Peter with Reg two months before elder’s 2015 death.
Who’s the most decorated masters sprinter of all time? As far as guys at outdoor world masters meets, the answer is a tie: Aussie Peter Crombie and Britain’s Stephen Peters. Both boast 47 medals at 100, 200, 400 or the relays. That’s part of a chart making the rounds, which I haven’t double-checked. But it looks legit, and Sydney’s Amanda Coombe has teased out a tale. She’s a world-class middle-distancer soon to be W50. She writes: “As you would know, there were some great performances in Perth at the recent World Championships, and we were fortunate enough to have three of the World’s best male masters sprinters of all time in Bill Collins, Stephen Peters and Peter Crombie. I have taken the time to write an article about these guys and also included Reg Austin, Steve Robbins and Guido Meuller.” I hope someone does a similar chart for the top gals.
Here’s a medal chart that went around before Steve Robbins was added.
Richard “Dick” Bergenback — a national-class masters thrower out of Tennessee — competed for almost 50 years. His last major season was 2012, when he threw in meets like the USATF Southeastern Masters Championships and Senior Olympics in Tennessee and Georgia. Now we learn that he died Nov. 20 at his Chattanooga home — less than a month after entering M90. His friend and colleague Bob Osterhoudt graciously shared info: “He was born on October 23, 1926, in eastern Pennsylvania; he won a baccalaureate degree in earth sciences from Lafayette College, where he was an exceptional defensive end in football and a leading all-around track and field athlete (most notably a distinguished javelin thrower).” Some may be comforted to know Dick will reunite with his Senior Olympian wife, Audrey, who passed in July 2015. She was a thrower, too. Read the rest of this post »
Bill Murray, USATF Masters co-chair for combined events (like dec and hep), writes that Rex Harvey, our new national chair, is looking to acquire vaulting poles for storage in Indianapolis (with throws implements and 27-inch hurdles). They get shipped to national masters championships. The Masters T&F Committee will help fund this, but Bill seeks to raise more. He writes: “The plan, though still under development, is to have a series of ascending 10-8, 11-6, 12-, 13- and 14-foot poles (over 30) which will be available, for a small fee, at all masters national championships. The rental price, to be determined, will cover replacement cost, new acquisitions and freight. This is a small part of Rex’s overall plan to give athletes a more enjoyable championship experience. This is not designed for the “single event” or “open” vaulter because they travel with their poles. However, they will be available to all athletes.” Tax-deductible contributions are being sought with checks payable to: USATF Masters Track & Field (with PV noted on the check) and mailed to Carroll DeWeese at his address below. Bill adds: “Please email me when ‘the check is in the mail’ so I have a timely accounting of funds and Thank You!. You still have the passion, so please contribute generously to your sport. Get out your checkbook TODAY and we will try to have them in Albuquerque.” Checks go to: Carroll DeWeese, Treasurer, 932 Purdy, Birmingham, MI 48009
W60 multi-eventerKay Glynn sends her latest holiday card and news of her recovery from hip issues: “With my two hip resurfacings in the past, by January I will have NO restrictions!” she writes. “While I’ve been able to go back to several events in-between my hip surgeries and ACL surgery, I’ve never attempted running hurdles since 2011. As you can see, I’m doing a few hurdle warmups and plan to try the hurdles again this winter. FYI: The hardest thing about this pose is getting into and out of it! It took some extra training! I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends on the track and making news ones, too!” She also shared her cheerleading style, acrobatic dance video. A usual, she defies social norms. She says she’s 63. I think she’s 36. Card her!
If Ed Whitlock had joined his English contemporaries at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, would he still be running (and demolishing records) today? The M85 distance god’s answer appears to be no. He says in a great new video that had he gotten the right training and guidance, and avoided injury, he might have gone to the Games (although he doesn’t specify which one). As a result, he thinks he might not be motivated to run now. He also tells Canadian Running Magazinethat he hopes to run to 90 “or beyond.” That’s great news to his fans — and scientists who should continue studying his remarkable mind and physique. But do you agree with my theory that many masters today are those with “unfinished business” of yesterday?
A month ago, I highlighted proposed rule changes being considered at the USATF annual meeting in Orlando. Today I checked the “scorecard,“ showing which efforts got approved, rejected, etc. Turns out our items were withdrawn or tabled, including Item 44, a bid to make it easier to set masters age-group records (by requiring as few as two in a race, and counting all ages in field events). I don’t know why. Gary Snyder’s effort (Item 47) to ensure full flights, by allowing people to advance in a round if someone who made that round scratches, was withdrawn. Graeme Shirley’s proposal (Item 45) to require USATF membership for all members of relay teams was tabled. Lemme know if I missed any major rules changes that affect us.
Here’s how proposals fared at annual meeting. Click to see items.
Clay Krames of the University of Texas was a conference medalist in the late 1940s. (He also threw discus at the Kansas Relays.) After graduating in 1949, he pretty much quit the game. But he came back to throw disc (as well as hammer and javelin) at the National Senior Games, the last time in 2015. Now we’re sorry to learn from Texas meet organizer Seth Brower that Clay died just months after turning 90. “Clay passed away after a sudden illness on November 30, 2016, while attended by his family,” says his obit. See his obituary here. His dramatic five-decade comeback was told several times, including this great profile in the Dallas News. I was struck by this quote in 2015, before the Minnesota NSG: “If my health holds, I’ll compete as long as I can perform decently. But I think by the time I hit 90, that’s going to be my automatic retirement date.” My condolences to all his friends and family.
Two years afterthrowing a snit over USATF masters ignoring social media, I’m delighted to see strong gains on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms. Bob Weiner’s annual report [see it here] on masters media still focuses on TV and newspaper coverage, but a section by social media maven Sandy Triolo, a W50 sprinter, is the most heartening. About 17 months ago, USAMastersTrack on Twitter had six followers. On Thursday, it had 443. With new chair Rex Harvey pushing hard, our social media reach should skyrocket. Let’s join his example and “Like” Facebook and follow Instagram. Our FB page has 1,200 followers. Let’s make it 3,000 in 2017.
Here’s our Twitter feed. Follow and contribute by tweeting @usamasterstrack.
Wednesday was a great day for Rex Harvey, our new masters national chair. Yahoo Sports ran a press release on his USATF job. Bigger yet, Rex wrote on Facebook: “Good News. Just finished status checkup yesterday with CAT scan and blood work. Tumors remaining from my appendix cancer are unchanged and the tumor protein indicators in my blood are in the normal range and still reducing. Thank God and all you friends who helped me through this challenge.” I also came across this shot of quintessential Rex — as deca-stud. He won at 1989 Eugene worlds in an M40 world record 7,724 points. That’s how I define Rex — not as a cancer survivor but as the first WR man to head USATF Masters Track & Field.
Rex (right) leads in WR decathlon in 1989. Click for story on fifth page.
In Orlando, Masters T&F Records chair Jeff Brower submitted a list of 129 “approved” marks for USATF American age-group records. The wider USATF Records Committee signed off on 130. The extra mark? It’s No. 166 — Alisa Harvey’s W50 indoor 800 record of2:18.14 on February 20, 2016. Jeff listed it as “In Waiting” because of a “missing” zero-control test for the starter’s gun. Maybe it arrived in time, or maybe the Records Committee found a work-around. In any case, congrats to Alisa. (I’ll check with Jeff on how the mark got accepted.)
Alisa races at the 2012 Eugene Olympic Trials in masters 400 exhibition.
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...]
