National championship patches may be on last legs
The USATF Rules Committee has spoken. We now know the fate of the nearly 20 rules proposals affecting masters track and field. Besides the John Keston rules discussed earlier, we can tick off the results of the other votes. And several might tick you off: Steve Vaitones’ proposal to make national championship patches optional — instead of mandatory — was accepted, overruling the sentiment of the masters delegates. (And Steve’s proposal to ban “all-star” LDR teams was accepted as amended.)
Battle by the Bay features clash of the masters titans
This Saturday, San Francisco will host the USATF National Cross Country Club Championships. Of special interest to me is the fight shaping up for male supremacy among some trackcentric distance dudes. In one corner is M40 repeat champion Brian Pope of Mississippi. In the other corner is M45 Pete Magill of Southern California. And in the third corner is M40 stud Tony Young of Washington state, slightly out of his 800/mile comfort zone. The race is 10K — 6.2 miles. Here are the entry lists. The event also is notable for awarding prize money to the top masters age-group teams. (The most is $250 per club — enough to pay for pizza and beer at the post-race party.)
Justice for John Keston and his M80 mile world record!
Yes, USATF can do the right thing! With a push from Dave Clingan and allies on the USATF Masters T&F Committee at the Indy convention, some rule changes have been been approved that right a terrible wrong. Remember the uproar over the rejection of a legitimate outdoor world mile record by M80 John Keston in May 2005? Now some calcified technicalities have been removed from the USATF Rule Book, allowing John’s record to be given due consideration, if retroactively.
Questions and answers on the new masters rankings
Dave Clingan has clarified some aspects of the new online USATF masters rankings. But the more he shares, the more excited I get. (There’s even a chance of ME making the rankings!) First question: Will meet directors continue to send results from Hy-Tek software or somehow enter results via the interface? Dave replies: “We will be able to import results from Hy-Tek and other common data files, when meet directors provide them to us. This will still require manual oversight to insure the data is accurate and duplication of names is corrected as necessary.”
2007 rankings system lets you post own marks!
You say ya want a revolution? Well, here ya go. The latest Web miracle for masters has gone online — an American age-group rankings that allows athletes to enter their own marks and see them reflected instantly. It’s based on the honor system, but it’s easily correctable. Check out the USATF 2007 indoor rankings here. For stat purposes, the 2007 indoor season began Dec. 1, 2006. So folks have already begun posting results! Dave Clingan shared the news — a wonderful early Christmas/Hanukkah gift!
Harvey clears hurdle on way to IAAF masters post
Rex Harvey apparently had no competition in Indy, so he’ll be the U.S. nominee for membership on the IAAF Masters Committee — a decision to be made at the IAAF world meet in Osaka this coming summer. Also, masters delegates at the USATF annual meeting chose Bob Fine and Bill Collins to represent the United States at the WMA General Assembly in Riccione, Italy, this coming summer. If they can’t make it, the next in line as WMA delegates are Carroll DeWeese, Dave Clingan, Marilyn Mitchell and Christel Donley. The USA reps to the WMA Women’s Committee in Riccione will be Donley and Sumi Onodera-Leonard, with Mary Trotto as alternate.
December 5, 2006
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USATF in Indy playing Scrooge with masters track?
Remember the hoo-hah about the USATF membership fee increase and how masters would benefit? Well, yeah, we’re getting more money. But we had to beg for it (again), and we have to jump through hoops to guarantee the loot. Three masters delegates to this past weekend’s USATF convention report that Indy will cough up $20,000 to $25,000 exta for masters track as part of the fee-increase windfall. But that’s a pittance compared with the $300,000 additional revenue USATF nets from the fee hike. One source reports: “Andy Martin (of the Indy HQ) informed our Executive Committee on Saturday that the masters committee share of the membership increase revenues would amount to about $20K-$25K in program-specific . . . grants.”
Charlotte nationals survey: Nearly half are retired
I envy my retired friends. The kids are gone, and career is over. So they have all this extra time to train for track and field. But I’ve always wondered how many masters are retired. Finally, a clue has arrived — in the form of Dr. Eric Zemper’s annual demographic survey of national masters participants. Some folks at the Indy convention thoughtfully requested that Dr. Z send me his report. So here it is — with the answers to many questions. (An unformatted version is below.)
December 4, 2006
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Time has come for online masters track museum
Although books have been written on the history of masters track, the raw stuff of this history — results, articles, movies — is available to only a few. Enter Andy Hecker of Ventura County, north of L.A. He suggests the obvious: Let’s get this material online for all to access! In the wake of an Indy convention that celebrated Masters Hall of Famers going back 30 or more years, Andy writes: “We would like to recapture the history of our sport. We are looking for the stuff you or one of the old guys in your club might have put away in a box in the garage. Nobody will see it there. We want to create a permanent online museum to the accomplishments of our predecessors, and of course build a system so things are not lost in the future.”
Nadine O’Connor repeats as USATF masters AOY
Our vaultin-hurdlin-sprintin’ friend Nadine O’Connor of Del Mar, California, snagged female Masters Athlete of the Year honors at the USATF annual meeting today in Indy. She was one of a couple dozen masters athletes honored at the awards breakfast (although many winners don’t attend). That makes it back-to-back awards for W60 Nadine, who won the same award in 2005. One masters figure who won’t be repeating is Phil Byrne, a world-class decathlete who this week announced he’s resigning as Masters Awards Committee chairman. He’s served for several years. The new awards honcho will be up to new chair Gary Snyder and his Executive Committee. Anyone interested? Contact Gary.
