M60 John Altendorf of Oregon added to his legend today at a University of Washington indoor meet, clearing 3.93 (12-10 3/4) and 3.96 (12-11 3/4) in the vault — both indoor world records. Becca Gillespy, who posted the first report, wrote: “He looked great! Definitely a few more inches in the tank this indoor season.” (Becca, BTW, tied for 24th in her event, clearing 3.05, or 10-0). Another witness, M40 runner Mark Alexander, wrote me: “When Altendorf’s mark was announced as an age-group world record, the crowd went wild!”

Read the rest of this post »

Sean Callahan, editor-founder of GeezerJock magazine, writes in his blog: “Bill Unsworth had his second hip replaced in 2006. . . . The bad news for Bill was that he took a year off from coaching college football in anticipation of the surgery and the recovery. The good news now is that he has a new job. He started last month as the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. Bill sounds like a good candidate for a story we’re working on about what’s possible after joint replacement surgery. If you have a story (good or bad or indifferent) about joint replacement surgery, I’d love to hear it. Please . . . email me at scallahan@geezerjock.com.”

Richmond ‘Boo’ Morcom, inducted into our Hall of Fame in 1997, is a masters icon. A 1948 Olympic vaulter who dominated the event in the United States in the late 1940s, Boo went on to legend status in masters track before retiring from the pole vault game in 2001. New Hampshire public radio interviewed him in 2003, and an alumni magazine did a great profile (see below). But Boo has seen better days. Joe Johnston reports that Boo is using a walker up in Sunapee, New Hampshire, after breaking his hip.

Read the rest of this post »

Randy Sturgeon, publisher of National Masters News, writes that he made a meet-schedule mistake in the February issue. Randy says, “The meet is the East Regional Masters Indoor Track and Field Meet. It is on Saturday, March 10th at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. One can enter at www.mausatf.org or contact Ray Feick, the East Region Coordinator at rayfeick@peoplepc.com.” Randy says he had the correct date and typed the schedule but didn’t catch the error (NMN said the was March 24). All is forgiven. And BTW, the USATF event database is very good (and searchable) these days. Check it to confirm all meet dates and entry info.

Merlene Ottey won’t stop overachieving. Last night in Leipzig, she ran 60 meters in 7.30 seconds, bettering her recent W45 world indoor record of 7.36. Then Merlene took third in last night’s final in 7.36, finishing behind a pair of Poles, according to a report posted on the T&FN message board. Wonder what 46-year-old lady sprinters make in appearance fees these days. Merlene has to be cashing in somehow. And 7.30 is worth 6.59 on the Age-Graded Tables. Slap me silly.

I’m half-Polish, so I have a special interest in the latest work of authors Krzysztof Kusy and Jacek Zielinski. The Eurovets Web site says the Polish pair have issued a new edition of a book called “Masters Athletics.” Oops, I wasn’t aware of the old edition. In any case, I’m hoping to get a copy for review purposes. It’s not a history so much as a sociological study. According to a Web description of the book, it’s about the “social, biological and practical aspects of veterans sport.” Should be interesting. Jacek and K-man were organizers of the Eurovets championships last year in Poznan, Poland. Jacek may be a former World Cup soccer player. Or is it a different gent?

Break up Kathy Martin! The former USATF Masters Athlete of the Year has notched her third world indoor record this season. A month after taking down the W55 indoor mile world record and two weeks after seizing the indoor 3K record, Kathy tonight beat the listed W55 world age-group indoor record for 800 meters at The New York Road Runners’ Thursday Night at the Races event at the Armory in NYC. My source says: “Tonight she broke another WR, slightly improving on her time of a month ago with a 2:34.0 in the 800.” The listed W55 world indoor record is 2:34.33 by Britain’s Nancy Hitchmough in March 2006. On the Age-Graded Tables, Kathy’s 2:34.0 (probably hand-timed) is equivalent to an open performance of 2:08.68 (which indicates the record is soft.) But still, it’s a record if all the paperwork is in order. We’ll see.

National Masters News this month lists world and American indoor records. But scratch the W70 vault mark. On page 25, the listed indoor WR is 2.09 (6-10 1/4) by Leonore McDaniels in April 1998. But two pages later, under the Dartmouth Relays results, we see Flo Meiler jumped 2.11 (6-11) on January 5, 2007. I wouldn’t have known this but for a link cited by Becca Gillespy. The Dartmouth sports site also notes the record — as well as masters results. We learn: “Meiler, representing Green Mountain Athletic Club, cleared 6-11 on her first try.”

Read the rest of this post »

Say it ain’t so! M39 and counting, Jeff Hartwig has been quoted as saying, “I guess this will be my last indoor season, so I am just enjoying it.” At least he’s winning. Jeff was listed as 39 years 136 days on Tuesday when he won the vault at a meet in Düsseldorf. He tied his season best of 5.70 meters (18-8 1.4). On her unsurpassed polevaultpower message board, Becca Gillespy writes: “I think this is as close as I have seen to an official announcement from Hartwig on when he would retire, though he has hinted at this in the past. I think his plan is to compete into September or whenever he turns 40 and break the M40 record. Speaking of almost-40 vaulters, Pat Manson told me in Reno that his goal is to make it to the Olympic Trials in 2008.” Pat would be 40 at the Eugene Trials.

Stefan Waltermann to the rescue. German-born and American-naturalized, Stefan has provided a summary of the German masters doping accusations. Stefan writes: “Dr. Clemens Prokop is the president of the German Track & Field Association, or DLV. The German Parliament, or Bundestag, has a sport committee overseeing and/or tracking developments in all sports in Germany. On January 31, 2007, Dr. Prokop stated in front of the Sportausschuss or sport committee that the current system of doping control should be placed under more scrutiny.”

Read the rest of this post »