Midwest meet series open to masters, starting Saturday
Will Summers has sent me info on a series of meets in Missouri and Illinois open to masters. Called the St. Louis Summer Series, the first event — which is throws only — is Saturday and has a deadline of 11 a.m. today. Sorry. But the others are well into June, so you have plenty of time to mull your entries. For a PDF that tells all about the series, check out this file. (And the price is nice: $5 per event. Gotta love it!)
Wolfgang Ritte tops M55 world record in vault: 14 feet
The Koops in Germany report that German vault superstar Wolfgang Ritte has cleared 4.27 outdoors, or 14-0. They headline their entry “4.27 m! Wolfgang Ritte (M55) begins outdoor season with pole vault world record.” The listed world age-group record is 4.26 by Sweden’s Hans Lagerqvist in 1996. However, Wolfie has gone higher indoors. He cleared an M55 WR of 4.30 (14-1 1/4) last January. Here’s the video of the indoor jump.
Bud Smith, who outjumped Wilt, profiled in Iowa paper
Don Doxsie of the Quad City Times in Iowa has written a marvelous story on Bud Smith, a pioneering barefoot high jumper who became a masters record holder and world star. Bud was one of the first in history to clear 7 feet — but never got the credit he deserved. The story tells why Bud, now 72, is no longer jumping: “Two years ago, plagued by arthritis, he had both hips replaced. He still goes to the Senior Olympics at Augustana College every year, but now he just does the shot put.”
Update on Carter Holmes: He’s hoping to make Florida
In late February, I shared the story about M55 multi-eventer Carter Holmes and his heart scare at the University of Minnesota. Yesterday I got a note from longtime masters jumper Tom Langenfeld with a status report on Carter. It’s very encouraging. Tom writes: ” I talked to Carter last week. He’s been home for a little over a month now following rehab at the Sister Kenney Institute in Minneapolis. Says he’s frustrated by the slowness of his recovery, but I understand that he’s done much, much better than the medics expected. Says his problems are more like those of a stroke victim — speech, balance and short-term memory problems.”
John Hinton’s birthday present to self: M46 record 1500
John Hinton of North Carolina ran another great 1500 at Duke over the weekend, clocking 3:58.13 just three days after turning 46 on May 1. This mark beats the listed single-age record of 3:58.3 by Britain’s Peter Molloy in 1995. John already holds the M45 American record of 3:56.39 (still listed as “p” for pending), which he clocked a year ago at the same track in Durham, North Carolina. Ironically, while USATF lists John’s 3:56.39 as pending, World Masters Athletics has no doubts — calling his time a world age-group record. Go figure.
Hartwig also focusing attention on masters at Modesto
Tom Holliday of the Modesto Bee has a nice little writeup on Jeff Hartwig, an entrant in the elite vault at Modesto this weekend, reporting: “Why is that 40-year-old man still flying upside down 20 feet in the air? Well, it’s an Olympic year, for one thing. And pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig hasn’t seen Beijing. Not upside down, not right side up. And no one else that age has done what he’s doing. Think Nolan Ryan. Think George Blanda. Think Peter Pan.”
Modesto Relays may boast fastest masters races of year
They call it the California Invitational Relays, but many of us older folks know it as just Modesto. And after this year, it surely could be known for masters races as well. Joy Upshaw-Margerum and meet director Gregg Miller have assembled some incredible fields for Saturday’s masters 100 and 110 hurdles. (It helped that they’re providing lodging for out-of-towners.) Joy writes: “This is a good exposure for USA Masters sprints/hurdles. Flotrack may be covering this meet, too. So in that case, there will be some good airtime :-)” Perhaps two 100s will be contested.
Hall of Famer Irene Obera comes out of retirement at 75!
In the May issue of National Masters News, buried in a story on page 15, is some monumental news — worthy of Page One: “For the women on the track (at the Bay Area Senior Games at Stanford), Irene Obera, 75, ran a 16.79 into a headwind to win the W75 100.” That’s it. One sentence. But what a revelation! Back in August 2005, Irene told a newspaper reporter up in the San Francisco Bay Area that San Sebastian worlds would be her final meet. In fact, her last listing on mastersrankings.com was for worlds, when she ran 15.12 and 33.65 to top the W70 lists. Guess she’s stoked by the 2009 National Senior Games coming to the Bay Area. She couldn’t stay away from the sport that gave her national fame (in SI’s Faces in the Crowd) as long ago as 1962. Welcome back, Irene!
New Forum category launched: ‘Share lodging, transit’
World throws champion George Mathews in his latest column for National Masters News suggested that usatf.org host a “Sharing Bulletin Board” for athletes who could use a roommate or a ride to a meet. I thought it was a great idea, and immediately added a category to our masterstrack.com Forum. Even if only one pair of athletes got together through this message board, I would deem it a success. Heck, it’s free. And who wants to wait six years for a dozen people (and lawyers) at USATF to sign off on such a venture? So check out my introduction to this service and take advantage of it! Permission granted to save money!
Henry Rono Watch: Legend still targeting WR in M55 mile
Henry Rono, 56, whose training and running we’ve been following for several years, says he graduated from college yesterday — three decades after setting a bunch of distance world records while competing for Washington State University. Good for him! Apparently, he earned a master’s degree in special education from Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque. But on the letsrun.com message board thread devoted to his goal of breaking the M55 WR in the mile of 4:40.4. Henry mentions a series of mile runs he’s running this month, called RonoRun Mobile One.
