Signboard notes Anselm’s fourth-place time at Tuesday meet.
Returning to Icahn Stadium, the site of a previous record, Anselm LeBourne beat the listed M55 world best for 800 meters Tuesday in New York City. On Facebook, he posted that he’d run 2:01.63. That shatters a 13-year-old record by South Africa’s Stan Immelman. Only one problem. The USATF meet calendar indicates the meet, part of the New York Road Runners Tuesday Night Speed Series, is not sanctioned. Only marks from sanctioned meets are eligible for USATF records. (The listed M55 American record is 2:06.53 by Horace Grant in 2005.) No doubt Anselm ran fast. (Results haven’t been posted yet.) He’s already the listed indoor WR man for the 800 in M50 (1:59.62 in 2012). Anselm turned 55 in April, so he probably has some good marks left in him. Hope he makes it to nationals. In any case, great race, Anselm!
Anselm is No. 1 — unofficially. But getting the record ratified is another issue.
In her first outdoor meet of 2014, W65Myrle Mensey of St. Louis picked up where she left off in 2013 — setting records. At last weekends’s Southwest Masters meet in Raleigh, she set three American records, according to posted results. She hit 4404 points in the throws pentathlon, breaking the listed AR of 3970 set in 2002 by Erika Messner. She took one throw in the 25-pound superweight, going 8.99 (29-6) to clobber the listed AR of 7.68 (25-2 1/2) by Carol Young in 2005, and she spun the weight throw 16.24 (53-3 1/2) to crush Carol’s listed best of 13.04 (42-9 1/2) in 2005, but short of the WR of 16.77 (55-0 1/4). Myrle says she was injured earlier in the hammer throw when a ball broke loose from the bolt attached to the wire while in her turn. “Luckily it didn’t hit me in the head,” she says, “but the wire and bolt ripped across my [hamstring] causing a lot of pain and bruising.” Besides the Earl Fee record, other exceptional marks included a legal 200 in 24.39 by M60 Oscar Peyton, the 2 and 4 double of 25.44/57.12 by M65 world champ Charles Allie. the 800 in 3:43.61 by W75 Jeanne Daprano, and the 63.51 400 hurdles by M50 James Eckenrode.
San Diego news media are reporting that charges have been dropped against Kettrell Berry, the long-sprint champion whose ordeal began two years ago when he was accused of molesting a teen girl at the school for troubled youths where he worked. “Deputy District Attorney Renee Palermo told Judge Joan Weber Monday that based on defense discovery, the prosecution had some DNA evidence tested and wanted to present the results — expected later this week — at Berry’s trial, but the judge ruled the evidence inadmissible. Since Berry insisted on going forward with trial immediately — which is his right — Palermo said she decided to dismiss the case and refile charges when the new DNA results are available,” one report said. Methinks we’ve seen the end of the case. Kettrell has been training and competing as an M50, but not at full speed. Hope this cloud being lifted means he’ll be able to focus more.
Kettrell was in top form at 2005 Hawaii masters nationals in the 200.
Aside from Brad Barton’ssizzling steeple, two other world records were reported over the weekend. Don Isett raised his own pending M75 WR to 3.23 meters (10-7) Saturday at Jack Chapman’s Summer Fun II pole vault meet in Belton, Texas. (See results here.) And in Raleigh, North Carolina, Earl Fee of Mississauga, Ontario, became the oldest man to go sub-80 for 400 meters, clocking 79.04 at age 85. The listed M85 WR was 80.46 by Yoshiyuki Shimizu of Brazil at 2013 worlds in Porto Alegre. Earl’s mark came at the 44th Southeastern meet — the oldest masters meet in America aside from nationals. More than 210 athletes from 20-plus states and Canada took part, I’m told. Results are pending. The Pasadena Senior Games just missed seeing a WR when former M45 recordman Charlie Rader, now 66, almost cleared 1.67 meters in the high jump (5-5 3/4), which would have beat the listed M65 WR of 1.66 by fellow Californian Phil Fehlen.Here are some shots from that Caltech meet.
Running against folks less than half his age, Brad Barton on Sunday blasted away the 30-year-old M45 world record in the 3K steeplechase, clocking 9:06.68 at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the same venue where Britain’s Anthony Whiteman, in 2012, became the first M40 to break the 4-minute mile barrier outdoors. (WMA still lists 4:01.62 as the record, though, for unknown reasons.) Brad, 48, took down the 9:16.1 listed WR by Norway’s Nils UndersÃ¥ker in 1984. A year ago, Brad broke Hal Higdon’s 36-year-old American record with a 9:22. He’d later improve it to 9:17.59. And just for giggles, he set the M45 indoor mile record of 4:16.83. Brad’s 9:06 is worth 7:45.5 on the Age-Graded Tables. The real WR is 7:53.63. Nice run, Brad. He later replied to queries:
Brad finishes 3K steeple WR with a smile Sunday morning in Nashville.
Nearly two years ago, Jeanne Daprano of Georgia was celebrated for a historic feat — running a mile under 7 minutes at the age of 75. Runner’s World hailed Jeanne’s 6:58.44 at the USATF West Regional Masters Championships. But her mark(see results) never made it into the record books. The 6:58.44 was not among the marks ratified at the 2012 annual meeting. I don’t know why. USATF Masters Records chair Sandy Pashkin has not responded to my inquiries. So it’s time to take action. I’ve launched an online petition to secure official recognition for Jeanne’s sub-7. I’m doing it by the book. The petition merely asks that the mark be resubmitted to the USATF Records Committee at the December 2014 annual meeting in Anaheim, California. Other marks have been submitted years late as well. This is a no-brainer.
Four-time Olympian Joanne Pavey of Britain took 10th in the Pietro Mennea meet 5,000 Thursday night in Rome — part of the IAAF’s Diamond League. In other words, a serious meet. So she delivered a serious time — 15:04.87. Not bad for a lady who turns 41 this year and is a new mum. Her time crushed the listed W40 world record of 15:20.59 by Romania’s Elena Fidatov back in 2000. At a meet that included SIX masters exhibition races (100, 400 and 1500 for men and women), geezers also did well in the open events. Kim Collins, the 38-year-old sprinter, ran the 100 in 10.15. But I wish the results showed ages. The men’s 100 winner was Aldo Marco Alaimo in 11.06. He’s 38. The women’s winner was Mita Delia in 12.75. She’s 35. The men’s 400 went to M35 Tommaso Lisa in 50.45 and the women’s to W40 Germana De Renzi in 64.56. The 1500s went to M35 Antonio Miggiano (4:06.46) and W40 Paola Tiselli (4:54.55). Complete results are here. Hope the Italians forward Joanne’s record to WMA.
Joanne is shown before she had her child. Probably looks the same today.
Top women were Tania Fischer, Grace Padilla and Kirsten Leech. Jim Ryun was everywhere.
M65 legend Jim Ryun no longer races, but his presence in San Diego on Thursday night got hearts racing — including those of masters men and women who competed on a chilly night at Balboa Stadium at the Jim Ryun Festival of Miles. With Brad Barton a no-show (reportedly because he was prepping for a steeplechase), M45 Tim Gore became the favorite, and he won in 4:26.75. W45 Tania Fischer took the women’s race in 5:17.63. But all eyes were on 41-year-old Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor (in Athens marathon), who had announced she was shooting for Alisa Harvey’s W40 American mile record of 4:46.29. She was on pace for two laps, but fell short while running 30 seconds behind event winner Sarah (formerly Bowman) Brown in 4:33.42 (and well ahead of third-placer Bria Wetsch in 5:26.08). A surprise was seeing 55-year-old Olympian Mary Decker Slaney win a mile in 3:24.86 — while pumping an upright ElliptiGO bike. My story and video — and my wife’s photos — are on Times of San Diego. Check it out!
Top three men were Tim Gore, John Gardiner and Jim Sorenson.
Steve Kleinstuber, director of the June 28 Chuck McMahon masters meetnorth of San Diego, reports that the San Diego-Imperial USATF association is offering a pair of $500 stipends to help local USATF members attend Winston-Salem nationals in July. This is part of the initiative to get first-timers to nationals. National Masters News, in its June issue, provided more details: If you’ve never competed at an indoor or outdoor nationals, you’re eligible for grants. They vary by time zone — Easterners get $75, Central $100, Mountain $125 and Pacific $150. In addition, the LOC (local organizing committee) is offering 50 percent discounts on the entry fee “for a limited number of first-timers.” For details, email Bonnie Bernat. You can contact Steve on the San Diego offer viathis page. Don’t leave money on the table!
WMA Secretary Winston Thomas says World Masters Athletics is looking for bidders for the 2018 Stadia Championships (aka outdoor worlds). “The Bid application, guidelines and a preliminary contract are on the WMA Website under Championships (Championship Bids). For all Affiliate, Cities or Towns with interest, please read the information. For any further information, please contact the WMA Secretary. or any of the mentioned officers in the Bid Guidelines for more specific points. All completed bid applications must be sent to the secretary by the 1st September 2014.” Since 2015 worlds are in Lyon, France, and 2015 in Perth, Australia, it seems a good time for an American bid. How about Mt. SAC and Pomona in the Los Angeles area or UCSD/SDSU/Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego? In 1989, Eugene outbid San Diego for worlds. Let’s get the meet back south.
How could the world resist running at Point Loma Nazarene track in San Diego?
Ken has followed track as an athlete, writer and web-master since the late 1960s, and saw most sessions of track and field at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also attended the 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Trials, the last three as a blogger and Patch correspondent. [More...]
