Kathy Martin leads 2012 class of the USATF Masters Hall of Fame
Eleven track and long-distance legends have been inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame, according to committee member Tom Bernhard, in charge of the LDR component. Distance superstar Kathy Martin was a choice from both sides of the spectrum. She’s joined in the Hall of Fame by “T&F Actives” Phil Byrne, Rita Hanscom and Joy Upshaw, “T&F Old timers” John McManus and Roderick Parker, and “LDR Actives” Linda Somers Smith, Carmen Ayala-Troncoso and Gary Romesser. LDR old-timers inducted were Hedy Marque and Jim O’Neill (previously left off list by mistake.) Kathy was the “Joint LDR/T&F” inductee. This is the first class of inductees since 2010, because former Masters Hall of Fame Chair Norm Green had health problems and couldn’t do the job. Congrats to an incredible new class.
Kathy has been queen of the roads, track and cross country trail for years.
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Kathy Martin has been so good for so long that one could easily have been confused about her status. “Hasn’t Kathy Martin been in the Masters Hall of Fame for years?” No, she hasn’t, but here she comes storming in at Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2012.
Joy Upshaw is similar in that she has been outstanding for a very long time and might have had people thinking she was already in the Hall. I first announced her in Greensboro, NC, in 1996, and she tore up the place. That was 16 years ago.
Ken, I don’t recognize the second athlete — could that be Phil Byrne?
Correct, it’s Byrne. I copy-pasted typo from original email. Now corrected. Thanks for the catch!
What, no throwers? If I had had a chance I would have selected Carol Young of Georgia. A popular thrower with a long history of very good performances, I believe that Carol came into the annual meeting with 12 American records, many of them in the weight or superweight.
I would definitely have given Carol my vote on the basis of her record of accomplishment over a sustained period. Or is she already in the Hall?
Two or three years ago at Raleigh I told her I thought she was already in the Hall, but she told me she was not. Or did she get in later without my being aware of it?
My whole family has been overwhelmed by the news of my Dad, John “Bart” McManus being elected to the
USATF Masters Hall of Fame.We had no idea until my brother Jack arrived home to discover a package with the plaque inside,on Wednesday,Feb.20,2013,the day after Dad’s 1st grandson Ryan’s 25th birthday–WHAT A GREAT PRESENT-(DAD NEVER STOPS GIVING!!!!)Congratulations to all the other inductees on behalf of my family.We will all be getting together on Sat. to celebrate Dad’s induction at the Copper Kettle in Sunnyside,Queens,N.Y.,my mom Joan + Dad’s favorite Irish Pub. Good Luck + God bless to all
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