Waiting for Sacramento medals—and M35 4×1 world record listing
The natives are getting restless. It’s been almost a month since the end of Sacramento worlds, and some folks have yet to get their promised medals. (The meet ran out of hardware in the last couple days.) I made inquiries and was told that folks missing medals should write to info@wma2011.com. Kylee Blatz of the Local Organizing Committee writes: “I will be answering their questions and taking down information if they did not fill out the forms at the competition. The medals are currently being shipping and we should be seeing them within the next week or two. Once we get the medals, we will be sending them out immediately so they should be receiving their medals within the next month or so.” More disturbing is how the M35 American 4×1 team is being treated. The American M35 team of Demitrius Snaer (36), Thachvu Ho (35), Lyndell Pittman (39) and Antwon Dussett (35) combined for an incredible 41.89 — under the listed WR of 42.51 by a British team in 2008. But the WMA list of records set at Sacto leaves them out.
M35 sprint relay team (from left) Demetrius, Antwon, Thachvu and Lyndell.
Here’s some info on the record-setting team I got from Thachvu:
I am a State Farm Agent in San Jose, CA for the last ten years. PRs are 10.81, 22.12, ran at UC Davis, which is 15 minutes away. High school coaches were Bobby Poynter & Frank Slaton, members of the Famous San Jose State Speed City. I have been retired from track for the last 13 years and lost 40 lbs of muscle since college because I had stopped working out to focus on my business. One of my old college teammates saw me last year, said I looked horrible & needed to work out again. I saw WMA was coming and my project began. That was about 15 months ago.
Antwon Dussett is from Peoria, IL works for CATEPILLAR. PRs are 10.4,20.7, 45.9, went to school at Grambling, earning numerous honors including a qualifying for Olympic Trials in 2000. His performances leaves people speechless. Antwon’s anchor leg split for the 4×400 at WMA was 46.1.
Lyndell Pittman is from Bronx, New York. He is a high school principal with 350 students in NYC. Just a few days before he was to come to WMA, his mom got sick. Lyndell had decided to skip WMA to visit her in Louisiana. He had rebooked his flight but was stuck in traffic and missed his flight to Louisiana. Later that night he got a call from his mother and was told to go to Sacramento and bring home a medal.
Demitrius Snaer is from Manteca, CA, and is the Head Track Coach at Modesto JC. PRs are 10.38, 20.82, 46.89 at Fresno State where his 4×100 relay team ran 38.94, placing third at NCAA in 1998. Very gifted athlete, WMA was the first race of the year for him. He is always “Race Prepared” and has won numerous masters national titles.
The chemistry and communication among the team was amazing. Splits were 10.7, 10.5, 10.3, 10.4. Please note that Antwon’s leg was close to 115 meters and Demitrius ran about 105 meters. We stretched the zone as much as possible to take advantage of Antwon’s and Demitrius’ blazing speed. Lyndell was still recovering from running the 100, 200, 400, and 400IH (bronze) and battling a back injury but soared to the occasion and ran the perfect third leg. I even lost one of my track spikes a few days before the race and luckily retrieved them at “Lost and Found.”
Bottom line: We were one team on a mission!
Here is a second video of the race. Here’s an article on Demitrius.
I also got a “side note” from Thachvu: “We only had one practice exchange … and our second and third leg only went at 80%. All egos were checked at the door, each member ran the leg with their strengths. In fact, the first leg in lane 7 from Chile had beat me in the 100 semis.”
Hey, WMA! These guys are the real deal. List their effen record!
10 Responses
This information here about medals rather gives the lie to what we were originally told in Sacramento, which was that a “second batch” of medals had been ordered but had failed to arrive in time for the end of the championships – unless the suppliers themselves had been dishonest about a delivery date.
At least Bob Burns, in the quote he gave you recently was open and honest in admitting the organisers simply screwed up on this. Good that he realised excuses would not wash with disappointed athletes on a matter like this.
The relay guys deserved an article from you in their own right! Darned impressive from where I stood!.
I do not understand why the M35 relay team have not had their record accepted. Did the rail disappear from the track, did the track suddenly lose its certification, did the officials fail to fill out the forms – and last but not least – did the FAT timing photo go missing? Was is decided that the M35 age group is just “too young”? Come on now – either ALL the relay records are acceptable or NONE are – which is it?
If one (or 4) set a record at a WMA meet and it is not accepted – what the h*&^ kind of hope is there for records set at our National Masters Meets, Association meets etc. Good lord – this is beyond ridiculous.
Give the guys their record – and while you are at it – mail out the medals – sheeze – what is next? The meet has been over for weeks – time to clean up the last details and move on to the next record mess.
Wow. Another month on top of the month we were promised? My confidence level is not high at this point, seriously. It’s just a piece of pot medal on a ribbon and has no intrinsic value except for what it represents to the athletes involved (sums up masters athletics, really ;p). It is the symbol of why you bother to keep score, hold these meets and bother timing them. It’s about meeting expectations. IF you do all the right things maybe you can medal and get on the podium, which is pretty darn cool. Otherwise a fun run with friends is better with less logistics, stress and money. Kamloops met my expectations. Medals were there, podium was very organised, even on the last day for non-stadia events. Results were up immediately, at the event itself. Not so Sacramento. Wonderful volunteers aside and I would prefer not to complain, however the USA should do better than that.
I hope these guys get their due for setting the 4×100 record because we didn’t for the M40 4×100. The medal situation is identical to my last nationals (San Jose 1997). Great run fellas!
I picked up my medal for winning the W70 200m but I have not seen any recognition for breaking the current American Record which I hold.
Having been denied a World Record from Albuquerque, I don’t want to lose another one this year.
The official at the finish line went out of his way to tell me that the time of 32.23 sec “would be automatically accepted because this was a World meet.”
What process has to be followed?
Easy for me to say, Kathy, but I would not do anything at all. If your 32.23 does not show on the USATF Web site as a pending American record by September 15 of this year, get back to me and I will give you different advice (!!). You know my e-mail address.
Very sorry that your world mark from Albuquerque was not accepted.
By the way, 32.23? I know you ran that fast, but I can’t break 55 seconds any more for the 200. How do you do it?
White wine.
Kathy, you need to be “wine” tested…
I thought red wine is healthier? Try that and
you might even be faster.
Check out Tom Phillips Photo gallery, day by day,
You’ll love it!
Your record will be acknowledged!
Oh, by the way, try Trader Joe’s flatbread….
hi – hi
I am sad for these guys. What a performance.
Lame, lame, LAME article about a group of never-beens. Get a life you said group of losers! You are OLD! Get a job! Stop trying to be something your’re not; track runners.
m.
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