Jeff stretches out in Oakland in 2007 photo.
Former world-class sprinter
Jeff Laynes — whose
10.50 in 2011 in the 100 should be an M40 American record (but isn’t) — is back for another go at indoor nationals. Last year at ABQ, he was edged in the 60 and 200 by
Karnell Vickers, now M50 but not entered. So Jeff has M45 to himself. In 2016, he ran his heat in 7.10 and final in 7.26. This year, he thinks he’s faster. His submitted time is 7.02 — equal to the listed M45 American record held by
Stan Whitley and
Aaron Thigpen. (WR is 6.97.) Also ambitious are
Rod Jett and
Roland Khoo. Both submitted M50 marks of 8.50 for the 60 hurdles — when the listed world record is 8.47 by
Walt Butler in 1993. I’m also looking forward to seeing 99-year-old
Orville Rogers tackle FIVE events — 60, 200, 400, 800 and mile (where he’s the M95 WR man at 14:39.91). But as fast as everyone is, meet organizers are slow to post a precise time schedule. The meet is Feb. 17-19 and all we know are the
general events on given days. For shame.
6 Responses
Go Jeff!
Ken, for shame. You should know better after all these years!
The protocol adopted by the MTF Committee several years ago is for the detailed schedule to go up two weeks before the meet begins, which is one week after the late entry deadline. A final schedule cannot be put together until we know how many athletes have signed up for the meet. Once we know that the real work on the details of the schedule (which has a huge number of moving parts) begins, and that takes several days to complete. That is why the committee adopted this protocol for posting the detailed schedule.
So, for shame to you for calling out people who are following MTF Committee protocols. If you, or others, don’t like the protocol, come to the Convention next December and propose a change that you think will be better for all.
I should add that the late entry deadline was less than 30 hours in the past when you decided to shame the “meet organizers.” If the detailed schedule still isn’t up less than 14 days before the meet begins, then you can complain. Not before.
MTF protocols don’t take into account the needs of many athletes seeking guidance for flight reservations.
Methinks computer intelligence can speed the scheduling process. Are we still doing this by hand?
“General events on given days” is not an acceptable schedule. With ABQ having back to back meets, perhaps someone could explain why the 2016 indoor schedule couldn’t be used with an Footnote stating that events may run 30 minutes earlier or later. Posting that an event will take place in the PM on day X is absolutely useless for airplane reservation purposes. Same thing for the outdoor national meet schedules (which explains why of the six outdoor national meets I’ve attended since 1992, I’ve driven to five). And you wonder why attendance continues to decline.
Just ’cause that’s the way it’s done don’t make it right…
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