L.A. plotting bid for 2009 outdoor masters nationals
The California grapevine is buzzing about a likely bid for the 2009 USATF Outdoor Masters National Championships. USATF Western Regional Coordinator Mark Cleary has informed some folks: “The bid for the 2009 outdoor nationals has a few details that need to be resolved. . . I feel that the bid will go forward, but I am not the only one involved in the process. Am doing what I can to make it happen.” In the past, Mark has mentioned Azusa Pacific University as a potential site for masters nationals. But that school would have to live down its reputation for bonking. This past summer, it pulled out as host for the USATF national club championships.
On the plus side: APU has a new track. And the weather is generally great in SoCal at nationals time. Plus tourism possibilities. But will USATF delegates at the Indy convention at the end of this month opt for back-to-back West Coast sites?
The 2008 masters nationals will be in Spokane,
About Ken Stone
Ken has followed track as an athlete, writer and web-master since the late 1960s, and saw most sessions of track and field at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also attended the 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Trials, the last three as a blogger and Patch correspondent. [More...]
Ken Stone
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6 Responses
Ken,
I think the key question no matter what city gets the bid to host the 2009 Masters, will they schedule it sometime other than the traditional 1st or 2nd weekend in August to avoid the conflict with the Senior Olypmics in San Francisco, who have already staked out August 1-15. Some of us might like to make both, particularly if both are on the West Coast and we can minimize travel costs.
I think it would be a major mistake on the part of USATF masters to schedule the National Masters Track Meet on the West Coast in competition with the National Senior Games. Who ever is doing the planning should also remember that the dates set for the National Senior Games are spread over a 2 week time with the older athletes – 65 plus competing the first week and the younger ones 50-64 competing the second week for the track and field events.
Personally I would like to compete in both the USATF meet and the Senior Games but not if I have to fly across the country twice within a matter of a couple of weeks or undergo the expense of hanging around for a week waiting for the next meet. And on top of that we are talking about August 2009- when the WMA meet will be held in Finland – – probably also in August – that is 3 major track meets all competing for perhaps the same 4 week time.
Perhaps some one on the Masters committee could find out the exact dates of the 2009 WMA meet. The WMA website says “July-August”.
And isn’t there also a World Masters Games in Australia sometime during the fall of 2009? Wow – we all better start buying lottery tickets hoping to hit the megamillions jackpot.
Looks as if Azusa Pacific isn’t the site in mind. Just got a note from Kevin Reid, track coach at APU, and he says: “I would not be opposed to it, but as of right now, I do not know of anything concrete about it.”
The Masters Nationals should not compete with the National Senior Olympics. We have very few good quality meets involving competition between the best athletes. We should support the Senior Olympics. Direct competition will hurt both organizations.
The World Masters Games is scheduled for October 2009 in Sydney. I competed in the last three games and had a wonderful time.
Having competed in both Track and Football during my collegiate days in nearby Pomona, CA, I would NOT recommend holding the USATF Masters Nationals in the city of Azusa. The heat and smog factor in that region are at their peak during the month of August. Colleges in the area typically hold back practices and competitions until nightfall during the Summer months. It won’t have the humidity factor that Charlotte, NC had, but you do have to deal with the significant smog effects blowing in from L.A.
The LA bid is structured to be an evening meet from approx. 4:30 to 9:30pm. over the four days. Azusa was originally chosen because Citrus College is about 200m away and both tracks would be used. Azusa is now plan B. Mt. Sac is plan A using Cal Poly Pomona across the street for mainly preliminaries. Cal Poly also has their own Hotel on Campus (they have a Hotel Management Major) and the rates are outstanding. In regard to the Hot smogy weather the last gentleman was talking about, even the meets that are held in the LA area during the day are not bad at all and trust me those that have survived Charlotte, Orlando and Baton Rouge over the years will think they are in heaven with conditions that an evening meet will provide in California.Evenings in Southern California are very plesant and the wind dies down for calm conditions.We have had to wait until the National office paid Mt. Sac the $ 4000.00 they owed them before we could proceed and that was just done at the end of last week 4 months after the Open Club Nationals were held there. We are moving forward now and should have more information shortly–Mark
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