Masters News and Muse

Track historian Louise Mead Tricard, a masters sprinter in her early 70s who also has run the New York City Marathon, is hospitalized in Florida and battling cancer. She has Internet access but has been very brief in her notes. Sunday morning, after I alerted her to a women's decathlon debate on the Track & Field News message board, she wrote me: "in hospital/cancer surgery." Later, I asked for a status report, and she replied today to the effect that she's still in the hospital after having spent 14 days in a New York City hospital for "major surgery." She said she came home to Cape Canaveral, "blood wacko -- electrolytes not capable of sustaining life." She required 4 units of blood, magnesium, potassium, etc and "things (are) better. Won't be out of here for a few more days at least."

Louise, whom I've known for about 12 years, is the author of two books on the history of American women's track and field. She's a regular presence at USATF conventions and led a successful petition drive to scrap the no-false-start rule in USATF some years back.

She's posted nearly 470 message on the T&FN message board, including many dealing with the sale of her voluminous stockpile of track books and literature. She competed in the Pan Am Games and in the 1950s set an American record in the indoor 440-yard dash. She also knows every major American female track star of the past half-century.

Please join me in wishing her a speedy recovery. She's a national treasure.

Here is Louise listening to Gerry Lindgren at 2005 Hawaii masters nationals:

Posted by Ken Stone at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Barbara Jordan: longtime hurdles champion

Masters Hall of Famer Barbara Jordan is such a regular winner at masters nationals and worlds, people take her for granted. Fortunately, she's properly prized in her native Vermont, where she recently was named Athlete of the Month. She was chosen (along with a male winner) by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. The 12 sets of monthly winners will be honored June 1 at the annual Vermont Athlete of the Year Banquet. Besides being a 2005 inductee into the USATF Masters HofF, she's in three other halls of fame: her alma mater's, Springfield College in Massachusetts; the Green Mountain Senior Games Hall of Fame; and the New England 65-Plus Runner's Club.

Here's what the story says about Barbara:

Jordan set a pair of national records at the USA Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. The 72-year-old grandmother broke a record on March 30 that had stood for 10 years when she won the 200-meter dash for women aged 70-74 in 34.58 seconds. (Pat Peterson had held the previous mark of 35.58 since 1998.)

A day earlier, Jordan lowered the 60-meter dash record to 10.03 seconds (from 10.26). She also won the 60-meter hurdles in 13.15 seconds, shy of the national mark of 12.86. While in Boston, Jordan also learned she is one of six women 60-and-over who will be honored nationally as a Masters Athlete of the Year for 2007.

At the World Masters Athletic Championships in Italy last summer, Jordan won eight medals, became the world champion in the 80-meter hurdles for her age group, and was a member of a 4X400 meter relay team that set a world record. She is scheduled to receive the Athlete of the Year award this August at the National Masters Track and Field Championships in Spokane, Wash.

Jordan won the VSSA award by edging basketball players Courtney Pilypaitis of UVM, Camille duPont of Twinfield Union and Meghan Farrell of Green Mountain Union; softball player Megan O'Connor of St. Michael's College; alpine skier Margot Benedict of Burr and Burton Academy; and snowboarder Shannon Kennelly of Rutland High.

Here's a shot I took of Barbara at Orono last summer:

Posted by Ken Stone at 3:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Larry Jessee's M40 outdoor world vault record is no more. Jeff Hartwig, 40, officially erased Jessee's supposed 5.50 (18-0 1/2) M40 world record Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. Jeff wrote me: "Took care of it this weekend up at Drake. We had terrible conditions with cold and really strong swirling winds, but I jumped 5.51, enough for 2nd behind Derek Miles' 5.61. I will move back to my long run and next is Modesto in two weeks." It was inevitable that Larry's much-doubted mark would fall to Jeff, since the Arkansan had jumped 5.70 (18-8 1/4) indoors last February in Germany. Now it's on to Modesto and Eugene. Go Jeff!

Official results from Drake:

Event 170 Men Pole Vault Special

==========================================================================

Name Year School Finals

==========================================================================

Finals

1 Derek Miles Nike 5.61m 18-04.75

2 Jeff Hartwig Nike 5.51m 18-01.00

3 Mark Hollis Unattached 5.36m 17-07.00

4 Sam Pribyl Unattached 5.21m 17-01.00

-- Jacob Pauli Nike NH

-- Darren Niedermeyer Unattached NH

-- Jeremy Scott Unattached NH

-- Mark Zilch Unattached NH

Posted by Ken Stone at 2:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Willie Gault turns 48 in September, but forget about him biding his time till M50. At the Tiny Lister Classic on Saturday at Cal State Los Angeles, he ran 200 meters in a legal 21.80 seconds, demolishing Kevin Morning's listed M45 world record of 22.13 set in 2002, when Kevin was 46. Men's results here show that Willie's race had a wind of 0.6 meters per second. Willie also ran a wind-aided (2.8 mps) 100 in 10.76. (He holds the M45 WR of 10.72.) Nice running, Mr. Gault!

Posted by Ken Stone at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Herb Jones writes: "I'm the assistant track and field coach at Mills College in Oakland, and we are finishing our first season and hosting our first open meet this Saturday, May 3, in Oakland at Skyline High School. Could you send this email to any OPEN - MASTERS level athlete to let them know that they can compete in our Mills College Open Invitational? We have 12 female athletes that cover most of the events, and would appreciate the opportunity to have any athlete compete at our open meet." Consider it done, Coach! Best of luck.

Posted by Ken Stone at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Flotrack has posted videos of pretty much all the masters events at Penn over the weekend, including Sprint Force America's M70 4x100 world record. A monster field of men and women ran the 4x4 together, with several WRs (including an announced leg of 54.3 by Jearl Miles-Clark). The M75-plus 100 video is here. The crowd reaction to Joe Summerlin's win is incredible. At least two entrants go down about 30 meters into this M40 heat. John Simpson's victory in the main M40 heat is here. Bill Collins' 11.44 race is posted here. Bill waves to the crowd on his jog back.

Posted by Ken Stone at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cornell Stephenson captures masters track in new novel.

Cornell Stephenson, who five years ago won four M40 sprint medals at Puerto Rico worlds, made masters history this spring. He didn't run a relay leg or set a record. (In fact, he had two knee surgeries in 2007 and hopes to make a comeback this summer.) He wrote a novel. Called "That Masterful Season," it is the first work of fiction to revolve around masters track. Like the 2005 documentary "Racing Against the Clock," which I reviewed here, Cornell's book does justice to the masters track experience. But my freshly posted review nitpicks the novel from a literary perspective. Don't sweat it, Cornell. You're a hell of a better author than I am a quarter-miler.

When I inquired of Cornell why he hasn't shown up in the sprint results lately, he replied: "I suffered a horrible pull to my hamstring during my first competition in 2005 that ended my season. I was able to stay healthy enough to run with Sal (Allah), Kettrell (Berry), and McDuffrie (Allen) at the Penn Relays in 2006 (victorious 4x400) before my knee failed me. Two knee surgeries in 2007 wiped out that season, but I plan to return this summer to run some 100s and 200s."

I also asked how much time he spent writing his novel. He replied: "The book took awhile because I let it sit whenever I didn't feel like I had the creative flow to make it work. Maybe a concentrated effort of several months if I added it all up and before any rewrites."

And I (shamelessly) asked why the book had a boring cover.

"I didn't want a cover to make readers believe that it was simply about track, so it is implied through the gold (base), silver (letters) and bronze (borders)," he wrote. "The shades were not great, but at some point I decided just go with it and get it out to the public."

There's no question he crafted some interesting characters. But what many masters will find most intriguing is he puts many of his masters sprint friends and heroes into "That Masterful Season." I easily picked out a half-dozen characters based on real people. Some are barely disguised. He uses the same initials for Sandy Pashkin and Darnell Gatling's fictional doubles.

When you read it, you'll probably recognize other M40 sprinters. (The novel doesn't mention any other events, though. And even though the season in question is 2003, Cornell doesn't cite the Eugene masters nationals. Just Penn and Puerto Rico.)

"That Masterful Season" mashed up real experiences and events (as well as people), but it created situations as well. One that daunted me: several references to drug-testing of masters record-setters at the Penn Relays.

USATF doesn't drug-test masters. Period, But I wasn't sure if that applied to Penn. So I wrote several people, and nobody could tell me for sure whether masters were drug-tested in 2003. I seriously doubt it. I think the doping test scenes in the book were inserted to make it look more lifelike to readers unfamiliar with our circuit. No biggie.

Cornell didn't take a conventional route to publication, however. He appears not to have hired an agent and tried to land a book deal. Instead, he went the self-publishing route.

Some folks would say he went to a "vanity press" -- a publisher that charges an author a set sum for a given number of books. But Xlibris, the publisher of "That Masterful Season," rejects the "vanity" label, saying on its Web site:

Xlibris is not a publisher. We are a publishing services provider. Traditional publishing houses select books based on the sales potential of a manuscript. If they choose your book, large houses will also take the rights to your book. Xlibris takes no rights. Xlibris is an on-demand publishing services provider that enables authors to become their own publishers. When you publish with Xlibris, you are essentially self-publishing in the most efficient way possible.

But I found a Web site that reported:

According to Xlibris's own figures, the average book printed by Xlibris sells only 150 copies, out of which 100 are sold to the authors themselves (meaning they have to pay twice for publication), while the remaining 50 copies are the only ones sold directly to the book-buying public.

Even if I have reservations on its literary value, "That Masterful Season" is historic as the first novel to fully explore the nuances of the masters track experience, especially from the elite perspective. Check it out.

Posted by Ken Stone at 4:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Jack Greenwood, 82, was surprised to learn that someone had broken his M50 world record in the 400 hurdles. Not because he thought the record was that great, but because he didn't know anyone was still running the event. Tonight I called Jack at home in mile-high Aurora, Colorado (his number is listed in the 1998 USATF membership directory), and he was a delight. "By golly, that's all right," he said of Howard Moscrop's 57.68 to beat Jack's 58.1 from 1976. "I wish him good luck, and I'd like him to see if he could lower it some more. It's fine with me." Jack says he hasn't gotten National Masters News in five years, and has no Internet access at home, so he wasn't aware that the event was still being contested.

I read the British newspaper article on Howard's mark to Jack, and his reaction was one of gratitude: "I'm glad someone broke (the record), and good to know it's an Englishman."

I asked why, and Jack explained: "My ancestors were from around Manchester."

Jack's paternal ancestors were from England, he said, and his mother's side of the family was Danish. He also cited the friends he had made in England as part of the David Pain USMITT tour of Europe in 1972. He fondly recalled his friendship with an English athlete named Keith Whittaker, and wondered if he were still alive. I said I'd check it out.

Jack quit competing years ago. His left knee -- his lead leg in the hurdles -- is arthritic. He said he injured it after the 1991 Helsinki WAVA world championships. But he still runs several times a week. He says he runs or jogs a half-mile every other day and throws in several sessions a week of sprints. He says he does the 50, 60, 80 and 110 (yard) dashes and calls it a day.

His wife of 53 years, Nancy, told me on the phone that Jack has had three heart procedures in recent years, but Jack doesn't remember when the last operation was. Not important anyway. He says his doctor approves of his running regimen, telling him recently: "Whatever you're doing, you're doing right."

The Greenwoods have two sons -- a schoolteacher and one who works in electronics -- and one grandchild living in Kansas, who they'll see in a couple weeks. The grandchild has Internet access, so I hope you'll send your greetings to Jack via this blog.

Jack Greenwood, a member of the USATF Masters Hall of Fame, is one of my heroes, and not just because we ran the same race and we both attended the University of Kansas. He's simply one of the greatest age-group athletes in history. This wasn't something I realized when I first spoke to him 30 years ago for an article in Kansas Alumni magazine.

It was an honor to chat with him -- again

Posted by Ken Stone at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The king is dead. Long live the king. That's my reaction to news from across the Pond that after 32 years, Jack Greenwood's untouchable M50 world record in the 400-meter hurdles has fallen. A British-based masters mole sent me the link to this report on Howard Moscrop's latest eye-opener. A week ago, Howard at age 50 ran the 400s in 57.68 -- admirable even as a flat-400 time. And he told reporter Gareth Moorhouse: "I think I can knock a little bit more off the time. If the weather conditions are favourable I think I can go under 57 seconds." Incredible. A masters world champion, Howard broke Greenwood's WR of 58.1 set July 3, 1976, in Gresham, Oregon. Howard's meet results were here.

On the WMA Age-Graded Tables. a 57.68 corresponds to an Open (ages 20-30) equivalent of 46.444 seconds. The IAAF world record, remember, is Kevin Young's 46.78, shown here. Helping Howard in his season debut over the long hurdles: the M50 barrier is 33 inches, instead of the 36-inchers he ran until recently.

My mole, M45 hurdler/sprinter Jon Tilt, writes: "On top of his own records, Howard is a superb coach. His Masters group travel to see him about once a month throughout the year. Last season he helped Jane Horder to the W50 300m hurdles WR and Neil Tunstall to the M45 400m hurdles World championship gold. He also coaches hurdler David Moles and myself."

About five years ago, American M50 hurdler Steve Kemp announced his goal of breaking Greenwood's fabled mark. He and others, including fellow Hall of Famer Courtland Gray, fell short.

Jack Greenwood turned 82 in February, and lives in Colorado after a long stay in his native Kansas (a KU Jayhawk like myself). I even interviewed him for Kansas Alumni magazine in the late 1970s, not realizing what a legend he'd become in masters track. In the late 1980s, Jack had heart-bypass surgery.

Not counting a laughably wrong 1974 M35 high jump record, Jack's 58.1 had been the oldest age-group world outdoor record on the WMA men's list. (The oldest women's outdoor record on the WMA list is a 19.05 (62-6) shot mark by W40 Antonina Ivanova of Russia in August 1973.)

Here's the article, in case the link goes dead:

ATHLETICS: The cream of the Crop
By Gareth Moorhouse

SWINDON Harrier Howard Moscrop insists there is plenty more to come from him after he smashed a 32-year-old world record at an open meeting in London on Sunday.

Moscrop clocked 57.68 seconds in the 400m hurdles at Walton to break the world M50 (over 50s) record set by American Jack Greenwood, which has stood since 1976.

After dipping well below Greenwood's best of 58.10, 50-year-old Moscrop has finally written his own name into the record books.

The maths teacher from St Josephs calculates he can go even faster in future, and has already set his sights on breaking the 57-second barrier this summer.

Moscrop said: "In training I had been running times to suggest I would go close, but it was my first race of the season so you're never quite sure how it will go.

"It was something I have been working towards. I had won golds at the European and World Championships but never broken the record. I guess you could say this completes the CV.

"I think I can knock a little bit more off the time. If the weather conditions are favourable I think I can go under 57 seconds."

Since joining Harriers back in 1991, Moscrop has won a clutch of medals at veterans level, but the world record had always eluded him.

But after a phone call from a friend in February he decided to chance his arm in Walton at the weekend, with spectacular results.

"One of the problems with breaking records is that you have to make sure they have electrical timing," revealed Moscrop.

"It's usually only at the big events, but a friend of mine told me there would be electrical timing in Walton.

"There were a couple of other people in the race too, one who was much younger than me, and he really helped to drag me round.

"The winner's time was 56.70 and I knew I was about eight metres back, so I thought I had a good chance.

"It was a nice feeling when I found out I had the record."

Moscrop is now back in training for the summer season, with the British and European Championships to look forward to in July.

10:18am Thursday 24th April 2008

Posted by Ken Stone at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jeff Laynes, 37, improved his season best for the 100 by running a legal 10.31 Saturday at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkeley. He also dropped a wind-aided deuce of 20.92. Aaron Thigpen, 43, clocked a legal 10.93 in the prelims. And in the 110 hurdles (42-inch variety), Peter Grimes posted a nifty 16.21. Not bad for someone nearly 50 years old! The 49-year-old single-age record for the 42-inch barriers is listed as 17.0 by Jack Greenwood in 1975.

Results from Brutus Hamilton:

2008 Brutus Hamilton Invitational
University of California - Berkeley - 4/25/2008 to 4/26/2008

Event 2 Men 100 Meter Dash
=====================================================================
D1 Regional: R 10.55
Name Year School Finals Wind
=====================================================================
Finals
1 Derrick Atkins NA Adidas 10.07R 1.7
2 Jason Heard NA Unattached 10.18R 1.7
3 Chris Berrian NA Unattached 10.29R 1.7
4 Jeff Laynes NA Brooks 10.33R 1.7
5 Wopamo Osaisai SR Stanford 10.60 1.7
6 Silas Pimentel FR Utah State 10.61 1.7
7 Tremaine Smith SR Houston 10.66 1.7
8 Tyrone Carrier SR Houston 10.82 1.7

Event 5 Men 200 Meter Dash
================================================================
D1 Regional: R 21.35
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
Section 1 Wind: 1.0
1 Chris Berrian NA Unattached 20.37R
2 Derrick Atkins NA Adidas 20.44R
3 Tremaine Smith SR Houston 21.21R
4 Silas Pimentel FR Utah State 21.25R
5 Andre Ammons Unattached 21.40
6 Wopamo Osaisai SR Stanford 21.72
Section 2 Wind: 2.5
1 Jeff Laynes NA Brooks 20.92
2 Shyrod Taylor JR Ram Track 21.26
3 Tyrone Carrier SR Houston 21.60
4 Zach Chandy FR Stanford 21.80
5 Nick Porter FR California 21.85
6 Dondre McDonald FR Fresno State 22.02
-- Mark Mueller FR Stanford DQ Lane violation
Section 3 Wind: 2.4
1 Daryl Terrell NA Unattached 21.60
2 Michael Bradley FR California 21.61
3 Ed Turner FR Houston 21.77
4 Dominic Milton JR Houston 22.02
5 Tyrone McGraw FR Stanford 22.56

Event 14 Men 110 Meter Hurdles
================================================================
D1 Regional: R 14.30
Name Year School Prelims
================================================================
Heat 1 Preliminaries Wind: 0.3
1 Arend Watkins NA Unattached R 13.82q
2 Nicholas McCampbell FR Michigan 15.08q
3 Rob Fiorillo JR Michigan 15.15q
4 Keith Williams JR Utah State 15.54q
5 Brian Wilson SO New Mexico 15.58q
Heat 2 Preliminaries Wind: 0.1
1 Jordan Paul JR California R 14.17q
2 Steven Jones SO Houston 14.96q
3 Kendrick Young FR Fresno State 15.12q
4 Carl Buchanon FR Michigan 15.13q
5 Darryl Cloud FR Houston 15.18q
6 Peter Grimes Unattached 16.21q
Heat 3 Preliminaries Wind: 1.3
1 Tim Bogdanof NA Unattached R 14.06q
2 Myles Bradley JR Stanford R 14.27q
3 Frank Shotwell SO Michigan 15.06q

Posted by Ken Stone at 4:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

How often do we see 47-year-olds within spitting distance of Tyson Gay in a sprint race? Like once in history. In the Mt. SAC Relays photo gallery posted here, Willie is shown valiantly pursuing IAAF world sprint champion Tyson on the anchor leg of the 4x100 relay. In the masters sprints at Mt. SAC, Aaron Thigpen won twice, Houston's Horace Grant upset Nolan Shaheed in the 800 and Mary Thane made her trip from Montana a winning one in the women's 800. My original Mt. SAC report is here.

Posted by Ken Stone at 3:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jearl Miles-Clark, the four-time Olympian, teamed with Charmaine Roberts, Renee Henderson and Jane Brooker at Penn on Friday to lower the W40 world record in the 4x400. Running as East Coast Masters, the quartet anchored by Jearl ran 3:56.27 against some men's teams. The listed W40 WR is 3:57.28 by an Aussie team at the 2001 Brisbane world masters championships. And in the same race apparently, the Sprint Force America M70 team of Larry Colbert, Mack Stewart, Rich Rizzo and Bob Lida clocked 4:24.83 to beat the listed world age-group record of 4:31.07 by a German foursome at the 2006 European masters championships in Poznan, Poland.

Here are the results from that amazing race:

147 MX Masters Mixed 4x400 50 and older Friday, 4:20 pm

Place ID School/Affiliation Mark Runners
1 AA Houston Elite TC 3:41.90 Bill Collins, George Haywood, Charles Allie, Horace Grant
2 AB Sprint Force America 3:47.64 Brent Cotton, Archie Glaspy, Edward Gonera, Francis A. Schiro
3 AC Nike Central Park TC 3:53.06 Val Barnwell, John Brooks, Stuart Calderwood, Alston Brown
4 AS East Coast Masters 3:56.27 Charmaine Roberts, Renee Henderson, Jane Brooker, Jearl Miles-Clark
5 AG Shore AC B 3:59.22 Rick Lapp, Ton Plaster, Tom Zarra, Bob Andrews
6 AD Mass Velocity TC A 4:00.04 Tucker Taft, Tom Gillen, John Huth, Charlie Kelley
7 AF Mass Velocity TC C 4:07.48 Greg Davis, Nathan Rathlow, Jeff Elliot, Rudy Briscoe
8 AE Mass Velocity TC B 4:08.87 David Rusch, Bob Powell, Larry Zwick, Roger Pierce
9 AI Team Osprey 4:11.29 Pat Good, Randy Beddoe, Jim Keller, Charlie DiPetro
10 AU Millrose AA 4:18.30 Janice Reid, Rebecca Connolly, Sonya Badger, Terri Ballou
11 AT Athena TC A 4:21.15 Maryline, Joan Hunter, Teri Rath, Lorraine Jasper
12 AZ Sprint Force America 70+ 4:24.83 Larry Colbert, Mack Stewart, Rich Rizzo, Bob Lida
13 AO Garden State AC 60+ 4:36.89 Glen Schmehl, Joe Horick, Ralph Fusco, Paul Henry
14 AX Nike Central Park TC W40 4:42.11 Adriana Ostrowski, Sue Pearsall, Jeannine Bardo, Susan Richardson
15 AV Athena TC B 4:43.62
16 AY Northeast All-Stars 4:50.00 Kitty Anderson, Caryl Senn-Griffith, Corrine Steinback, Barbara Cronin-Stagnari
17 AR Shore AC 60+ 4:52.10 Harry Nolan, Dale Zurheide, Walt McGowan, John Kuhi
18 AK Pineland Striders 4:54.86 Ian Stevenson, Rick Brown, Lisa Valeriani, Vince DelGuercio
19 AW Shore AC W40 4:55.65 Dawn Littlejohn, Jan Vaughan, Wendi Glassman, Barbara Brennan
DNF AP Nike Central Park TC 60+ Noah Perlis, Hal Lieberman, Frank Wilson, Salih Talib
DNF AJ Zen Masters Lee Ex, Ross Donolow, Tony Mancini, Joe Quinn

Posted by Ken Stone at 12:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Meanwhile in Des Moines, Iowa, masters ran the 800 Friday and mile today in bitterly cold and windy weather at the Drake Relays. M45 John Hinton, traveling from North Carolina, easily won the masters mile in 4:26.87 -- 10 seconds off the listed WR of 4:16.75 by New Zealand's David Sirl. John needs a rabbit, I guess. The masters 800 was won by David Nash in 2:03.20. David is 40 and lives in Iowa, I think.

Allen Johnson, 37, also ran at Drake.

Here's how USA Today reported AJ's outing:

The first Drake Relays trip for Allen Johnson, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist and seven-time world champion, didn't go as well as expected. Johnson clipped a hurdle midway through the 110 invitational and never get his rhythm back. He finished fifth with a time of 13.40.

Now 37, Johnson says he's motivated by the chance to earn another Olympic medal before he hangs up his spikes for good. Johnson was fourth at the Sydney games in 2000, but his medal hopes were dashed in Athens four years later when hit a hurdle in the opening round.

"I just have fun doing it," said Johnson, who finished second in the 60 hurdles at both the U.S. and World Indoor Championships in 2008. "If I could, I'd do it forever."

The 110 hurdles went instead to Anwar Moore, who won for the second straight year with a time of 13.14. Moore, who says Johnson is one of the main reasons he took up the hurdles, continues to look like a strong contender for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

Event 25 Men 800 Meter Run Masters

===============================================================

Name Year School Finals

===============================================================

Finals

1 David Nash Unattached 2:03.20

2 Jeff Burris Unattached 2:05.28

3 John Armon Unattached 2:10.37

4 Kyle Caudle Unattached 2:10.76

5 Scott Smith Unattached 2:14.17

6 Rick Peterson MN Dist. Runners 2:15.92

7 Benjamin Eskin USATF-MN 2:17.86

8 Bernie Wilder Unattached 2:17.93

9 Mark Cleary Unattached 2:22.95

10 Robert Prince Unattached 2:24.18

11 Murray Nelson Unattached 2:25.98

12 Mike Furrow Unattached 2:31.58

13 Lorn Dilley Unattached 2:36.32

14 Brad Joens Unattached 2:40.01

-- James Watry Unattached DNF

Event 60 Men 1 Mile Run Masters

===============================================================

Name Year School Finals

===============================================================

Finals

1 John Hinton Carrboro Athletics 4:26.87

2 Dan Held Unattached 4:33.31

3 Andrew Rinn Unattached 4:36.93

4 Kyle Caudle Unattached 4:56.51

-- David Nash Unattached DNF

Posted by Ken Stone at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Southwest Sprinters TC won the featured masters 4x400 at Penn today, and I mean featured. Unlike some open invitationals than shunt the masters to the earliest hour of the meet, the M40 4x4 took place in the primest of prime time -- in front of 50,000 fans right after Allyson Felix's team won the women's 4x100 and right before the men's featured 4x100 where seven teams (including one with Tyson Gay) broke 40 seconds. Cool. Later, Joe Summerlin of the Dallas Masters TC won the geezer 100 (75 and over) in 14.92. Joe is 76. Amid all this, the Houston Chronicle reported that Bill Collins' winning 11.44 in the M55 100 yesterday at Penn was a WR. Not so. Long story.

A couple weeks ago, I reported that Bill had run a windy 11.40 at a college quadrangular meet in Houston. But when I first heard of the meet, the time was given as a legal-wind 11.39. Since the Web results said 11.40 with a 2.5 mps wind, I wrote to the meet host, Texas Southern University.

I got this reply from Rodney Bush, Texas Southern's sports Information director: "Bill Collins' time is a world record. The legal time is 11.39."

I wrote back to him, asking why the Web results differed and what the wind reading was, but he never wrote back. However, I can't blame anyone for not knowing that 11.44 is not Bill's M55 best (breaking a previous Collins WR of 11.50). In addition, mastersrankings.com lists 11.39 as Bill's time at Texas Southern, posted by Bill or his wife, Stephanie.

So you ask me why I'm losing my hair?

In any case, here's what the Chronicle reported today:

Houstonian sets 55-and-over record in 100

Bill Collins of the Houston Elite track club set a world record for his age group in the 100-meter dash at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on Friday.

Collins won the men's masters 55-and-over division in the 100-meter dash in 11.44 seconds.

In 2007, Collins won three gold medals at the World Athletics Masters Championship in Riccione, Italy.

Collins took the 100, 200 and 400 meters in his men's masters 55 division with winning times of 11.81, 23.76 and 53.45 seconds, respectively.

247 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 75 and older Saturday, 4:35 pm

Winds: +0.9
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 3 Joe Summerlin Dallas Masters 14.92
2 2 Bill Melville Midwest Masters 15.41
3 1 Edward Cox Syracuse Chargers 16.27
4 4 Hal Goolsby Unattached 16.50
5 5 Wilton Gordon Glenarden TC 16.58
6 6 Byford Reed Unattached 16.62
7 7 John Darrell Unattached 17.16
8 8 Richard Dillon Unattached 17.65
9 9 Bert Lancaster Philadelphia Masters 18.55
10 10 Bob Matteson Mass Velocity TC 22.05

63 MM Masters Men's 10k Racewalk Saturday, 7:00 am

Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 21 David Talcott Shore AC 52:12.06
2 20 Douglas Johnson Kentucky Racers 54:03.65

166 MW Masters Women 5K Racewalk Saturday, 8:00 am

Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 22 Maryann Daniel Conneticut Race Walkers 27:18.39
2 21 Panseluta Geer Shore AC 29:52.67
3 20 Sheri Stager Unattached 31:36.98

Posted by Ken Stone at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

FerringUSA's sponsorship of Sprint Force America has already paid off. The M70 SFA team of Gary Sims, Wayne Bennett, Larry Colbert and Bob Lida clocked a sensational 51.96 today in the 4x100 relay at Penn to smash the listed age-group world record of 53.03 by Germany at the 2005 San Sebastian world meet. (The event is listed as M60, but all the runners for SFA are over 70.) The M50 4x1 also must have been sensational, with Californian Marty Krulee holding off (or overtaking) Texan Bill Collins on the anchor as Sprint Force America beat Houston Elite 46.12 to 46.16 in SFA's first foray under the Euflexxa banner. Later, Collins and Lida won their age-groups 100s.

Friday's masters results at Penn:

109 MM Masters Men's 4x100 40 and older Friday, 12:20 pm

Place ID School/Affiliation Mark Runners
1 A Southwest Sprinters TC A 43.90 David Jones, John Simpson, Trent Hagler, Khalid Mulazim
2 D Maryland Masters 44.80 Eugene Vickers, Jeff Gold, Daniel Will, Derrick Holloway
3 C Southwest Sprinters TC B 45.32
5 H 2nd Wind TC 47.97
7 E Speed Athletics East 48.09
8 I Mass Velocity TC 48.75
9 G United Nations 50.75
DQ B Synergy TC 45.95

110 MX Masters Mixed 4x100 50 and older Friday, 12:22 pm

Final on Time
Place ID School/Affiliation Mark Runners SEC
1 B Sprint Force America 46.12 Neil Steinberg, Anthony Searles, Greg Pizza, Marty Krulee 1
2 C Houston Elite TC 46.16 Mark Hastings, Charles Allie, Rick Riddle, Bill Collins 1
3 D Nike Central Park TC 46.76 1
4 F Mass Velocity TC A 48.74 1
5 E Pony Express 50.35 1
6 G Mass Velocity TC B 51.15 1
7 I 2nd Wind TC 52.27 1
8 H Garden State AC 55.04 1

111 MX Masters Mixed 4x100 60 and older Friday, 12:24 pm

Place ID School/Affiliation Mark Runners
1 C Mass Velocity TC 51.37 Bob Davis, Roger Pierce, Rich Jones, Ron Johnson
2 E Sprint Force America 51.96 Gary Sims, Wayne Bennett, Larry Colbert, Bob Lida
3 D Garden State AC 54.79
4 B Team Ohio A 54.92
5 F Athena TC A 55.23
6 K Athena TC B 58.59
7 I Flight 1:00.41
8 G Shore AC 1:03.57
9 H McCay Brothers 1:09.38

136 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 40 and older Friday, 2:55 pm

Winds: Section 1: +0.5, Section 2: -0.7
Final on Time
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark SEC
1 1 John Simpson Southwest Sprinter TC 11.31 1
2 2 Timothy McCrossin Dayton TC 11.41 1
3 10 William Marshall Synergy TC 11.67 2
4 3 Duane Gosa Team Ohio TC 11.75 1
5 6 Orlondo Matthews Unattached 11.79 1
6 8 Charles Green Houston Elite 11.80 1
7 4 Gavin Henry Nike Central Park TC 11.90 1
8 11 Daniel Will Maryland Masters TC 11.94 2
9 12 Clayton Rorie Fast at Forty 12.19 2
10 9 Keith Davis Shore AC 12.38 1
11 15 John Holmes Fast at Forty 13.74 2

137 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 45 and older Friday, 3:00 pm

Winds: +1.0
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 2 Lonnie Hooker Unattached 11.25
2 4 Chris Faulknor So Cal Running Cougars 11.35
3 6 Derek Holloway Maryland Masters 11.42
4 8 Jeff Gold Maryland Masters 11.61
5 10 Lovell Butler Philadelphia Masters TC 11.80
6 5 Eugene Vickers Maryland Masters 11.91
7 11 David Neumann Mass Velocity 12.06
8 9 James Chinn Unattached 12.10
9 12 Tony Disalvo Philadelphia Masters TC 12.19

138 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 50 and older Friday, 3:02 pm

Winds: +0.1
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 2 Val Barnwell Nike Central Park TC 11.59
2 1 Marty Krulee Speed Athletics 11.67
3 3 Tom Jones Maryland Masters 12.04
4 5 Anthony Searles Unattached 12.27
5 7 Rudy Briscoe Unattached 12.30
6 4 Craig Davis Unattached 12.42
7 6 John Brooks Unattached 12.45
8 9 Neil Steinberg Unattached 12.57
9 8 Kaestner McDonnough Pony Express 13.02

139 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 55 and older Friday, 3:04 pm

Winds: -1.1
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 1 Bill Collins Houston Elite 11.44
2 2 Oscar Peyton Maryland Masters 11.76
3 3 Alston Brown Nike Central Park TC 12.62
4 4 Richard Riddle Houston Elite 12.65
5 5 Leo Sanders Pony Express 12.65
6 6 Rick Lapp Shore AC 12.96
7 7 Michael Fortunato Mass Velocity 13.11

140 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 60 and older Friday, 3:06 pm

Winds: -1.8
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 1 Charles Allie Houston Elite 12.56
2 2 Lloyd Hathcock Team Ohio 13.32
3 7 William Overby Team Ohio 13.80
4 10 Glenn Schmehl Garden State AC 14.16
5 9 Jeffrey Horick Philadelphia Masters TC 14.17
6 11 Allen Huff Team Ohio 14.17
7 8 Paul Henry Garden State AC 14.34
8 12 Gary Snyder Greater Boston TC 14.79

141 MM Masters Men's 100m dash 65 and older Friday, 3:08 pm

Winds: +0.7
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 1 Tom Johnson Team Ohio 14.21
2 2 Fred Edelstein Philadelphia Masters 14.63
3 6 William Bittner Unattached 14.91
4 7 Alex Johnson Shore AC 15.82
5 3 Malichi McGruder Team Ohio 16.72
6 4 Richard Tenser Unattached 17.28
7 8 William Brown Unattached 19.30
FS 5 John Lewis Miles Ahead

142 MM Masters Men's 100m Dash 70 and older Friday, 3:10 pm

Winds: +0.0
Place ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark
1 1 Bob Lida Unattached 13.64
2 4 Gary Sims Unattached 14.05
3 2 Wayne Bennett Dallas Masters 14.38
4 5 Mack Stewart Sprint Force America 14.66
5 9 Rich Rizzo Sprint Force America 14.96
6 6 Richard Ocker Philadelphia Masters 15.02
7 7 Roosevelt Weaver Unattached 15.23

Posted by Ken Stone at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

American masters needn't worry about being drug-tested at domestic meets. USATF has no budget for it. But if lightning strikes while you're at a WMA world or European masters meet, and you're asked to relieve yourself in a labeled bottle, it's good to know what's kosher. So World Masters Athletics has teamed with an outfit that lists banned substances on the WADA list. Stan Perkins, the Aussie who acts as WMA drug czar, writes about the proMASTERs-FINDEX, and says: "We are confident the list will prove beneficial to Masters Athletes' and coaches."

Here's the official WMA announcement:

WELCOME TO proMASTERS-FINDEX

Immediately prior to the conduct of the WMA World Indoor Championships 2008 held at Clermont Ferrand, France, a specially appointed WMA Committee met over two days to consider the drafting of a specific WMA Anti-Doping Code. One of the key outcomes of that meeting was the adoption of proMASTERs-FINDEX as an easy reference guide to the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) 'prohibited substances' list.

Developed in Europe, the proMASTERs-FINDEX is an alphabetical listing of substances that are on the WADA prohibited list that includes an easily recognizable colour coding that defines the classification of the various substances. The list is based on the 2007 Prohibited List and is expected to be upgraded annually when WADA releases its annual listing.

This listing provides athletes and coaches an opportunity to quickly check on any substances to verify their status within the sport of athletics. Care must be taken to ensure that the correct spelling of the substance is applied to prevent errors. The listing is for reference purposes only and has no legal validity. However the listing does overcome one of the major difficulties with the WADA listing which lists substances according to their category rather than their spelling.

WMA is most grateful to the EVAA and the authors of the proMASTERs-FINDEX list for permitting the use of the list on our website. We are confident the list will prove beneficial to Masters Athletes' and coaches.

Stan Perkins
Chairman, WMA Anti-Doping and Medical Committee!

Fortunately, some have a sense of humor about the issue.

Canadian masters official, journalist and photographer Doug Smith, who alerted me to the new online index, writes:

"I could never understand why Cannabis is considered a performance enhancing substance. Being unable to move a muscle with a monstrous craving for cookies and Jimi Hendrix doesn't lend itself to faster track times! Well, that's what I heard anyway."

Just for giggles, I entered "hyaluronic acid" and then "hyaluronan" in the findex (basically a search engine), and both produced this reply: "The substance you were looking for seems not to be prohibited."

Whew! That's good news for Sprint Force America, which is being sponsored by the maker of Euflexxa, which is hyaluronan -- the drug for knee arthritis.

I also looked up vodka, but it crashed the system. Sorry.

Posted by Ken Stone at 2:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Frank Schiro, a world-class M55 long sprinter, also goes a long way to helping out fellow athletes. In a touching story in this week's The Villager, we learn: " 'Besides preparing for races myself, I coach other people, and with certain adjustments I have improved the time of many runners who are over 50,' says Schiro. One of his coaching success stories is 75-year-old runner Dr. Robert Kwit of the Lower East Side." I also love his diet regimen before Boston nationals: "I ate a donut and coffee, because I figured by this age I suffered enough, so I can eat what I like."

Here's the whole story:

Accelerating past 50: Sprinter's taking it in stride

By Judith Stiles

As Frank Schiro hurries across the E. Sixth St. footbridge over the F.D.R. Drive, his long, breezy stride is the tip-off that he is a serious runner on his way to do laps at the track. The tattoos peeking out from beneath his sleeves and his signature scruffy ponytail are well known to most serious runners Downtown.

Schiro is something of a celebrity in running circles, in part, because, in 2005 and 2006, he was the top-ranked M50 (50 years and older) sprinter in the U.S.A. Track & Field rankings for 400 meters indoors (with a time of 54.58) and outdoors (53.86). Before that, at 53 years old, in 2003, his M50 1,600-meter relay team won the gold medal at the 2003 World Masters Athletic Championships in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Today, at 55 years old, Schiro is ranked third in the world in his age group. However, he spends little time boasting about his impressive accomplishments, choosing instead to focus on the joy of running.

"I train countless hours, day after day, month after month, year after year, to race for less than one minute. I myself love to train and love to see where I can go with what I have," says Schiro, trying to explain why he is so driven to keep on competing.

Schiro is part of a rapidly growing trend among baby boomers who refuse to give up competitive sports just because they are no longer youngsters. Contrary to popular belief, Schiro is certain that older runners can actually become stronger and improve their time with proper training, even at age 75.

"Besides preparing for races myself, I coach other people, and with certain adjustments I have improved the time of many runners who are over 50," says Schiro. One of his coaching success stories is 75-year-old runner Dr. Robert Kwit of the Lower East Side.

When Schiro first trained Kwit to prepare for a 5K race, he noticed a simple flaw in his running style.

"I immediately saw that he was running too upright and was stiff, so the simple adjustment of having him lean forward and a few other changes helped him run faster and more efficiently," recounts Schiro.

Along with Kwit, Schiro trains many serious athletes over age 50 who travel all over the world for masters competitions.

"I often find that people have unrealistic expectations before they begin a program with me," notes Schiro. "At one extreme, they think they can't do anything to improve, and at the other end, they want to break a world record."

Step one in his training program includes being realistic about setting achievable goals. Next is a general assessment of daily physical activity, sleeping and eating habits, followed by an analysis of the athlete's walking and running style.

For the over-50 crew, Schiro emphatically recommends two days of rest per week for muscle recovery. Rest is the cornerstone of training and, according to Schiro, it is essential to get regular massages, especially in the legs. Lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, and a thorough massage is good for improving circulation and easing aches and pains.

Schiro also works with his trainees to develop a positive attitude and clear focus. He admits years ago he had all kinds of pre-race rituals and he always wore his lucky socks to important competitions. Today, he has given up most of his superstitious lucky charms, explaining, "It is simple. I put my faith in my training."

That faith paid off at the end of March when Schiro came in second in the 400-meter run (M55) in the U.S.A.T.F. Masters Indoor Championship in Boston with an impressive time for a chap his age of 56.06. Since he doesn't count on lucky socks anymore, what was his special preparation before the big race in Boston?

"I ate a donut and coffee, because I figured by this age I suffered enough, so I can eat what I like," says Schiro with a wink as he trots off to the track.

Dr. Robert Kwit, 75, with 400-meter champ Frank Schiro, 55.

Posted by Ken Stone at 2:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Down Under, they have the coolest place names. The city of Wollongong in New South Wales (on Australia's southeast coast) is one of them. And its top female masters athlete may be W45 sprinter Marie Kay. And cool is what you call the haul of medals she brought home from Clermont-Ferrand worlds. Her local paper last week ran a summary of her world-record exploits, which puts her in the running for IAAF Masters Athlete of the Year honors at the end of 2008.

Here's the whole article, in case the link goes south:

Kay grabs more medals

By MIKE GANDON

Wollongong athlete Marie Kay has added more gold and silver to her already impressive treasure trove of medals with a successful campaign at the 2008 World Masters Athletic Indoor Championships in France.

Kay, who boasts a long list of achievements, including the Australian Masters Athletics 2007 Outstanding Individual Performance Award, broke three world records in her category in winning three gold medals in the women's under 45 200m, 400m and long jump at Clermont-Ferrand.

Kay clocked 25.99 to break the world record in winning her heat in the 200m and bettered that time with 25.85 in the final.

In the 400m, as defending world champion and record holder, she smashed her own world record of 59.16 with a superb run of 56.99 in the final. Kay set an Australian record of 5.57m in a successful defence of her long jump title.

She was also a member of the 4x200m relay team in the women's 40 category, which claimed the silver medal behind France.

Kay said she could not have achieved these results without the support of her family, friends, sponsors and especially her coach, Noreen Parrish.

While the two women were in France, Parrish became the recipient of Athletics Wollongong's Masters athlete of the year award.

"I thank Noreen for all her time, knowledge, encouragement, dedication and belief that I can achieve almost anything I put my mind to," Kay said.

"She really is an inspiration."

Posted by Ken Stone at 1:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday's post about discrepancies between Steve Bunn's times on mastersrankings.com and the actual meet results has brought a response -- from Steve Bunn. In a comment posted this morning, he writes (in part): "I can assure you all that I have NOT manipulated any times posted on the site nor have I personally submitted any times for the 2008 indoor season." This now becomes a case of apparent sabotage (with someone else posting marks under Steve's name), so I hope the prankster who posted the false marks is identified and disciplined. I encourage everyone to monitor their own marks on mastersrankings.com to assure the site's accuracy and credibility.

Here is what Steve posted on the original blog entry:

Ken,
I just had this information forwarded to me and I am shocked. First, I was not aware that results could be altered on the site until today upon recieving this email. I believe someone in the masters community is having a little fun with me at my expense. Over the last 5 years or so I have met many of you and formed many lasting relationships through masters track and field. It seems I am presumed guilty. I can assure you all that I have NOT manipulated any times posted on the site nor have I personally submitted any times for the 2008 indoor season. Those of you who know me personally as well as the work I do both professionally and in the community can attest to my character. I am deeply offended and upset over the matter.

Steve Bunn

Posted by Ken Stone at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

Someone up north knows how to put together a masters track site. The Ontario Masters T&F Association in eastern Canada has unveiled a site with serious chops. It appears to rely on database technology for many of its pages, including a nascent national rankings section. One really cool feature is an area where athletes can fill out a profile for display. Hundreds already have. They have a Facebook account. They have an Ontario Masters Hall of Fame, too. Just oodles of cool stuff. Check it out! (And USATF masters? Where's that new site you've been promising?)

Posted by Ken Stone at 2:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

M45 sprinter Willie Gault isn't old by our standards, but his anchor leg in the invitational 4x100 relay at Sunday's Mt. SAC Relays must have made him feel aged. (He's wearing all blue, in lane 2 in this Flotrack clip.) He took the baton from a Hudson Smith International teammate in fourth place (in a very smooth handoff). Then he proceeded to be outlegged by three youngsters. (But I timed Willie in 10.1!) Still, I can't think of any other sub-40 relay anchored by any anyone older than Willie at 47. He's not the only 40-plus relayist to go sub-40, however.

I've been reminded that in 2003 the Dutch won IAAF world championships bronze in 38.87 and ran 38.63 in the semi with 40-year-old Troy Douglas on second leg. The Netherlands also ran a 39.18 in April 2004 at El Paso with Troy still on the team.

Sadly, I don't see any video of the masters sprints or 800s on this Flotrack archive page from Mt. SAC.

Posted by Ken Stone at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Steve Bunn: Are his sprint times bunk?

In December 2006, I asked then Rankings Committee chairman Dave Clingan if there were any punishment for bogus entries.

Dave replied: "No punishment, really. As rankings administrator, I will simply remove any marks that are bogus from the lists. We haven't really discussed this, but I could probably have a tool which enables me to block the system from accepting marks from anyone with a given name and date of birth. I doubt this would ever be necessary."

Sixteen months later, we have a case of falsehoods on mastersrankings.com.

Steven Bunn of Belleville, Illinois, a 44-year-old sprinter, is shown wearing a USATF national masters championship patch (April 24 update: Steve says the patch is from a USATF regional meet) on a staff page at a place he works -- an aquatics and fitness business.

On the page, this is said of him:

Steve has a BS in Recreation Management with an emphasis on Exercise Physiology from Northern State University. Steve is also a USATF World Class sprinter and is the head track and field coach for the St. Louis Wheelchair Athletic Association.

The marks posted under his name on mastersrankings.com are definitely top-notch. But are they true?

I sent a query to one of Steve's email address last Friday at his business, noting how three marks submitted under his name to mastersrankings.com weren't what the results reported for him.

Results showed he ran 7.87 for 60 meters at the USATF Ohio masters indoor championships February 17, 2008, but mastersrankings.com has Steve listed as having run 7.67.

Results showed he ran 7.32 for 55 meters at the KTCCA meet March 1, 2008, in Kentucky, but mastersrankings.com has Steve down for 6.68.

Results showed he ran 7.80 for 60 meters at the USATF Midwest masters indoor regionals on March 8, 2008, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but mastersrankings.com says Steve ran 7.60.

Masters track has a long and inglorious tradition of bogus seed times submitted for major national and world meets. But those marks aren't meant to be official. Frequently, they just reflect a misunderstanding of what "qualifying marks" are about -- recent bests or all-time records? It can be a hoot.

But the Bunn matter 'taint funny. It smacks of fakery and raises serious questions. I'm looking forward to hearing from Mr. Bunn.

Posted by Ken Stone at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)

Translated from the Koops' Web site is the latest news on Marco Segatel: "To kick off the outdoor season has Italian master jumper Marco Segatel . . . equal to his ambitions for the coming months underlined. At a sports festival in Lodi on Saturday, he jumped over 2.01 (6-7) and occupied only with the 17-year-old Matthew Rossetti. Impressive was especially the security, to me that the Masters World Championships in Riccione on the first attempt each 1,80-1,85-1,90-1,98 and 2.01 m straightaway, it was Segatel the previous best season as a prelude to the Italian Seniors track athlete." Last year, Marco went 2.04 (6-8 1/4), an M45 world record.

Posted by Ken Stone at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today's Mt. SAC Relays had some wonderful masters races -- even with some major no-shows (injuries and otherwise). I also had a chance to chat with a high jumper I idolized in high school: two-time Olympian Reynaldo Brown. He's making a masters comeback, he says, at the Pasadena Senior Games this summer. It'll be his first competition since 2000. A kidney ailment sidelined him for years, but now it's resolved, Rey says. He's 58 this year -- and looks fantastic. (I'll post photos of him and all the masters events in coming days.)

Among the masters highlights at today's events:

-- Colleen Barney, the 2003 world champion at 100 meters in W35, made a triumphant return to competition after a few years off, focusing on her legal career and a daughter who is a champion diver. Colleen might race only once more this season, however. (That's what I'm told by a friend.) But she seemed to have fun out there on a cool but comfortable day in Walnut, California. Her W40 race was combined with the W50 race, BTW, after several entrants had to drop out with injuries, including last year's champion, Rita Hanscom.

-- Canadian Tom Dickson, 54, won the M50 100, wearing all red. Tom also won this race in 2005 and 2006. He's a coach at Simon Fraser University who accompanies his athletes at Mt. San Antonio College and jumps into the masters sprints for fun. This winter, Tom was named the 2007 British Columbia Master Athlete of the Year.

-- Horace Grant, an M55 newbie, edged M55 world champion Nolan Shaheed, 58, in the men's 800. Nolan bravely pushed the pace for much of the race, but Horace (traveling all the way from his home in Texas), showed great strength in outsprinting Nolan in the last 300.

-- Willie Gault, who turns 48 in September, had the honor of anchoring the HSI elite team in the 4x1 invitational race -- which pit him against world champion Tyson Gay! The Hudson Smith International 'A' squad clocked 39.72. I doubt any relay foursome in history has ever gone sub-40 with a 47-year-old on board.

-- Aaron Thigpen, who ran a legal 10.60 a year ago at this meet, defended his 100-meter victory with a legal 10.95 today. But after winning the 200 today in 22.45, the results show him without a place. Whatever. He collected a gold medal for the effort anyway. In fourth place in the 100 was Jeff Williams, who the PA announcer reminded us several times was the 5th-place finisher in the Michael Johnson 19.32 race at the Atlanta Olympics.

A day earlier on the Hawaiian isle of Maui, 37-year-old Jeff Laynes ran a 10.36 for 100 in the Blue and Gold Invitational at the Yamamoto Track & Field Facility. That appears to be his fastest time since 2006, when he clocked an amazing 10.17.

Here's how the local paper reported Jeff's race:

Also taking place on Saturday was the Runner's Paradise 100-Meter Challenge, featuring sprinters Andrew Ammons, Ricardo Williams, Jr., Garry Jones, Carlos Moore, Jeff Laynes and Andrew Reyes, all with personal bests in the low 10-second range.

Williams edged Laynes finished neck-and-neck with Williams named the winner with a time of 10.351 to Laynes' 10.358.

Moore was third in 10.42, Ammons fourth in 10.59 and Reyes fifth in 11.24.

Event 503 Women 800 Meter Run Master's
===============================================================
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Thane, Mary Mountain West TC 2:23.13
2 Fischer, Tania SeeJaneRun 2:24.47
3 Paisley, Jennifer Mountain West TC 2:32.38
4 Contreras, Patricia So Cal Track-Fle 2:42.54
5 Lee, Debbie So Cal Track-Fle 2:49.07

Event 504 Men 800 Meter Run Master's
===============================================================
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Grant, Horace Houston Elite TC 2:07.31
2 Shaheed, Nolan So Cal Track-Fle 2:07.86
3 Barda, Kevin Fluffy Bunny TC 2:09.98
4 Connel, Steven Unattached 2:11.79

vent 513 Women 100 Meter Dash 40-Mixed Master's
=====================================================================
Name Year Team Finals Wind
=====================================================================
Finals
1 Barney, Colleen Masters 14.16 0.5
2 Matthews, Brenda Masters 14.47 0.5
3 Bowman, Jeanne Masters 15.27 0.5
4 Willis, Valeri Unattached 15.62 0.5
5 Quintana, Susan Masters 17.90 0.5

Event 511 Men 100 Meter Dash 50-Mixed Master's
=====================================================================
Name Year Team Finals Wind
=====================================================================
Finals
1 Dickson, Tom Masters 12.18 -0.9
2 Leake, Damien Masters 12.23 -0.9
3 Pizza, Greg Masters 12.25 -0.9
4 Chinn, James Masters 12.36 -0.9
5 Cummings, Steve Masters 12.55 -0.9
6 Wilson, Thad Masters 12.64 -0.9
7 Richardson, Robert Masters 12.85 -0.9
8 Yeck, Raymond Masters 12.98 -0.9
9 Johnson, Rodney Masters 13.46 -0.9

Event 515 Men 100 Meter Dash 40-Mixed Master's
=====================================================================
Name Year Team Finals Wind
=====================================================================
Finals
1 Thigpen, Aaron Masters 10.95 1.0
2 Faulkner, Chris Unattached 11.36 1.0
3 Freeman, Andre Masters 11.40 1.0
4 Williams, Jeff Masters 11.49 1.0
5 Speed, John Masters 11.53 1.0
6 Krulee, Marty Masters 11.66 1.0
7 Turnage, Felton Masters 11.69 1.0

Event 530 Men 200 Meter Dash 40-Mixed Master's
=====================================================================
Name Year Team Finals Wind
=====================================================================
Finals
1 Speed, John Masters 23.05 0.7
2 Turnage, Felton Masters 23.63 0.7
3 Krulee, Marty Masters 23.90 0.7
4 Chinn, James Masters 24.40 0.7
-- Thigpen, Aaron Masters X22.45 0.7

Posted by Ken Stone at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Masters can have their say in new leaders of the slapped-down USATF Colorado Association (remember the long grievance process?). Deb Conley sent a note detailing the convoluted election process, with balloting about May 20 to pick new officers. If you know masters in the Colorado association, let 'em know about the upcoming vote. At the moment, none of the info is posted on the official Colorado USATF Web site.

Here's what Deb sent tonight:

To Colorado Runners:

USATF CO is has the opportunity to make great changes, as the organization leadership has been expelled. New elections will take place approximately May 20, 2008. A venue is in the process of being secured.

Organizational Services and National will provide the notice of, and schedule the meeting for, the election of all officers for the entire Colorado Association. They will also provide audit services in the voting election. Notice of elections should be mailed this week from USATF National.

Colorado's system does NOT employ a one-member, one-vote system. The Colorado Bylaws require a Balanced Meeting voting process of 100 votes. National is not recommending this process.

Since the bylaws are not specific as to how the votes are to be allocated amongst the 5 constituent groups (Organizations/clubs, athletes, coaches, officials, and others), the National recommendation to us, to try to simplify the process on Election Day, is detailed below.

• 50 votes for club representatives, one per club. If more than 50 clubs are represented (not including persons who wish to exercise votes as coaches, athletes, officials, or administrators), the clubs caucus prior to the election and choose the 50 club representatives who will vote.

• 20 votes for open and masters athlete's ages 18-and-over only. If more than 20 athletes show up, the athletes caucus among themselves prior to any voting to determine the 20 voters.

• 10 votes to coaches. If more than 10 coaches show up, the coaches caucus among themselves prior to any voting to determine the 10 voters.

• 10 votes to officials. If more than 10 officials show up, the officials caucus among themselves prior to any voting to determine the 10 voters.

• 10 votes to administrators/others. If more than 10 administrators/others show up, they caucus among themselves prior to any voting to determine the 10 voters.

Even though the Colorado Bylaws require a Balanced Meeting voting process of 100 votes, in reality the CO bylaws spell out only the 20 athlete votes (see ARTICLE VII- VOTING (D) 1-2). Persons who are granted a vote in one category may NOT also vote in another category. The other 80 votes are not defined in the current Colorado Bylaws.

What does that mean for me?

Every constituent that shows up for voting will be represented in his or her vote.

How can I vote if I am not a current member of USATF CO?

All members who register by April 30, 2008 can vote in the election.

How Do I become a member?

Register online at www.usatf.org. Click "Become a Member".

How Do I know if my club is participating in the vote?

By communicating with your club members. If you aren't sure your club is being
represented in the vote, show up yourself.

Please pass this email other Colorado Runners!

Best Wishes,

Deb Conley

Deb...At this critical time in the reorganization election this should not have gone out to the mega mailing you sent out this evening.

First of all when Organization Services come to oversee the meeting/election we WILL FOLLOW the existing Colorado bylaws as closely as we can. We cannot legally change anything without opening ourselves to a justifiable grievance by anyone who wishes to do so. Even though the existing bylaws are not clearly definitive regarding the Balanced meeting method of 100 votes, by the time the election meeting happens probably May 20-22 the National office legal department will have a viable recommendation/solution for the election team to follow and administer.

You have INCORRECT information in your note regarding what the latest date is that a potential voting member can join USATF and still be eligible to vote.

The present leadership was NOT expelled by the NABR decision.

Harry Simonis
Executive Director & West Zone representative/Associations Committee.
USA Track & Field of Oregon
PO Box 856
http://www.usatf-oregon.org

Harry,

I wish this information would just get communicated posted from National and defined before even thinking about an election. If the voting needs to be delayed, so be it. It's not fair to plan an election set a date, when National can't even tell the members how it is to be performed, organized or counted before hand.

If National is going to handle to the entire voting process, than handle everything, including securing a venue, properly informing members, and explain the process and be willing answer questions from members prior to the meeting date.

How do you want to say that the executive board is no longer the executive board by a hearing held by the NABR panel that identified every allegation as true?

Deb Conley

She was one of the association members who brought the grievance, and now that she's won, folks would prefer she shut up? Think again.

Posted by Ken Stone at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Seven masters exhibition races will be contested tomorrow (Sunday) at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, and all should be webcast live (click here). The men's and women's 800s are at 11:15 and 11:20 a.m.Pacific time, followed by a series of 100s from 11:40 a.m. until noon and a men's 200 at 1:10 p.m. I'm watching (or listening) to the prep meet as I type, and the quality and professionalism are exceptional -- not like the Orono webcast last August, shot with a lone camera from atop the stadium.

Mt. SAC has multiple cameras, slow-mo replays and results shown live as if you were watching the scoreboard. There's no narration except the public-address announcer, who is doing a great job calling the races and telling the credits of top entrants. If you're lucky, you'll see me poking my camera in people's faces.

Also, the Flotrack folks doing the webcast are posting clips from the meet on this archive page. Maybe if we're lucky, some masters races will be posted as well.

Posted by Ken Stone at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Roger Pierce

Here's the story, in case the link goes down under:

Track master Pierce earns Hall of Fame honor at Northeastern

Jean DePlacido

Roger Pierce was inducted into the Northeastern University Sports Hall of Fame last night, along with six other former Huskies, at Lombardo's Restaurant in Randolph.

This is the second Hall of Fame honor for the renowned sprinter from Essex, who went into the Beverly High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. There is also a push to put him in the Masters Track and Field Hall of Fame, where he certainly has the credentials to be honored.

Pierce, who ran for the Huskies 40 years ago after a stellar career at Beverly High, was a walk-on at Northeastern. Running for former NU coach Irwin Cohen, he captained both the indoor and outdoor teams his senior year and won the Greater Boston dash (indoors) and 100-yard dash (outdoors). NU had an impressive 43-4 regular season mark with Pierce playing a major role.

Highlights of his college career include being named NU Track Man of the Year and winning the Parsons Award for the outstanding indoor competitor. He set the NU 50-yard dash record (5.4 seconds) and was a member of the school record-setting 4x400 indoor and outdoor relay teams.

It was a stroke of luck that Pierce, who was born in Australia, wound up at Northeastern. After competing all three seasons of track at Beverly High and being named team MVP of the outdoor team in 1962, he was unsure what he wanted to do.

"I went out to Hollywood and kicked around for a while," said the 63-year old. "I was trying to get into film and learned to play the guitar out there. I came back home from LA on a Honda 50 -- I could have ridden a bike and got there faster."

After being home for a year, he happened to meet Cohen at a summer track event, and the coach urged him to apply to Northeastern. The rest is history.

"I always loved to run and still do. Coach Cohen was incredibly good at getting the most out of his athletes," said Pierce. "He pushed us far beyond what we thought we were capable of doing. I'm sure we wound up beating more talented teams because of his philosophy. I still carry that through in my training and my life because it feels good when you are prepared.

"I feel really honored to go into the Northeastern Hall of Fame. We were very good in track when I was there, and it's an experience I thoroughly enjoyed."

Pierce took 10 years off from running before resuming his career at age 39. Since then he has been active in international competition, holds 30 national championships, 11 American age group records, won 10 gold medals and set nine world records.

Just last month, he was a member of the world record-setting 4x400 relay team along with other members of his Mass. Velocity sprint club at the National Championships in Boston. "We set a new record, beating the one that had just been set by a team from Canada," said Pierce.

"As long as I am capable of doing it, I'll run for the rest of my life. But I'm at the age where I see a lot of people breaking down. I've had a lot of injuries this past year -- not running related, but (ones that) have affected my running. I'll keep going, though, because it's something I absolutely love doing."

One of the highlights of his illustrious career came in 2001 when Pierce returned to his birthplace to win the World Championship in the 400. He was also a member of the US 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams that took gold there.

"I hadn't been back to Australia in 54 years, but when I won the gold there it was an indescribable moment," said Pierce, who also took gold in 2003, '05, and '07.

"I was an underdog and not expected to win. I didn't do it by much, but did manage to cross the finish line first. I had a lot of friends watching, and it will always be a special moment."

nnn

Pat Yeo, the Peabody High hockey and baseball captain, will attend UMass Amherst next year. Yeo was recruited for hockey at St. Michael's College.

"I won't go out for hockey at UMass," said Yeo. "I'm not a 6-foot-4 defenseman like they have there, and I haven't talked to the baseball coach. I'm going to major in engineering so I'll be pretty busy, but I will play club hockey.

"It came down to UMass being the better choice for me. They were talking about five years for engineering at St. Michael's instead of the four at UMass, which works out better financially. I really liked the school, and the engineering program is very good."

Posted by Ken Stone at 3:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

David Ashford can three-step the highs at age 45. No, I mean the HIGH highs. Competing in a university/open heat today at the Mt. SAC Relays east of Los Angeles, David came close to the listed, unofficial single-age WR for 42-inch hurdles of 15.2 with his 15.54 in a three-man heat. But David can claim the single-age American record, creaming the old mark of 17.8. No sign of M35 Don Drummond yet.

Results:

Event 327 Men 110 Meter Hurdles Open U/O
===============================================================
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Palmer, Kevin UC Irvine 15.29
2 Ashford, David Midtown AC 15.54
3 Peterson, David Unattached 16.23

Posted by Ken Stone at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

FerringUSA got off the dime today and officially announced its sponsorship of Sprint Force America -- four days after its generosity was first disclosed here. The same release is on FerringUSA's Web site as well. In any case, the drugmaker's product director said: "Sprint Force America exemplifies a commitment to active aging. We support this team's dedication to the sport of track and believe that they can inspire others who want to continue doing what they love, regardless of age."

Here's the complete release:

Ferring Pharmaceuticals' EUFLEXXA(TM) to Serve as Sponsor for Sprint Force America Masters Track Club

PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced that its hyaluronic acid (HA) therapy, EUFLEXXA(TM) (1% sodium hyaluronate), will serve as the sponsor for masters track club Sprint Force America.

"Sprint Force America exemplifies a commitment to active aging," saidAlex Drigan, Product Director, EUFLEXXA(TM). "We support this team's dedication to the sport of track and believe that they can inspire others who want to continue doing what they love, regardless of age."

Renowned for their successes in the arena of masters track, Sprint Force America is based in New York and is comprised of male sprinters aged 40-79. The club competes at many national events, including the Penn Relays, the Summer National Senior Games, and the United States Track and Field masters nationals, as well as at international championships.

"We are thankful to EUFLEXXA(TM) for this amazing sponsorship," said Ed Gonera, President and Co-Founder of Sprint Force America. "As a team, we have never believed that age had to affect our ability to compete and we appreciate that our new sponsor supports us in our mission to prove that to the rest of the world."

About EUFLEXXA(TM)

EUFLEXXA(TM) (1% sodium hyaluronate) is the first and only non-avian derived hyaluronic acid approved in the U.S. for the treatment of pain caused by knee osteoarthritis and continues to be the fastest growing brand of HA on the market.(1) EUFLEXXA(TM) is indicated for a three-injection treatment regimen for patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative non-pharmacologic therapy and simple analgesics (e.g., acetaminophen). In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, head-to-head study versus the market leading HA therapy, significantly more patients
were "pain-free" and "symptom-free" with EUFLEXXA(TM).(2)

The process used to manufacture EUFLEXXA(TM) produces the HA that most closely resembles the HA in healthy human synovial fluid and the most highly purified HA product available today. In addition, since it is not derived from an avian source (chicken or rooster combs), the risk of reactions related to avian proteins is eliminated.(3-8)

EUFLEXXA(TM) received PMA approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 3, 2004, and became available to the public on November 8, 2005. For more information, visit http://www.EUFLEXXA.com.

(1) IMS National Sales Perspective Data, February 2008

(2) Kirchner M, Marshall D. A double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing alternate forms of high molecular weight hyaluronan for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006; 14:154-162.

(3) Schiavinato A, Finesso M, Cortivo R, & Abatangelo G. Comparison of the effects of intra-articular injections of Hyaluronan and its chemically cross-linked derivative (Hylan G-F20) in normal rabbit knee joints. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2002; 20: 445-454.

(4) Goomer RS, Leslie K, Maris T, & Amiel D. Native hyaluronan produces less hypersensitivity than cross-linked hyaluronan. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2005; 434: 239-245.

(5) Leopold SS, Warme WJ, Pettis PD, & Shott S. Increased frequency of acute local reaction to intra-articular hylan GF-20 (synvisc) in patients receiving more than one course of treatment. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2002;
84-A: 1619-1623.

(6) Puttick MP, Wade JP, Chalmers A, Connell DG, & Rangno KK. Acute local reactions after intraarticular hylan for osteoarthritis of the knee. J Rheumatol. 1995; 22: 1311-1314.

(7) Pullman-Mooar S, Mooar P, Sieck M, Clayburne G, & Schumacher HR. Are there distinctive inflammatory flares after hylan g-f 20 intraarticular injections? J Rheumatol. 2002; 29: 2611-2614.

(8) Chen AL, Desai P, Adler EM, & Di Cesare PE. Granulomatous inflammation after Hylan G-F 20 viscosupplementation of the knee: a report of six cases. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2002; 84-A: 1142-1147.

SOURCE Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Posted by Ken Stone at 9:35 PM | Permalink