W70 superstar Barbara Jordan wins Vermont recognition
Barbara Jordan: longtime hurdles champion
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Masters Hall of Famer Barbara Jordan is such a regular winner at masters nationals and worlds, people take her for granted. Fortunately, she’s properly prized in her native Vermont, where she recently was named Athlete of the Month. She was chosen (along with a male winner) by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. The 12 sets of monthly winners will be honored June 1 at the annual Vermont Athlete of the Year Banquet. Besides being a 2005 inductee into the USATF Masters HofF, she’s in three other halls of fame: her alma mater’s, Springfield College in Massachusetts; the Green Mountain Senior Games Hall of Fame; and the New England 65-Plus Runner’s Club.
Here’s what the story says about Barbara:
Jordan set a pair of national records at the USA Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. The 72-year-old grandmother broke a record on March 30 that had stood for 10 years when she won the 200-meter dash for women aged 70-74 in 34.58 seconds. (Pat Peterson had held the previous mark of 35.58 since 1998.)
A day earlier, Jordan lowered the 60-meter dash record to 10.03 seconds (from 10.26). She also won the 60-meter hurdles in 13.15 seconds, shy of the national mark of 12.86. While in Boston, Jordan also learned she is one of six women 60-and-over who will be honored nationally as a Masters Athlete of the Year for 2007.
At the World Masters Athletic Championships in Italy last summer, Jordan won eight medals, became the world champion in the 80-meter hurdles for her age group, and was a member of a 4X400 meter relay team that set a world record. She is scheduled to receive the Athlete of the Year award this August at the National Masters Track and Field Championships in Spokane, Wash.
Jordan won the VSSA award by edging basketball players Courtney Pilypaitis of UVM, Camille duPont of Twinfield Union and Meghan Farrell of Green Mountain Union; softball player Megan O’Connor of St. Michael’s College; alpine skier Margot Benedict of Burr and Burton Academy; and snowboarder Shannon Kennelly of Rutland High.
Few people know that Barbara is a breast cancer survivor, as this wonderful profile points out.
Here’s a shot I took of Barbara at Orono last summer:
6 Responses
Congratulations Barbara. Not only an amazing athlete but a great person. You’re one of my heroes!
Barbara:
I hope to see you at the Bob Boal (Southeastern Masters) meet in Raleigh, NC, this weekend. Maybe I will even give you a bit of recognition over the microphone (you’ve won more races than I can remember).
Hi Barb,
I wish, I could have been the first one to congratulate you. As you can see, I am still behind you… literally speaking. BUT we will go at those hurdles again! And you work on that Shot put !
A hug for a great friend!
Christel
Barbara, you’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and you’re an inspiration as well. Keep running —you’re proof that it keeps you young!
Yeah, Barbara!
Strong work, baby!
Hi Barbara:
Perhaps you remember me from the Hayward Classic meet about 4 years ago where I had the pleasure of running with you and the other oldsters in the 300m hurdles. You set an age-group world record, as I recall.
Just to let you know, Barb, my 2 teenage daughters were there and watching that race and were really impressed that ‘a lady who is even older than dad’ could go over the hurdles so well.
Congrats on your accomplishments and hope to see you again on the masters hurdles trail.
-Grant Lamothe
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