Neni Lewis at Sacramento masters nationals in July.
chairwoman of the USATF Masters Awards Committee, has informed members of her panel (including moi) that we’ve chosen W50 throwing legend
Oneithea “Neni” Lewis as Overall Best Master Athlete of the Year. Whether she’ll be invited to the Jesse Owens dinner at the
USATF annual meeting Dec. 1-5 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, “is still up to the national office to decide,” she wrote. Congrats to
Neni (pronounced Knee-Knee). Other candidates for the award were
Flo Meiler, Kathy Bergen, Lisa Valle, Nolan Shaheed and Ralph Maxwell. Neni wrote Mary today: “Thank you and everyone who voted for me. I am most honored.”
Jerry Bookin-Weiner, a big advocate of Neni, summarized her amazing season:
As I wrote in the latest issue of National Masters News, “Neni Lewis has been one of the top throwers in the world for years, already holding numerous world and American records as the season started. This June she turned 50 and proceeded quickly to break world records in the hammer, weight and throws pentathlon. She also topped the American records in the superweight and ultraweight pentathlon, events that do not have world records
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recognized by WMA. None of these were “soft” records.
The American records were held by Hall of Famers Vanessa Hilliard and Carol Finsrud. Probably her best performance was in the ultraweight pentathlon at the Throws Championships in Lisle, IL. Her score of 5872 obliterated Carol Finsrud’s previous record by nearly 2000 points! On the way to that incredible mark she broke the old world record in the weight throw (but failed to top her 18.10m toss the previous day) and smashed the superweight record by over a meter. Her throws with the 25# and 56# implements would rank in the top 25 and 15 respectively among men her age.”
In every meet in which she competed this season Neni beat the old WR in the hammer and weight throws, usually on several throws in each meet. She extended the old WR in the hammer by more than 3 meters and in the weight by nearly a meter and a half; both of those records had been held by an Australian woman for over a decade. Her WR in the throws pentathlon exceeded our own Carol Finsrud’s mark by 187 points.
October 19, 2010
10 Responses
A well deserved award – congratulations.
Congrats Neni!
Congratulations Neni!
Incredible performances!
Congratulations, a very well deserved award. I feel honored to be in the company of the other finalists.
Congratulations Neni!!! We are so happy you received this well deserved recognition for a great year and soon receive well deserved recognition for a great masters “career”.
Congratulations Neni! Your achievements are remarkable and an inspiration to us all.
With all due and deserved respect to each of the other nominees, this one is a no-brainer. Anyone who was privileged enough to witness Neni’s jaw-dropping performances in Sacramento and Lisle knew her nomination as Masters AOY was a done deal. I am simply in awe of her ability as well as her peformances. Congratulations on a great year and a great career!
congratulations to neni…i am honored to be a clubmate …go shore a c..!!!
Neni, your season was just outstanding. Congratulations!
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