Soka University in Orange County, California, let masters run in its March 10 invitational. So a small number took up the offer and did well, especially W50 sprinter/vaulter Rita Hanscom and W50 thrower Linda Cohn (who took first in the jav). Also welcome was the “MA” tag in the posted results — with “MA” standing for masters. It would be better, of course, if their age group was listed. But at least the masters entrants can be discerned among the collegians.

The king is dead. Long live the king! Well, Pete Mundle isn’t gone. But his successor as master of all masters records has begun his reign. Martin Gasselsberger of mastersathletics.net has begun an online listing of single-age records. His first events are the men’s 800 and the women’s 800. This isn’t a first (since Weia Reinboud has posted single-age high jump records for years), but it’s a sign that our reliance on Pete’s deeply flawed Masters Age Records booklet is about over. Will other events get Martinized? Yes! He says: “I should like to make single age records for all events.”

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One of the hardest working guys in masters track is an M55 middle-distance runner who wins medals but doesn’t set records. But his efforts are rewarded with something better than mere hardware: publicity for our niche. His name is Bob Weiner, and he’s the USATF Masters Media Subcommittee chairman. His job? Spotlight our stars and attract media attention to our nationals. His latest work is on display now. A longer version is posted as a Word document (and appears below). Bob also prepared a separate release focusing on Phil’s Raschker’s entry into the W60 ranks (also shown below). Way to go, Bob, and best of luck in the 8 and the mile.

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John Altendorf turned 61 last Monday. Yesterday he woke up to see a nice article about his recent vault exploits in the local newspaper. But what caught my eye was how John became aware of masters track — an article in the newspaper. “Dennis Phillips . . . held the American record for the age group I was in at the time, 55-59,” Altendorf said. “I read about that and thought, ‘Wow. I didn’t know there was a place for old vaulters to still do that.’ ” So yeah — publicity matters. So when you finish your events at Boston, hook up with Bob Weiner (our masters media chief) and let him help you prepare a news release for your hometown paper. Who knows? You might inspire the next John Altendorf.

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Thank you, Karin Wahlstedt. You spared us a debate on hand-timing vs. FAT for records consideration in events over 400 meters. Who is Karin Wahlstedt? Well, on March 3 in in Bollnäs, Sweden, she ran the 800 in 2:18.16 — easily better than the listed W45 world indoor record. But, nah. Let’s have the debate. Here goes: A month ago at the Swedish masters indoor nationals, Karin won the W45 800 in 2:19.83. The listed world-age group record is 2:19.7 by Britain’s Caroline Marler in 1997, a hand-timed mark, notes Annette’s Seite in Germany. So which was faster? Karin’s FAT 2:19.83 or Caroline’s stopwatch time of 2:19.7? Which was the world record?

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Less than two weeks after turning 65, USATF Masters Athlete of the Year Nadine O’Connor yesterday vaulted 3.05 meters (10 feet) to demolish Joy McDonald’s listed W65 world outdoor record of 2.40 (7-10 1/2) by more than two feet. Joy’s record lasted only seven months, having come last summer at Charlotte nationals. Nadine’s age-graded mark — set at the Aztec Invitational at San Diego State University — was an almost unheard of 117.31 percent on the Age-Graded Tables. “Pretty good for a 65-year-old lady with a bad foot!” writes Bud Held, her Hall of Fame coach and partner. Her club? Held’s Angels.

Nolan Shaheed is 57 and ready for Boston. How ready? He wrote Friday: “Today I ran an 800 at the (Occidental) Distance Carnival and ran a 2:06 something (actually 2:06.76), which isn’t a great time but not a bad one.” Last week he ran a 2:05.43 at the Benny Brown Invitational at Cal State Fullerton. Both marks are better than his own listed M55 American record of 2:06.83 from 2004. (Last summer, though, he ran a 2:05.17 at the USATF National Clubs Championships — but hasn’t submitted paperwork yet for records consideration.) “I guess I just expect to run faster,” he says. The world record is 2:03.7 by South Africa’s Stan Immelman in 2001.

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Carla Hoppie, who will compete in the pentathlon at next week’s Boston nationals, is 50 years old — and a member of the Eastern Oregon University track team. That’s a rarity. But even more rare: Her son, Chris, is a track teammate! A great story on this was produced by the school. The best part: “Mom has to make sure she does what all good moms do. ‘I just have to make sure I don’t embarrass him. Sometimes it’s hard not to be mom and remember I’m his teammate right now.’ ” Marvelous. Carla is a freshman, and her son is a sophomore. Carla is at least the third W50 athlete to compete collegiately. The others were Phil Raschker at Atlanta’s Life University and Linda Cohn at Santa Clara’s College of the Canyons.

Who is Cebron Robinson? And why am I poking fun at him? Well, sorry. But there’s gotta be some consequence for submitting hilarious marks when entering a masters championship. The latest M45 status of entries page at USATF for the Boston indoor nationals indicates Cebron has submitted “qualifying marks” of 6.52 in the 60 and 20.50 in the 200. Of course, these are utter nonsense. The M45 world records are 7.02 and 22.57. I doubt Cebron even ran these times in the early 1980s, when he was a star running back for the Pittsburg State football team in eastern Kansas. In 2006, 6.52 would have ranked second on the USATF open list.

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More than two years ago, I asked USATF CEO Craig Masback if the much-ballyhooed USA Track & Field Foundation had cut any checks for masters track. Craigo replied: “The foundation has yet to give money to anyone.” Further, he said: “I’m not aware that (the) masters (committee) has asked for money.” Well, this Pittsburgh-based nonprofit has begun sharing its largesse — with elite and youth projects. Nothing for masters. And this despite its stated “commitment” to “expanding existing masters events and programs and access to them.” So I decided to find out why.

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