Reno report: Hinton, Glynn records among the rejects

As expected, John Hinton’s M45 indoor mile and Kay Gynn’s W55 outdoor pole vault mark — which both bettered listed world records — were rejected as American age-group records. Today’s general session of USATF (which I didn’t attend since I was sleeping in) theoretically could have reversed the USATF Records Committee and Sandy Pashkin’s recommendation as masters records chair. But I doubt it. A few days ago, Sandy distributed a list of 124 masters records she found kosher. In private email, however, several record-setters complained that Sandy’s list overlooked even better marks they had made, including a 25.20 for the M65 200 by Stephen Robbins. (His 25.36 at Spokane was ratified.)


Many of the records on Sandy’s list are debatable, including a 4.40 pole vault record by W35 Stacy Dragila (her mark at the Eugene Olympic Trials). But Stacy has gone way higher in meets after turning 35. In late June, for example, Stacy went 4.70 (15-5) at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, I reported last summer. The 4.70 also is noted on the USATF seasonal list. But what else is new? In 2007, Stacy’s best jump was 4.50 (14-9), also listed by USATF. (Stacy turned 35 in March 2006.)
But I give Sandy belated credit for finally giving Allen Johnson the M35 record in the 110 hurdles. But the mark she gave him — 13.23 in 2007 — is a little slower than the 12.96 he clocked at age 35 in 2006 in winning the World Cup meet in Athens. Sigh. You can look it up. And what about Allen’s 7.55 in the 60-meter hurdles? The listed USATF M35 indoor record is 7.56 by Greg Foster back in 1994.
Where did Allen — at age 37 — run that 7.55 race? Nothing special. Only the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia Spain. I kept it a big secret on my blog.
Aside from the missing-sanction

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issues that denied John and Kay their records, Sandy has a built-in excuse for all the omissions and oversights. The athletes never submitted the paperwork. Oh-kayyyy.
But the athletes who contact me regularly have a more personal complaint: Sandy won’t answer their email inquiries. I had several exchanges with Sandy this week in Reno, and her explanations bother me.
Sandy says she changed her email address several months ago from spashkin@willamette.net to spashkin@q.com — but that several attempts by email and phone failed to get National Masters News to update the address. But the latest issue has it correct. It’s also correct in the USATF directory now. (The WMA site still lists her old address, however.)
Playing phone or email tag shouldn’t be an obstacle to records ratifications, though. Simple courtesy and professionalism is what athletes expect.
A few days ago, I got a note from a female field eventer over 60 who wrote about a 2006 record application that Sandy has failed to process:

All of this information was sent to Sandy in one way or another at least two times. She chooses to ignore me and I do not know what to do about it. Is there a committee or a person who she answers to that I could contact?
I have been thinking for a long time that Application for Records should been accompanied by $1 so a post card could be sent to the individual saying yea or nea. Then they would know right away. It would also be a mini fund raiser.
Where do I go next?

Well, I told her to write Gary Snyder. Sandy serves as an appointee of the chair, and he can replace her at will.
Anyone have the will to do what’s right?

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December 7, 2008

3 Responses

  1. peter taylor - December 8, 2008

    Pretty sad stuff. Records from earlier years were accepted at the Hartshorne Mile, but John Hinton’s 2008 performance (4:20.18) was not. High-quality officials, Division I indoor track that has been the scene of hundreds if not thousands of indoor meets, FAT by FinishLynx, etc., a former world champion (J. Hinton) breaking the record …
    You’ve heard the rest; I won’t go on. Was there any allegation that the meet was somehow substantively different from previous years in which the records were accepted? I doubt it.
    Based on this news I would say that masters track is not worth supporting. It certainly doesn’t deserve my support any longer.

  2. Douglas Thompson - December 8, 2008

    Since this situation doesn’t seem like it will be resolved any time soon with the USATF, what is our (the masters community) alternative? As I understand it, we value the USATF officials, their certification (for quality assurance purposes at many meets) and their national championships, but we don’t believe that their process of recognizing records is valid.
    Ken, do you believe that there is a single source (web site?) that does a better job than the USATF at identifying and publicizing masters records in the US (and how about Internationally)? If not, what would it take (money, resources, volunteer time) to make it so?
    If we were all to support, recognize, use and refer others to this source and NOT to the USATF wouldn’t that source become the de facto official source, since the participants themselves ARE masters track and field, not the USATF?
    I for one would put some resources toward this, unless there’s something I’m missing in this simple solution.

  3. Ken Stone - December 8, 2008

    For the record, USATF folks will say: “Rules are rules.” Off the record, they might confide that the current system — with a single person dealing with hundreds of record applications and not responding to many questions or taking action proactively — is doomed to fail us, again and again.
    Sandy Pashkin insists that she doesn’t need help. She says she has all the resources she needs to do the job. I contend that the records job isn’t just processing paperwork but dealing with human beings with different issues and challenges.
    She is a Records Committee of one, and she shouldn’t be. She is unelected and serves at the pleasure of the masters chair, Gary Snyder. Any change in this situation has to come from him. But he won’t change unless you demand it. (Goodness knows, I haven’t made a dent.)
    It’s up to you.

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