Oshkosh Day 1: 3 world records new and one old celebrated

Just a quickie post. Gotta compete in 9 hours. Three world age-groups records were set at Oshkosh nationals today as athletes competed in comfy low 80s while commiserating about the chance of showers Friday. And at night, the USATF Masters T&F Executive Committee began work on overhauling the records process after hearing my 10-minute rant that noted our online petition. (Much more on this later.) The first breakthrough in the records logjam: John Hinton’s undisputed M45 mile indoor world record of 4:20.18 at Hartshorne in January 2008 is now listed as “pending” on the USATF record page, says records chair Sandy Pashkin. (She belatedly discovered that an NCAA sanction made the meet legit for masters records.)

Today’s WRs were by M95 Frank Levine in the 5000 (50:10.56), walk-jogging the last laps but bettering the listed record of 50:23.53 by Herb Kirk in 1991; by M95 Leland McPhie, who put the 3Kg shot 6.87 (22-6 1/2) and was interviewed by local TV (after showing him throwing); and by W75  Flo Meiler of Vermont, whose 18.63 in the pentathlon 80-meter hurdles demolished the listed WR of 24.34 by Johnnye Valien in 2005.

USATF’s Jill Geer also reported on various American records while working from home in Boston. Results are posted here.

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July 9, 2009

One Response

  1. Ken Stone - July 10, 2009

    More details on Day 1, plus a small photo gallery at the local paper’s Web site:
    http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20090710/OSH02/907100434

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