Phil Raschker is masters T&F nominee for Athlete of Year

At last year’s USATF convention in Hawaii, a three-man committee chose a relatively unknown distance runner as the USATF Masters Athlete of the Year. A firestorm erupted. Why didn’t they pick Phil Raschker, the world masters Athlete of the Year? This year, expect a more sensible result. Again, Phil Raschker will represent the masters track and field side. (I don’t know the masters LDR or racewalking nominees.) Unlike the Athlete of the Year awards made at the outdoor nationals Athletes Banquet, USATF’s end-of-year honors go to a single athlete at the annual meeting, which this year will be held the first week of December in Reno, Nevada. Phil became the nominee of masters track after a vote by members of Dave Clingan’s Masters T&F Awards Committee.


Dave informed masters chair Gary Snyder of its pick yesterday with this note:

By an overwhelming majority of votes cast by the MTF Awards Committee (11 out of 15), Phil Raschker is our nominee for the 2008 Masters Athlete of the Year Award.

Dave attached this “Summary of 2008 Accomplishments for PHIL RASCHKER – Age 61”:

W60 Indoor National Rankings = 8 Points
W60 – 60 METER DASH USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – 200 METER DASH USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – 400 METER RUN USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – 60 METER HURDLES USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – HIGH JUMP USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – POLE VAULT USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – LONG JUMP USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 – TRIPLE JUMP USA #1 Indoor Ranking
W60 Outdoor National Rankings = 6 Points
W60 – 100 METER DASH USA #1 Outdoor Ranking
W60 – 200 METER DASH USA #1 Outdoor Ranking
W60 – 80 METER HURDLES USA #1 Outdoor Ranking
W60 – 300 METER HURDLES USA #1 Outdoor Ranking
W60 – LONG JUMP USA #1 Outdoor Ranking
W60 – TRIPLE JUMP USA #1 Outdoor Ranking
W60 Indoor American Record = 12 Points
W60 – 400 METER RUN Indoor American Record
W60 – HIGH JUMP Indoor American Record
W60 – TRIPLE JUMP Indoor American Record

W60 Indoor World Record = 10 Points

W60 – 400 METER RUN Indoor World Record
W60 – HIGH JUMP Indoor World Record
W60 Indoor National Championships = 18 Points
W60 – 200 METER DASH USATF Indoor Masters Nationals 1st Place
W60 – 400 METER RUN USATF Indoor Masters Nationals 1st Place
W60 – 60 METER HURDLES USATF Indoor Masters Nationals 1st Place
W60 – HIGH JUMP USATF Indoor Masters Nationals 1st Place
W60 – LONG JUMP USATF Indoor Masters Nationals 1st Place
W60 – TRIPLE JUMP USATF Indoor Masters Nationals 1st Place
W60 Indoor World Championships = 38 Points
W60 – 60 METER DASH WMA Indoor 1st Place
W60 – 200 METER DASH WMA Indoor 1st Place
W60 – 400 METER RUN WMA Indoor 2nd Place
W60 – 60 METER HURDLES WMA Indoor 1st Place
W60 – HIGH JUMP WMA Indoor 1st Place
W60 – POLE VAULT WMA Indoor 2nd Place
W60 – LONG JUMP WMA Indoor 1st Place
W60 – TRIPLE JUMP WMA Indoor 1st Place

Although members of Dave’s committee (including me) could vote for anyone as the masters T&F nominee, these were the main contenders:

Phil Raschker W60
Kay Glynn W55
Johnnye Valien W80
Kathryn Martin W55
Ralph Maxwell M90
Bill Collins M55
Bob Ward M75
Rita Hanscom W50

The final decision will be made by Gary, USATF President Bill Roe and USATF Masters LDR Chairman Don Lein at Reno.
Don’t blow it this time, guys.

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October 11, 2008

One Response

  1. PHYLLIS PROVOST - October 11, 2008

    wELL,YOU JUST WON’T LET IT
    DIE, WILL YOU,KEN?IF I WERE
    LOIS GILMORE,I WOULD BE VERY ANGRY WITH YOU AND OTHERS FOR CONTINUING TO DOWNPLAY HER ACHIEVEMENTS.WHY DON’T YOU JUST ASK HER TO RETURN THE AWARD AND MAKE HER FEEL LIKE SHE IS VERY UNDERSERVING WHICH YOU ALREADY HAVE.OR WHY NOT JUST AUTOMATICALLY GIVE PHIL RASCHNER THE AWARD WITHOUT BOTHERING TO NOMINATE ANY OTHERS?JUST LET THE DEAD DOG ALONE AND MOVE ON.THERE ARE OTHER ATHLETES OUT THERE BESIDES PHIL R.AND I PERSONALLY WOULD CHOOSE BOB WARD.
    AND BY THE WAY,lOIS GILMORE IS NOT THAT RELATIVELY UNKNOWN AS YOU
    TRY TO PORTRAY HER
    EXCEPT MAYBE IN YOUR CIRCLES OR THE FACT THAT
    SHE DOESN’T TRAVEL THE WORLD OVER TO COMPETE IN
    MASTERS’MEETS.OR IS THAT
    A BIG FACTOR?
    PHYLLIS PROVOST
    DALLAS,TEXAS

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Phil Raschker immortalized by Olympic artist on YouTube

Phil Raschker never stood atop an Olympic podium in her youth (and if she had, the tune playing wouldn’t have been “The Star-Spangled Banner,” since she grew up in Germany.) But she gets her national anthem moment now with the posting of an artsy video by fellow naturalized citizen Roald Bradstock, the javelin champ. Roald writes: “I am very proud of this latest video. . . . Make sure you have the volume turned on when watching to get the full effect.”

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March 26, 2008

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