Will Anne Sluder be denied her W40 U.S. pentathlon record?

Anne was a volleyball MVP a few years ago.

Anne was a volleyball MVP a few years ago. Good jump training.

Results have been posted for the big Southeastern Masters meet June 19-20. They confirm that M70 Ty Brown ran the 80-meter hurdles (not the 100s as printed) in a world record 12.69 seconds. That crushed the listed WR of 12.96 by Germany’s Arno Hamaekers in 2010. But a question mark hangs over a potential W40 pentathlon record. Anne Sluder of Pineville, North Carolina, scored 3727 points, just short of the listed WR of 3960 by Britain’s Jenny Brown. But she broke a U.S. record tie she had with Caryl Senn at 3529. (Caryl scored that in 2002, Anne in 2014.) But a witness writes: “Three women were listed to compete, and the meet was a USATF regional championship, but the other two women scratched. Anne did the whole pentathlon by herself, and thus will probably lose her record” based on the rule that three contestants must have started. I’m not sure about this. I’ve written to several experts. But if Anne loses the record because she had no female competition, it’s the height of absurdity.

Anne’s marks: 13.18 in the 80 hurdles, 1.61 (5-3 1/4) in the high jump, 5.35 (17-6 1/2) in the long jump, 8.49 (27-10 1/4) in the shot and 2:36.54 in the 800. And she also found the energy to run several open events, including the 400 hurdles in 1:10.77.

Give her the pent record, dammit.

Other amazing marks at Raleigh:

In the M50 100, Lonnie Hooker ran 11.29. (and 23.98 in 200.)

In the M55 100, Don McGee ran 11.92. (and 24.02.)

In the M60 100, Oscar Peyton ran 11.98. (and 24.14)

And in the M70 100, Ty ran 13.09 into a 1.3 mps wind!

In the M45 110 hurdles, Charles Johnson ran a barely legal 14.90.

In the M55 100 hurdles, Michael Jones ran 15.43 into a slight wind.

In the M55 high jump, Bruce McBarnette cleared 1.80 (5-10 3/4) at age 57.

In the 65 high jump, Jim Sauers cleared 1.63 (5-4 1/4) at age 67.

Watch out, Lyon worlds. We’re ready.

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June 26, 2015

6 Responses

  1. Peter L. Taylor - June 27, 2015

    Fabulous marks, Ken. After her pentathlon I walked over to Anne Sluder and told her I was very proud of her. I said essentially the same thing to Ty. Does everyone appreciate how good he is?

    Back to Anne: I was greatly impressed by her lift in the high jump, but I was even more impressed by her “heart” in the 800, the final event in the pentathlon. Running by herself and thus with no one to key off, she went out way too fast, slowed markedly, and then finished well enough to get the record.

    Ken, masters T&F is the home of the “do-over.” You break a record at a legitimate meet, it doesn’t get accepted, and now you have the chance to do it again at some future meet when you are somewhat older and perhaps less ready. But does it have to be this way?

    What could Anne have done differently? If you look through the records at USATF.org you will note that many of the marks were set in “Raleigh, North Carolina.” Yes, most or all of them were established at this meet, the venerable Southeastern Masters.

    I can’t speak for Ty or Anne, but one of the reasons that athletes attend this meet is the belief that records set there will be accepted. As noted, in the pentathlon there were three women on the program. Did Anne jump higher or farther because she was the only one of the three who showed up? I can say without question that the absence of other competitors hurt her in the 800.

    There is no question that the rule requiring three or more competitors hurts women. Does the notion that a minimum of three athletes establishes some sense of legitimacy override the principle of fairness to the athlete?

  2. Ken stone - June 27, 2015

    Meet organizers responded to my query:

    Since Anne broke all the times/distances I am submitting her record application.    It is up to the USATF records committee to decide, not the local event. I am getting the necessary signatures and will send it to the records chair as soon as it is completed.

  3. Ken stone - June 27, 2015

    Perhaps the presence of male pentathletes will make Anne’s mark record-eligible. Masters can set records in mixed-sex events.

  4. Mike Walker - June 27, 2015

    I agree with Ken and hopefully, her record will be recognized.

  5. Ken Stone - June 28, 2015

    I neglected to note that Oscar’s 24.14 in the 200 lowers his own American record of 24.32 from 2013 Olathe nationals.

    He’s that much closer to the listed WR of 24.00 by Ronald Taylor in 1994. Go sub-24, Oscar!

  6. Louise Guardino - June 30, 2015

    Ridiculous rule! Why should it matter that Anne was the sole competitor in this event? Her feats were witnessed by many, recorded legitimately, and should be accepted.

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