USATF Masters T&F Athletes of the Year: Shaheed, Meiler, Valien
Mary Trotto of the USATF Masters Awards Committee has announced the top masters track athletes of 2011: M60 middle-distancer Nolan Shaheed for men and W75 multi-eventers Flo Meiler (W75) Johnnye Valien (W85) for women. All great choices in an exceptionally amazing year for Americans, including Willie Gault in the sprints, Ralph Maxwell in the vault and hurdles and Neni Lewis in the throws. Mary’s committee couldn’t break a tie in the women’s award, so they gave it to the top vote-getters. Nolan had an amazing run at records this year, documented widely on this blog.
Andy Hecker delivers the news to Nolan: an M60 world record in the 1500-meter run at the Southern California Striders Meet of Champions in April.
Here are bios Mary supplied of the honorees:
Flo Meiler (W75) set the World Indoor Record in the Pole Vault and 7 American Records. She set an American Record in the Indoor Pole Vault; Indoor Weight Throw; Indoor 60H; Indoor Pentathlon; Outdoor 200H; the Discus Throw; and the 2000m Steeplechase. In addition to setting records, Flo was the WMA Outdoor World Champion in the Heptathlon, Pole Vault and Discus Throw; the Indoor National Champion in the 60H, High Jump, Pentathlon and Pole Vault and the Outdoor National Champion in the High Jump, Pentathlon, Pole Vault, Hammer Throw, 80mH, and 2000m Steeplechase.
Johnnye Valien (W85) set two World Outdoor Records one in the Pole Vault and one in the Long Jump and 5 American Records. She set an Indoor American Record in the Shot Put; an Outdoor American Record in the Pole Vault, Long Jump, High Jump and 100m. In addition to setting records, Johnnye was the World Outdoor Champion in the High Jump, Javelin, Long Jump, Pole Vault, Triple Jump and Shot Put and the National Indoor Champion in the 60m, Long Jump, Weight Throw and Shot Put and the National Outdoor Champion in the High Jump and Long Jump
Nolan Shaheed (M60) set two World and American Outdoor Records, one in the 800m and one in the 1500m. In addition, Nolan was the WMA Outdoor Champion in the 1500m; the National Indoor Champion in the 800m, Mile and 3000m and the National Outdoor Champion in the 10,000m.
18 Responses
Congratulations on well-deserved honors!
Congrats, Nolan!
You’re still King of the Hill as far as all us masters middle-distance runners are concerned! And you’re especially inspirational given the many injuries you’ve had to overcome and – when you couldn’t overcome them – endure on your way to this new honor. Hats off to you, man!!!
Congrats to Flo and Johnnye too!
All are wonderful choices and well-deserved too! Congratulations!
Congratulations to all!
Good photo of Nolan. Maybe he can try out for a Hollywood part that combines acting and jazz musicianship.
So well deserved to all the winners! I love being in the same “race” as Nolan: he yells encouragement those of us whom he laps in the 1500 (and in the 800 indoors!). Superstar, super heart, super human being.
congrats to all…
and special congrats to nolan! you da man!!!
d.c.
Congratulation Nolan. Well deserved reward to such a humble man. Congratulation to the other winners also.
Congrats to all, especially to my man Nolan who is an even better runner than he is a musician (if that’s possible?) -Grant Lamothe
Congratulations to all the winners. I think that more than the records and wins, I have been inspired by seeing people like Nolan, Flo, and Johnnye do amazing things as if the years just don’t matter.
There are so many possible winners…but he (nolan) is great, I agree
Hey Nolan…couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy!
Congratulations to the winners, what a great year for you all. To my very good friends Nolan and Johnnye, much love and many well wishes. I really missed seeing you both this year, and look forward to seeing you both in the near future.
Congrats to all. To my special friend Nolan, a very special congrats for a very well deserve honor!
Congratulations Nolan!! A constant inspiration to us all.
congrats to you mr Nolan,TO BILL COLLINS,HOPE YOUR FEELING WELL for the 2012 season,hope to see you back on TRACK,
Of his outdoor achievements this past summer, I’m proudest of Nolan for allowing a commitment to play the trumpet to trump racing the 1500 sunday morning at Berea, and because he had a little time on his hands on Saturday he raced the 400 meters. The last time I saw him work so hard was when I almost caught him in the 800 indoor nationals in ’94 in Columbia, MI.
He looked the same then as he does now, only he was 44.
Congrats to Flo and Johnnye on their multi-event world and American records! They have a few years on me and I started vaulting in ’65-’66 when we were still landing in sawdust pits. I barely survived two years of that before foam came in. Of course, they are probably smarter than me and waited until you had something to land on before trying their hands at vaulting.
congrats to all – well deserved honors to some very talented and hard working athletes.
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