When Sacramento lost to Eugene in the competition to host the 2008 Olympic Trials, it was bad news for the 2000/2004 Trials host but good news, or at least an opening, for masters in Northern California. The USATF Pacific Association eventually asked about hosting the 2008 USATF Masters National Outdoor Track & Field Championships, local and national officials confirm. But oops! The inquiry came way too late. So Spokane remains the only 2008 bidder on the docket. Bummer.

It’s time to talk turkey.
M85 hurdlers and W75 vaulters have no choice but to compete unopposed. But would-be host cities for masters nationals should have to earn their bids through head-to-head competition.
On Nov. 15, I noted how Spokane was the only bidder for nationals. On Nov. 16, Sacramento decided to enter the race. But after waiting six days to notify USATF, an official was told: Too late.
Here’s what I know:
According to a member of the Brooks Fleet-Feet Racing Club in Sacramento, head coach Randy Sturgeon and the athlete “discussed many times our interest in ‘growing’ master’s track in the PA (Pacific Association, mainly Northern California). We had batted around the idea of having the masters national meet in Sacramento, but it wasn’t until Joy (Upshaw-Margerum) became Masters Committee chair that we felt that goal might be realistic.
“The PA was receptive to making a bid, but ONLY if Sac did not get the Oly Trials, so we had to ‘wait and see.’ Once the Trials were awarded to Eugene, we re-addressed the subject at the next opportunity, which was the November 16th PA meeting. We got the green-light to go ahead, so Randy contacted George Mathews who told us that we were too late.
“George did, however, offer his assistance with the bid process for 2009, which I think will be very helpful to us newbies. I only wish we could have moved sooner on this thing, but our hands were rather tied until the Oly Trials were awarded. Honestly, I think it would have been a stretch to get a bid in before the USATF convention, but we would have given it our best shot! And yes, the venue would have been Sac State (site of the 2000 and 2004 Trials).
“On the bright side, we are holding the 2006 PA Masters Meet at Sac State and it may be held in conjunction with the PA Open meet. We are looking to tossing our hat into the ring for Western Regionals in 2007 and/or 2008 and are looking forward to bidding for the 2009 National meet. All in all, I think we have much to look forward to, especially with Joy leading the way!”
On Nov. 22, George Mathews received this note from Sturgeon:
From: Randy Sturgeon [mailto:Rsturgeo@dtsc.ca.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 2:21 PM
To: george.mathews@adelphia.net
Subject: 2008 Masters Nationals
Mr. Mathews,
The Pacific Association would like to bid for the 2008 Masters Outdoor
Track and Field National Championships. We want to bring the meet to
Sacramento at California State University Sacramento. I went on-line
and read the bidding information but could not find how to get a form or
how to make a formal submission. Could you direct me on what I need to
do so we can bid on the meet.
Thanks,
Randy Sturgeon
Masters Track & Field Committee PAUSATF
Coach Brooks Fleet Feet Racing
Earlier yesterday, USATF Masters T&F Chairman Mathews, responding to a note I sent him and USATF’s Andy Martin, wrote me:
“The first I have heard of an interest in bidding for 2008 from Sacramento came in an inquiry email from Randy Sturgeon the coach of Brooks Fleet Feet yesterday afternoon. As you know with less than a week before we leave for the annual meeting I can’t believe that Sacramento has time to prepare a bid and we don’t have time to evaluate a bid. The latest we accept a bid is 30 days prior to the meeting. I have informed Mr. Sturgeon of this and he is planning on bidding for 2009.”
So that’s that.
I fault Sacramento for not having done due diligence months ago. That meant checking on the bid deadlines and requirements well ahead of time.
Pacific Association officials could have offered a provisional bid — one contingent on the 2008 Trials not being awarded to Sacramento. The worst that could have happened? They’d have to politely bow out. The best thing? They would have had a shot at hosting the 2008 nationals.
In an email query, I mentioned the idea of a provisional bid to Chairman George, and he replied: “I will mention your provisional idea (at the Jacksonville meeting), but really don’t (think) anyone could win against a good complete bid. If we didn’t have any other bids, it may be the only way to go. 2008 being an Olympic year seems that many wanted to hold off. I believe we will have more than enough in ’09.”
Of course, 2009 may bring bidders from East or Midwestern cities, and since USATF likes to spread the meet around, it’s likely that Sacramento (as a Left Coast city like Spokane) would lose out to an East or Midwest bidder in 2009. Their loss.
So what can we learn from this besides “You snooze, you lose”?
One thing is: Where was Weinbel?
Ken Weinbel, a former USATF Masters chair and pal of George Mathews in the Seattle area, is nominally the guy in charge of scaring up bid cities for masters nationals. (See: Masters Executive Committee, Championship Sites)
According to minutes of the 2001 convention:
Future Championship Sites
“Ken Weinbel reported that there are many sports committees that would be interested in hosting championship meets if they were encouraged. The potential bidders for the 2005 Outdoor Championships are Bakersfield, Spokane, Cleveland, Sacramento, a North Carolina group and Maui in Hawaii…
Weinbel urged members to participate in the search for suitable sites.”
So why didn’t Ken Weinbel reach out to Sacramento, when it was an interested party as long as four years ago? Who knows.
All I know is that masters athletes missed a chance to hold nationals on the same track that future Olympic champions trod. The track will be available for local and regional masters meets in coming years, but I’m afraid the nationals might not get there before 2010.
Sigh.
In any case, forget about all this political stuff today. It’s time to eat turkey.