Hartwig tops 19 feet at age 39 to win USATF nationals

So what else is new? Jeff Hartwig continued his magical masters tour in Boston yesterday, opening at a first-try clearance of 18 feet before going 5.80 (19-0 1/2) and missing three tries at 5.93 (19-5 1/2), which would have been an M35 age-group world record (indoor or out). And come late September, when he turns 40, he may raise the M40 world record well past 19. Under the headline “yes, this guy turns 40 this year,” USATF’s Jill Geer wrote: “American record holder Jeff Hartwig won his second national indoor title, eight years after his first, in the men’s pole vault, and he did so in impressive form. The 39-year-old easily won the competition at 5.80m/19-0.25, matching the top clearance by an American this indoor season.”