Willie Gault burns wind-aided monster marks in 100 and 200
Saturday was a good day for another Willie — Willie Gault. Competing at the Jim Bush meet at Cerritos College (the Southern California Association USATF championships), Willie at age 55 ran 100 meters in 11.06 with a 2.8 mps aiding wind and 200 in 22.69 with a 4.1 mps aiding wind. (The legal limit for records is 2.0 meters per second, or 4.47 mph). If Willie finds a meet with legal wind, he’ll lower his season bests (and M55 world records) of 11.30 and 23.24. Here are Bush meet results. In other news, W30 Allyson Felix ran the 400 and M30 Tyson Gay sprinted 200 at this meet.
Here’s my favorite Willie shot again — from 2011 Sacramento worlds.
2 Responses
Thanks for posting this, Ken. I was looking at the sprinters entered for next month’s nationals in Grand Rapids, and at least six names jumped right out at me, but none of them have even 1% of the name recognition in the general public that Willie Gault enjoys.
The six include Kathy Bergen (W75), Dena Birade (W40), Allan Tissenbaum (M55), Oscar Peyton (M60), Kenton Brown (M70), and Bob Lida (M75). They’re all very fleet, as are some other entrants, but the owner/manager at my fitness club has heard of none of them.
He has, however, heard of Willie Gault. He’s also heard of Earl Fee, listed as a participant in our nationals under the name Earl Lee, I believe. The Great Earl will be in a variety of events at Grand Rapids, but not the 100.
Anyway, Ken, the next time you see Willie Gault, tell him that our program needs a major jolt of good publicity. The best way to get it would be for Willie to fly to Grand Rapids and set world marks there in the 100 and 200.
Willie Gault is being inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame early next year:
http://www.macon.com/sports/college/university-of-georgia/bulldogs-beat/uga-football/article110535992.html#0
Leave a Reply