Raschker is robbed! W75 roadie wins top USATF honor
The Oscars have nothing on USATF Masters when it comes to politics in top awards. Like the Academy Awards, the year’s top athlete selection in USATF appears to be less a function of merit than “it’s-our-turn” mentality. Despite being named IAAF Female Masters Athlete of the Year, Phil Raschker isn’t even the top masters athlete in the United States, USATF has decided. Phil won an incredible 10 gold medals at Riccione and set several world records this season in her W60 debut, but a W75 distance runner I never heard of — Lois Ann Gilmore of Janesville, Wisconsin — was today named USATF’s Masters Athlete of the Year.
In October, Phil was the near-unanimous pick of the USATF Masters T&F Awards Committee (17 of 19 votes went to Phil), but the choice of the USATF Masters LDR Committee held sway. The USATF Masters Roadwalkers also had a vote, apparently.
Perhaps the thinking was: “Phil has won enough awards this year to last a lifetime.” And Phil already is a masters Hall of Famer. So what harm can it do to recognize another lady? Well, it ain’t right. If you win 10 golds at worlds and top IAAF honors, what more can you do?
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10 Responses
the truth is, the award should be re-named, and permanently retired to phil, and the new award given to the SECOND best athlete in the U.S..Phil is ,hands down,without question the most prolific masters performer in history,bar none, men and women.i don’t know if she ever garnered the top masters”athlete of the year”, and if she didn’t, then it’s a shame and a sham…if she did, then it should be, if you won it once, then, that should be it..otherwise no one else would have a chance . i don’t mean to take anything away from the woman that won..i give her my best…but Phil has been a one woman wrecking crew since she started masters competition, i believe in her 30’s, and has dominated and set record after record, year after year, age group after age group…no doubt, the masters athlete of the year for the WORLD… albert
I am sure Phil has won a number of Female Athlete of the Year awards. And I agree that it seems odd that she has been named IAAF Female Athlete of the Year but not USATF Masters Athlete of the Year. However I have never understood the criteria for that award nor for the new and improved age group awards either. I think Ken has hit the nail on the head – Phil has too many awards already so lets give it to someone else. but who knows perhaps “only the Shadow Knows”! However congratulations to a superb Road Runner – and maybe that is the point – they are spreading the award around – and giving it to a road runner this year instead of a track and field athlete.
Sorry to be off topic; just want to announce EMG 2008 has opened online registrations!
Phil Raschker is without a doubt the finest masters athlete in the world. She works harder than anyone, and despite injury, puts herself back together to win time and time again. This year she was the top athlete again, and should have been recognized as such.
The Masters group comprises track & field, long-distance running, and race-walking, and there is very little overlap amongst these three groups.
I have a vote in the Masters Hall of Fame, and, as a track athlete, I know that it is difficult to properly evaluate the performances of the walkers and distance runners. I am sure the walkers and distance runners have the same problem evaluating sprinters and hurdlers.
Perhaps there needs to be a change in the process for these awards. Maybe we should vote only for our own sport. For example, take our masters Hall of Fame voting. Someone who did NOT vote for Charlie Miller (track) for the Hall of Fame please tell me one reason why not? I defy anyone to look at the resumes and tell me why he should not have been a slam dunk.
I am sure that at least one person reading this did not vote for Charlie, and I would like to be enlightened, because apparantly, I missed it. Forty something national championships in numerous events, several world championships and several world records should have cemented his place in our Hall of Fame. He should have been in years ago.
Instead, he is out. He was even second in the WMA 60 HH in Sindelfingen to a WR performance by the 2004 IAAF Masters Athlete of the year, Guido Mueller, after he was advised by his doctor to hang up his spikes. Someone who voted please tell me why he/she decided he was not worthy.
If it is too much trouble to read the resumes, then please do not be a voter. BTW, who does have a vote for the HOF, and what are their affiliations? The whole HOF deal seems rather secret to me. Did you know that only one person sees the ballots? Does any other organization in sports, business, public service or government have a system like that? Is that what is best for us?
How many awards does an athlete NEED to know they are “the best”?? Whats so wrong with recognizing ANOTHER person?? If winning a WORLD title is not enough recognition what is??? I myself do not have the talent/ability/CREDENTIALS to EVER be considered for these titles BUT if i ever was…i would NOT accept it YEARLY. I would want and hope other athlets get some recognition and support..silly me!! Francis A Schiro
Sure, it gets tiring watching the same person win year after year but the truth is she is no one seems able to come close. I am sure that others merit consideration but 10 golds at the Worlds is pretty impressive [she also is in the top 10 worldwide in the 800 which I doubt that she trains for at all]. If someone had a better year than that I haven’t heard of it.
Up here in Ontario, we used to alternate between Earl Fee and Ed Whitlock – who won it every year. Now, we retire an athlete to our Hall of Fame if they’ve won AOTY three times.
I was shocked to find out at the USATF convention that Phil R did not get the USATF Athlete of the Year Award for Masters. I am familiar with LDR and I even spoke to Kathy Martin to ask her if she thought there might be a LDR master athlete who would be better than Phil. She could not think of anyone.
But what really got me upset was the award ceremony itself. The Masters LDR chair made all to do about her past health problems and said little about her athletic performance. It would seem to me that your health problems are not something you can find on a rankings page or in the records.
In fact, knowing someone’s health status or past health problems means that you must know this person. This knowledge has nothing to do with being the best master athlete. Giving someone who has overcome adversity an award is admirable but it should be the ” come back kid award” and if so then others might have had an even greater come back story.
Had there been a call for comeback awards. But, there was no such call and this award is not for such an issue.
The award is for the best masters. Tell me who has gotten 10 gold medals at the same world championships? Who has gotten 10 gold medals at the USATF nationals? And who has gotten as many world and american records in one year? I asked, and others asked for an explanation as to why Phil was overlooked for this award.
We asked but we could not get an answer. Masters LDR chair could not support his decision and Bill Roe could not justify his decision. I asked others if the IAAF would think us strange not to pick Phil after they had chosen her for her performance.
Or was this a way to put our nose up to the IAAF and tell them, “we’re not picking the American you picked” na na na na na na! I am not surprised that the international running community thinks USA is a little strange especially when we do such bone head moves as this one.
More about Lois and her incredible triumph over cancer and a stroke:
http://www.uwbadgers.com/mobile/mobile_story.aspx?sportid=200&storyID=17801
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