Italians have great idea: frosh and soph masters of the year
What’s the point of annual masters awards? To honor the best by age group, of course. But the Italians have another idea: Awards should encourage newbies as well. So they’ve started freshman and sophomore categories, mainly meant for M35 and W35 athletes just starting out in masters. “This year we want to make a little thing that goes much higher in the USA,” says the awards page. “Webatletica Awards, namely a series of awards that go beyond that conferred the “Master of the Year” and affecting the best athletes master category-by-category. In addition we added the best freshman year (the rookie of the year, all to the class W or M 35) and the sophomore, the athlete that is the second year, which obtained the best performance. Both awards to encourage “young people” to break through the veil of secrecy that still surrounds part of this world so active. If someone has to propose some other prize, there write it to our e-mail info@webatletica.it.” Ottimo lavoro, i miei amici italiani.
Here are the honorees for 2009:
- Master of the year (male): Mario Longo
- Master of the year (female): Maria Lorenzoni
- Seguono tutti gli Awards, categoria-per-categoria
- M35-39: Giacomo Befani
- M40-44: Valerio Brignone
- M45-49: Enrico Saraceni
- M50-54: Giancarlo Ciceri
- M55-59: Antonio Di Somma
- M60-64: Vincenzo Felicetti
- M65-69: Lamberto Boranga
- M70-74: Roberto Vaghi
- M75-79: Luciano Acquarone
- M80-84: Vittorio Biagiotti
- M85-89: Ottavio Missoni
- M90-94: Ugo Sansonetti
- M95-99: Mario Riboni
- W35-39: Lusia Puleanga
- W40-44: Cristina Amigoni
- W45-49: Elena Montini
- W50-54: Maria Lorenzoni
- W55-59: Egger Waltraud
- W60-64: Ingeborg Zorzi
- W65-69: Brunella Del Giudice
- W70-74: Giulia Perugini
- W75-79: Emma Mazzenga
- W80-84: Anna Flaibani
- W95-99: Gabre Gabric
- Rookie-of-the-year (male): Francesco Arduini (1974)
- Rookie-of-the-year (female): Sonia Marongiu (1974)
- Sophomore-of-the-year (male): Luca Tonello (1973)
- Sophomore-of-the-year (female): Paola Tiselli (1973)
One Response
Good for you Italy! If sub-masters or younger Masters categories (40-49)are considered part of the Masters T&F Community as a whole by finacially contributing to the Masters community by competing at Masters meets locally , regionally and at Nationals, purchasing Masters products (masters news and items) etc., they shouldn’t be treated as if they need, as some like to say, pay their dues. If those views continue in the USA, maybe there does need to be a restructuring of Masters age groups where one is not considered to be a Masters athlete until age 50, as is done in the Senior games. The 35-49 division could be it’s own entity, with it’s own Championships and awards without need for age-grading or implement weight changes. Instead of Sub-Masters being the term used for athletes in their middle ages, maybe a new 35-49 entity could be named Post-Open. There would be no confusing or infusing the masters term with those younger athletes. If this idea of two seperate entities were implemented the fields of competitors would be smaller in both groups that Championships could be run just prior to two seperate major USATF T&F events at the same venue as if the first show of a double feature, for the bigger open event. The community of where the meet was being held would see great profits as some Masters or Post-Open athletes would stay for the bigger meet venue, following the their championships.
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