Susan is living her long-delayed long jump dream.
Here’s a
lovely story about a Connecticut police officer making a track comeback after 35 years. Her career was cut short at age 15, when her dad died. But
Susan Kassey, the subject of a Hartford Courant report, deserved better. The story is full of mistakes and overstatements. Count ’em in just one paragraph: “Masters competition is for people who are 39 and older. So far, Kassey, who lives in New Britain, has competed in two meets. Her results have been good enough to qualify for the National Masters Track and Field Championship games next summer. According to rankings by USA Track and Field, which organizes these events, Kassey is ranked fifth nationally in her age group in the 55-meter dash, based on her performance in the USA Track and Field Connecticut Open Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. Kassey then went to the Nutmeg State Games in July and did well enough in the long-jump to be ranked eleventh nationally.” Oy vey and OMG.
For the benefit of writer Ken Byron and his editors, here’s the deal:
1. Masters are 35 and over.
2. Nobody “qualifies” for USATF masters nationals. Yes, National Senior Games, but the story wrongly calls it “National Masters Track and Field Championship games.” Meant to say the NSG in Minneapolis.
3. Her 55-meter ranking is worthless. Few run that distance. Susan’s 9.28 equates to a 10.1 in the 60, and she’d be ranked 16th.
4. Susan’s 3.66 long jump (12-0) is fair, but nowhere near celebratory class.
I wish Susan all the best in her masters career. It’s great to see such athletes featured in one of the nation’s best regional papers. But get a clue on context, Courant. Plenty to cheer in Officer Susan, but you risk arrest for mucking up masters facts.
5 Responses
Masters track is so under reported in mainstream media that any news is good news, even if the news is a bit erroneous.
I appreciate your comments regarding the Courant’s treatment of Susan’s story, but perhaps rather than claim Susan’s ranking as “worthless,” we should be celebrating her achievements as an athlete running after many years off the track.
Ken was refering to using the 55 meter dash as a legitimate measure of her success as being worthless, not her or her time. The distance run in most indoor championship meets is 60 meters, which is a better measurement of how she would rank in her age group.
Yes, Ken, there were some mistakes made but I agree with the first two comments above. Susan might not be at the top of the masters rankings, but kudos to her for getting out there and doing her thing and doing it well. The article might just encourage other masters runners/jumpers/throwers to get back out there and give it a try. Let’s focus on the positive!
as far as i’m concerned, any person who is listed in the rankings, no matter what their order…is a winner…kudos to all who dare to compete… 🙂
Leave a Reply