Club offering its national-rankers a cheaper ride to Cleveland
Gordon Edwards (left) upset some folks after Charlotte nationals.
Here’s the story in case the link goes South:
Going for the gold
Carolinas Track and Field Club is looking to compete for a national championship in 2011.By Joe Habina
Special Correspondent
Posted: Sunday, Oct. 03, 2010The Carolinas Track and Field Club captured three gold medals, four silvers and six bronze at this summer’s USA Track and Field Masters Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
But coach Gordon Edwards says the club can do better.
This fall, the Charlotte-based club, whose members hail from across both Carolinas, adopted a vision for the 2011 season that includes competing for the outdoor national championship.
With a push to boost its membership and encourage participation in the national meet, Edwards says the time to act is now. Fall is considered the pre-season, when athletes train so they are in their prime for the 2011 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Edwards founded Carolinas Track and Field in 2001 with five original members. The club currently has more than 100 athletes ranging in age from 25 to 81.
Members can participate in USA Track and Field Masters competitions starting at age 30 and compete in five-year age divisions. Edwards says Carolinas Track and Field admits athletes starting at 25 because “from the time they graduate college, until age 30, there’s not much for them to do.”
Masters athletes can set their own pace and their own expectations. Some take a casual approach to their sport. Other participants are focused on winning.
Both approaches are fine in the eyes of Carolinas Track and Field. But the sport has a full slate of track-and-field events, and the group hopes its members will shift into championship gear in 2011.
The Club hosted the USATF Masters National Outdoor Championships at UNC Charlotte’s Irwin Belk Track and Field Complex in 2006. More than 1,000 people participated, and Carolinas Track and Field had about 60 athletes.
In the men’s and women’s points combined, the Club had its best national finish that year, placing fourth. At Sacramento this year, Carolinas Track and Field placed 19th out of 139 teams.
Individually winning gold for Carolinas Track and Field were Glenn Sasser (65-year-old age group, shot put), Gregg Swindlehurst (55, hurdles), and Art Henson (40, high jump). Winning silver medals were Swindlehurst (55, pentathlon), Henson (40, long jump), Toccata Murphy (40, 100 meters), and Stefan Walterman (60, pentathlon).
Bronze medalists were Jim Russ (50, pentathlon), Chris Sarsony (40, pentathlon), Anthony Searles (55, 100 meters), Larry Greco (80, 100 meters, 200 meters), and Mark Williamson (50, hurdles).
There are intangibles that often determine the number of athletes a club sends to an event. Expense and travel distance are two of them. Therefore, Carolinas Track and Field is offering a couple of incentives for next year’s outdoor national meet in Cleveland.
For the first time, it will charter a bus and split the cost with its athletes. For those athletes who are ranked nationally in the top eight in their event, the club will provide additional financial assistance.
“I’m very excited,” said Searles, a Charlotte doctor. “We recently had our annual club get-together. It seemed people were excited. We have brought in new club members. Next season could be a big year for the club.”
Edwards says something else could work in the club’s favor. Next summer’s world championships are being held in the United States, coincidentally Sacramento, and he believes some athletes around the country will attend the world meet instead of the national meet.
Searles is planning to attend both. After sustaining a left foot strain in 2010, he looks forward to returning to the program, but he has a new perspective on being his age and simply competing.
“If one’s definition of success is winning, then there can only be one champion. However, if one’s definition of winning is to push oneself to the limit, then all of us can be champions.”
Joe Habina is a freelance writer.
8 Responses
Cleveland, Yea! We’re driving. No planes. No screaming kids kicking my seat back. I won’t have to wear my gun mufflers.(Yes, I always carry the muffs when aloft). Foam earplugs help but muffs cancel the screams. See you in Ohio. Smartty
Cleveland will be my first National since Charlotte. I missed Kentucky with an injury and missed the others as well. 2011 will be my turning point, it’s my home state. Got to represent the Cincinnati of Hamilton area. “Feet don’t fell me now” ( Pleeeease! )
Looking forward to Berea next summer. Looks like a great facility.
Hope Worlds in Sacto doesn’t affect the turnout too much but it will probably make a noticeable difference.
Ken
I would like to comment on the article about our track club that was posted on your blob.
First of all, I take issue with Harvey’s comment. When we bid for the 2006 Nationals in Charlotte, I gave the Games Committee a proposed schedule which had Morning events and Evening events. The purpose was to eliminate events in the heat of the day. I did that because I knew it gets hot in Charlotte in the Summer. However,it got hotter than usual. My schedule was turned down. The Committee did not want Officials working at night. “Officials come to the meet so they can socialize at night” In other words, “to hell with the athletes competing conditions” When it got that real hot weather, they had to go at night. So they had to find a scapegoat – ME Most athletes who attended do not know that scenario.
Our Club does NOT recruit members from all over the USA in order to win Championships like some Clubs have done. We are NC & SC. We have a website that people can read about the Club and join if they wish. http://www.carolinastrackandfieldclub.org. Read our club statement there. We don’t go after elite Masters athletes. A lot of our recent members are walking and jogging for improvement in their health.
We are simply going to financially help our athletes who CANNOT AFFORD to attend the Nationals. We had to put a limit on it, so our BOARD OF DIRECTORS voted to limit aid to the top eight athlets in their age group and event. I am sure that we are not the only club aiding their members to attend meets. Yes, we are going to charter a bus. That decreases the cost of going to Nationals and provides transportation for vaulting poles etc. We host meets in the Spring and Summer to raise money for the Club!
I have been thinking a lot lately about why we participate in Masters Track. Is it only about being the best in your age group? I don’t think so! I think for most of us the reasons are getting and staying in good physical health to delay the aging process; to socialize with like-minded men and women our age and to have “FUN” competing in a sport we enjoy. I read and hear many professional athletes say they are having “FUN” competing in a game of football or basketball. Then I hear some members stating that “I am not ready to compete in a meet” I also hear that “I don’t want to be embarassed by not doing well in my events” I feel that it is an ACCOMPLISHMENT just to be participating in Masters Track & Field. You should feel BLESSED just to be able to run,jump,or throw at your age compared to the sedentary individuals of the world around you. It really does not matter if you finish first across the line or dead last. It is the joy derived from the competition! “YES, I DID IT” In fact, the most cheers at Masters meets are for the athletes just making it across the finish line!
There are NO qualifying standards to enter Masters meets, including the National Championships! Anyone can enter their chosen events and have “FUN” doing it. We need the MEET experiences to find out about ourselves; to practice race pace and technique in a meet situation; to socialize with other athletes from other places, and most of all, to have a great experience
Sent to Club Members on October 3, 2010
The joy of participation and the victory over pains from defeat. In our young days it was “The Joy of Victory and the agony of defeat”.
Well said Gordon. Back in Charlotte I got the same response from an official who said that the Saturday night dinner was more important than having the meet at night, while they cut our throws from 6 to 4. I think I spent a couple of thousand dollars to come out and only get four throws because they decided to run events in the heat of the day. Lots of lessons learned from that meet though, as they had forsight that the meet in Orlando would be the same mess,and they switched venues to Oshkosh. Now if we can do something about those slick rings in Sacramento before Worlds.
this is not a bad idea,keep us informed
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