Lynn Naftel, Leonore McDaniels and the Dapranos — Jeanne and Bill. New York jumper Keith Mathis adds some other insights into this model of meet management, posting a note at Yahoo Groups that includes this revelation:
“I doubt very seriously you will find (any results) for quite some time. I am competing in the M (50-54) HJ & LJ and have tried for over one month to determine what time the events start. The only information provided is the
day with 7am-7pm. When I go to registration on Monday I will supposedly find
out when the events start. I have called and the voice mail has been unable to
take messages because it is full. I have e mailed to no avail. I will report back on the events but so far it seems to be very disorganized.”
Anyhoo, best of luck to all the athletes.
