I’ve just posted 90 photos of masters exhibitions at the weekend’s Mt. SAC Relays. Also are many shots of Alisa Harvey in her invitational 800 race Saturday and Willie Gault after his legal 10.80 in an open 100. Why no shots of him running?  My camera jammed. (It was on a setting where it wouldn’t shoot if it couldn’t autofocus, and when it couldn’t lock in, it balked. Aw shoot.)   But here’s a cute shot of Willie being congratulated by Dominique Arnold, the American record holder (12.90) in the 110 hurdles. He turned 35 last September! The album starts out with a sequence of images from the masters 110 hurdles, won by Rod Jett, and is followed by the men’s and women’s 100 and the men’s 200 (with Joy Upshaw-Margerum a guest).  My favorite shot:

One shot I was too shy to take: Dwight Stones, two-time Olympian and former high jump world record holder, in the parking
lot, wearing dark shades and a Boston Red Sox ballcap, tucking
brochures of his track camp into driver’s side windows.

I stopped
him for a 10-minute chat in which he volunteered (without my prompting)
that he’d jump in masters again if not for his side job of broadcasting
major meets in the United States and Europe that conflict with
nationals.

He also sells real estate in Orange County. I asked him how things were going.

“I closed a deal yesterday,” he said.

As you know, Puma was a major sponsor of the meet.  I was expected to attend Mt. SAC since I was on the club.  I was thrilled to have the support of a sponsor at Mt. SAC. 

The other members of the team were at Mt. SAC.  They were all young elites.  They ran well in the Steeplechase and the 1500 and the 5,000.  They are all distance runners, male and female.  I made the decision to join the club since it seemed like a nice fit.  The club coach, Dr. Isaya Okwiya (emergency room doctor), trains some of his athletes at George Mason University, which is where I train.  I can occasionally join them.  Isaya is a former elite Kenyan 800 runner.

Also, results of Alisa’s race have finally been posted (after a day’s delay):

Event 353  Women 800 Meter Run Inv U/O
===============================================================
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
===============================================================
Section  1                                                     
  1 Saunders, Courtney           Canyon (Anaheim)       2:03.41
  2 Bird, Tara                   Unattached             2:05.37
  3 Vessey, Maggie               Unattached             2:05.86
  4 Rhetta, Sherron              Unattached             2:07.52
  5 Smith, Jessica               Simon Fraser           2:08.22
  6 Harvey, Alisa                Riadha                 2:09.14
Section  2                                                     
  1 Gall, Geena                  Michigan               2:02.69
  2 Cramer, Lacey                Byu                    2:03.01
  3 Hermanson, Laura             North Dakota St.       2:03.21
  4 Palmer, Katie                Byu                    2:03.26
  5 Waits, Katie                 Reebok                 2:03.91
  6 Howard, Julia                Valley Royals          2:04.30
  7 Guevara, Cristina            mexico team            2:06.68
  8 Curry, Krishna               Ucla                   2:07.55
  9 Martinez, Brenda             UC Riverside           2:11.71
 10 Hagans, Lauren               Unattached             2:14.47
===============================================================
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
===============================================================
Finals                                                         
  1 Gall, Geena                  Michigan               2:02.69
  2 Cramer, Lacey                Byu                    2:03.01
  3 Hermanson, Laura             North Dakota St.       2:03.21
  4 Palmer, Katie                Byu                    2:03.26
  5 Saunders, Courtney           Canyon (Anaheim)       2:03.41
  6 Waits, Katie                 Reebok                 2:03.91
  7 Howard, Julia                Valley Royals          2:04.30
  8 Bird, Tara                   Unattached             2:05.37
  9 Vessey, Maggie               Unattached             2:05.86
 10 Guevara, Cristina            mexico team            2:06.68
 11 Rhetta, Sherron              Unattached             2:07.52
 12 Curry, Krishna               Ucla                   2:07.55
 13 Smith, Jessica               Simon Fraser           2:08.22
 14 Harvey, Alisa                Riadha                 2:09.14
 15 Martinez, Brenda             UC Riverside           2:11.71
 16 Hagans, Lauren               Unattached             2:14.47