Masters Track News and Muse

USATF has begun its annual national convention here in Portland, Oregon -- and begun issuing self-congratulatory press releases with its "One Team, One Dream" message. Among other things, USATF trumpets: "Significant milestones were achieved in several areas, particularly in USATF resources. USATF has now paid off the $3 million debt that (Craig) Masback inherited when he became CEO in 1997, doing so "a full year early," while the organization now has a $1 million surplus. Revenues have increased 120 percent since 1997, to $15.5 million."

Craig Masback, the CEO of USA Track & Field, popped in on the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee meeting this morning, and took a bunch of questions in his 50-minute venture onto geezer turf. I give him credit for dealing straight with us, even if it meant telling masters that we weren't likely to get more money unless we raised it ourselves. But he still held out hope that we could squeeze USATF for more dime if the masters make requests for specific money for specific programs -- something that could occur as early as Friday morning.

Phil Byrne, who heads the USATF Masters T&F Awards Committee, on Thursday night announced the results of a three-hour meeting Wednesday that chose top male and female athletes in all age groups, both track and field. But he uttered an embarrassed "Oops!" upon realizing that one of the group's selections -- for Single Best Male Performance of the Year -- had been wind-aided. He vowed to go back to the drawing board and come up with possibly a new honoree by Saturday morning, when all USATF awards were to be officially unveiled at the Portland Hilton.

A serious problem for some elite masters athletes is whether they can affiliate with a track club outside their home association. Normally, it's no problem. The home association and the target association give rubber-stamp approval to the request. But in at least one California association, an official tends to block such transfer of club allegiance. That led to a milestone vote Thursday that allows masters athletes just about complete freedom to compete for whom they want in any meet, including nationals.

Just after 8 a.m. today, USATF Masters T&F Records chair Sandy Pashkin stood before the MT&F Committee here in Portland and announced that she was wrong Thursday about Rod Parker not setting an M85 WR in the 200. In fact, Parker's time -- 34.41 -- was legal. It was run into a .1 mps wind. But the records person at the Decatur nationals neglected to file the paperwork with Sandy. And so she incorrectly assumed his 200 wasn't a WR -- the mark that the Masters Awards Committee had voted Wednesday as the Outstanding Male Performance of the Year.

USATF Masters T&F Secretary Bob Cahners started spreading the news at 10:25 this morning -- that New York City's Armory track center beat the bid from Boston and the New England USATF Association to host the 2007 USATF National Masters Indoor Championships. The vote was 38-12 in favor of New York. It's the first time the masters indoor nationals have been awarded to the Metropolitan Athletics Congress and the Armory track.

Hat in hand, they made their pitches: We need more money from the Mother Ship. Poker-faced, the USATF budget appeals board sat in judgment of USATF LDR, open track and other committees before the masters delegation appeared for its own audience. Shortly after 12:20 p.m. Friday, Masters Chair George Mathews began his remarks, seeking a total of $13,500 for six specific areas.

Begging works! Suzy Hess of the Masters T&F Committee confirms that the 20-minute presentation by Masters Chair George Mathews this past Friday in Portland swayed the USATF budget appeals board. Masters T&F had asked for $13,500 for six specific items, but USATF granted $4,500 -- which supplements the previously approved annual allocation of $32,000. So that represents a better than 25 percent increase in our USATF subsidy.