Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Steepler Smith from Canada overcame lots at worlds

Doug Smith, an Ontario masters leader, tackles two of the toughest events in sport: the steeplechase and the press release. And just for giggles, he took thousands of photos. In his wrap-up from Riccione, he writes: “They were very strict in doling out the photo bibs that allowed you on the track. This was a […]

September 25, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Larry Jessee’s M40 ‘record’ to fall Sunday in Japan

Jeff Hartwig of Arkansas, writing today — his 40th birthday, reports: “I am on my way home from Europe. The World Athletics Final went well, but I should note we had near perfect conditions for jumping. Originally Earl (Bell) was going to set something up in Jonesboro for the weekend, but now I have a […]

September 25, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Hartwig jumps 18-8 — only two days short of turning 40

Larry Jessee, kiss your M40 “record” goodbye. Yesterday in Stuttgart, Jeff Hartwig cleared 5.70 meters (18-8 1/4) on his third try to take sixth place at the IAAF’s World Athletics Final. Jeff thus served notice that Larry’s listed M40 world age-group record of 5.50 (18-0 1/2)– set 11 years ago at an obscure single-event meet […]

September 24, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Gold medalist still marvels at haunting encounter

Ralph Fruguglietti in Bakersfield Californian photo by Casey Christie. Ralph Fruguglietti and family returned from Riccione late last Tuesday. His gold medal in the M50 discus, poised for framing, now rests in his Shafter home in California’s Central Valley. Ralph, 52, is back at work as owner/operator of a popular Italian restaurant, where student-athletes from […]

September 23, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Listing my picks for the USATF Masters Hall of Fame

Coach Ross Dunton, who spun off his original Web site, has launched another, called athleticsinfo.org (no relation to Andy Hecker’s trackinfo.org.) Not much posted yet, but he’s done us a favor by listing nominees for the 2007 Class of the USATF Masters Hall of Fame. Good work. The same 25 names (12 women and 13 […]

September 22, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Bob Fine to banned UK masters sprinter: ‘SHUT UP!’

Anthony Treacher, our British friend banned for being a noodnik, made the mistake recently of asking a USATF masters official about Florida track meets in 2008. Anthony wrote Bob Fine. At first, the exchange of email beginning Tuesday was civil, but then Bob kind of lost it. Here’s the back-and-forth, as documented by Anthony:

September 21, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Love among the masters: Eve and Sam at Riccione

Mark Winitz has more good stuff on worlds. From a press release he sent out yesterday, we learn: “Longtime distance runners Eve Pell, 70, and Sam Hirabayashi, 80, both of Greenbrae, Calif., like to do things together, especially running. The fast couple, who are engaged to be married, traveled together to the World Masters Athletics […]

September 20, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Happy 60th birthday to Tom Fahey — the discusdoc

Tom Fahey at his day job at Chico State University in central California. Tom Fahey is a gentleman and a scholar. And a freakin’ good discus thrower. Today the Californian enters the M60 age group, and none too soon for the M55s he embarrassed at Riccione, where he took silver, or the Americans he defeated […]

September 19, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Gary Hunter becomes first M50 vaulter to clear 16 feet!

Orono champion Gary Hunter, 51, was in woodsy Indiana, not coastal Italy. But he popped a biggie last Saturday at the Vault High Summer Classic in Fort Wayne. Here’s a video of his M50 world record 16-0 jump. (I hope they measured it metrically at 4.88.) He thus beat his own 15-7 from nationals six […]

September 18, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

131K photos posted from Riccione? Have fun searching

This must be a record. The official photographers at Riccione say they have 131,534 images online of worlds. What? No outtakes? I viewed a couple hundred, and they are technically solid but bloodless. All sharpness but no drama. To view these shots, look for the “Seleziono Evento” dragdown menu in the upper right of the […]

September 18, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments