Stephanie Hightower of Ohio, a former world-class hurdler, is running for president of USA Track & Field, and her campaign manager appears to be masters hurdler Dexter McCloud. The first I heard of her candidacy came in Dexter’s post yesterday on letsrun.com. Almost immediately, she was being ripped a new one by letsrun denizens. Stephanie’s main rival, I assume, is incumbent president Bill Roe of Washington state. (Later update: Roe is termed out; see other candidates below.) Although I’ve had some titanic rows with Roe, I think Stephanie might be a step backward. She’s already under a cloud of financial mismanagement. Dexter himself has been involved in some scandals — the Charlotte DQ reversal and the Eugene Trials 5K fiasco. So who knows who’s best?
Here is Dexter’s post from yesterday:
Dear Athletes,
As most of you know, Stephanie Hightower is running for the office of President of USA Track and Field. As the Chairs for the “Athletes for Hightower” Campaign Committee, it is our honor and privilege to be in the position to ask for your support on behalf of Stephanie.
As a former world-class hurdler and the current Women’s Track & Field Chair, Stephanie has represented and defended athletes best interests at every opportunity. Now here’s OUR opportunity to say, “thank you Stephanie, for all you’ve done for us”; by electing Stephanie as President, we can insure that athletes will continue to have a strong voice where it’s needed most – at the board level of USATF.
Now the only way you can cast your vote for Stephanie is to do the following:
1) You MUST be a voting delegate for your association and come to the convention. Contact your association and let the President of your association know that you wish to be an athlete delegate, if you aren’t already. Most associations are clamoring for athlete involvement during the Annual Meeting.
2) Because of the very important issue of restructuring, make your travel plans to arrive before the 1st day of the Annual Meeting, since this is when the initial election will take place.
If you have any questions, please contact us:
Dexter McCloud
Co-Chair – “Athletes for Hightower” Campaign Committee
dexterm@mindspring.com
Sharrieffa Barksdale
Co-Chair – “Athletes for Hightower” Campaign Committee
blairs383@yahoo.com
Let’s elect someone “for us, BY us”
BTW, Sharrieffa at one time said she’d try to make the 2008 Olympic team — at age 47. She didn’t qualify for the Trials, though.
Although I don’t have great affection for the current USATF president, Bill Roe, I think Hightower is probably a huge step backward. She’s already been accused of cronyism and financial misdealings.
How much more mismanagement can USATF take?
The election, BTW, will be held at the USATF annual meeting in December in Reno, Nevada.
For more on Hightower, see her video from last February, denying an interest in Craig Masback’s CEO vacancy.
In May, she told Larry Eder of her intention to run for USATF prez.
9 Responses
There is a two-term limit for USATF President, so Bill Roe is definitely not running again.
Ah yes.
Got this note from someone else:
Candidates have until Oct 3 to submit their nomination materials. Roe is
not running, as he is termed out. You should be able to get info on
everyone from Sherry Quack at USATF. The 3 so far are Stephanie
Hightower, Dee Jensen and Bob Bowman.
Ken Stone,
As usual, whenever you write a blog and include my name in it, I find it patently offensive.
First of all, I am a co-chair of a committee called “Athletes for Hightower”. That in no way implies that I am Stephanie Hightower’s Campaign Manager. However, I would have been proud to serve in that capacity had she asked.
Secondly, I don’t understand why you continue to try to link my name with what you call a “scandal” or “fiasco”. A reversal of an incorrect decision by an official which I had no part in other than to be the athlete in the race does not constitute a “scandal” on my behalf. And, to rule on an appeal on a “b” athlete on the Olympic Trials, that WAS WITHIN THE RULES, is not a “fiasco”.
Third, you cite another blog THAT YOU WROTE as a reference to Stephanie being “under a cloud of financial mismanagement.”. Yet, YOU DID NOT EVEN MENTION HER IN THE ARTICLE THAT YOU WROTE.
I have learned very early while getting involved in the administrative side of USATF (notice that I said “administrative” and not “political”), that politics can be a dirty undertaking. But that’s to be expected from “politics”. However, there is also an expectation from a “journalist” to maintain some level of objectivity. Somewhere in your career, you’ve decided that you can get more people to read your work by claiming, “the sky is falling” and other forms of sensationalism. The fact that some people respond to it does not make it right.
I suggest that when you go to the Annual Meeting, that you attend the public forums and ask Stephanie for the FACTS as it pertains to the innuendo that you’ve printed in this story.
This is your blog, so I supposed you can do what you want with it. But, if you want to REPORT the news then do it factually and accurately. If you want to give your OPINION, then at least take the time to make it an informed one.
I posted this in the original Eugene Trials 5K post and I’ll do so again as I still feel the same way:
“The whole situation with the men’s 5000 was extremely unfortunate. It was talked about at length in and out of Eugene during the Trials and left a bitter taste for several of us.
However, I think the problem is with the system rather than with the appeals committee(s) personally.
”
Dexter,
Check out the comments section of my blog on USATF board financial mischief:
https://masterstrack-main-stage.betagentechnologies.com/blog/002756.html
Stephanie is named as one of the offending parties.
See U in Reno.
I’ve read the comments before. As I said, the article was written by YOU. As a “journalist” I would expect that you would verify the facts of a story of your own accord. If Michael Roth’s comments are to be believed, why would he come to you in “hopes that you would bring it forward”? Basically he’s using you to stir up a bit of controversy because he doesn’t have the balls to do it himself. I don’t know all the facts myself but even with what I DO know, I wouldn’t go to press with it just to make a story on a blog.
You still were wrong in Charlotte. wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong
You, and you only, created the “scandal” and “fiasco” due to your EXTREME unsportsmanship.
That is Dextex being wrong that I was referring to, and not Ken. Ken has been fair to everyone, and just pointout out the obvious “cloud” that has continually follows Dexter around. It is Ken’s blog, and he does a great job with it.
Surfer Dude,
Clearly, you don’t know what the hell you are talking about. If you want to continue to beat a dead horse about a hurdle race that I won 3 or 4 years ago, get your facts straight. An OFFICIAL reversed my DQ! I didn’t know anything about it until I returned to my home in Atlanta. Otherwise, I would have gotten a medal.
So, I would be interested to hear what it is you think I was wrong about. And by the way, real men don’t hide behind fake names if they want to try and call someone out. If I have something good or bad to say to you, you’ll KNOW it came from me!
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