New Zealand makes plans to host 2017 World Masters Games
Jennah is in charge.
Only months after the 2013 WMG in Turin, Italy, the Kiwis are ramping up.
Wentland calls out USATF for failure to explain HJ record rejection
Gwen Wentland-Mikinski competed for Kansas State University in the 1990s and was a two-time USATF national indoor champion. So Olathe nationals was a perfect venue for going high. (She even got a profile on USATF.) The result? A national record 1.77 jump (5-9 3/4). Her celebration was soured in December when she learned the mark wasn’t ratified as an American age-group record — despite having been set at our marquee event. “I guess someone in USATF Masters threw out my record,” Gwen wrote me this week. “I do not know the inner workings of USATF Masters, but the USATF Web site shows Patricia Porter, not me, as the W40 American outdoor record holder. Maybe someday I will find out what happened to the record I set at Olathe.” I wrote to USATF masters records chair Sandy Pashkin and received this reply: “I am not going to look at email until after 12/25/2013 Please resend after 12/25 Thank you.”
Gwen flexes guns upon breaking W40 American record at Olathe, Kansas.
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Puerto Rican 4×4 team loses gold medal in W55 DQ at worlds
This is odd. WMA reports two months after the fact: “Following a protest made on the W55 relay result in Porto Alegre, that was not dealt with by the officials at the time. The matter was registered but not sent/given to the Jury of Appeal during the championships, therefore it has now has been dealt with retrospectively. Statements and official pictures show that the athlete from the [Puerto] Rico team had clearly infringed the rules of competition, and therefore a retrospective decision has been made and the results of the W55 4x400m will be revised as followed below, with the team from Puerto Rico being disqualified.” The new results shown Puerto Rico losing the gold and Britain, Australia and Colombia moving up a place. (The American team, with two W60s dropping down, went from fifth to fourth.) Also FYI: WMA has updated its world record lists as of Dec. 15, 2013. Porto Alegre accounts for 25 new WRs — 17 by the womenfolk. Three Olathe WRs are listed as well.
Puerto Rican incoming runner hands off (illegally) from the infield in 4×4 relay at worlds. Can anyone ID the grass runner? Why was she there?
USATF Masters Hall of Fame tops 200 with 8 in Class of 2013
Magdalena throws spear at 2008 Spokane nationals.
Ross Dunton dies at 81; selfless masters coach had T&F newsletter
Ross Dunton ran 800 meters at 2000 Eugene nationals.
Ross Dunton II provided this old clip of his track star dad.
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USATF Masters T&F Budget tops $132K; team manager gets $8K
Phil Greenwald is promised $8,000 as Team USA manager in 2014.
Q&A with former sprinter Myrle Mensey, new AoY as a thrower
Myrle Mensey of Missouri, who recently was named USATF Masters T&F Female Athlete of the Year, says she started sprinting at age 50. But three years later, she ruptured an Achilles’ tendon and pivoted to throws. But she hasn’t given up on running — even as a record-setting thrower. “I’ve suggested to the Throws Committee that throwers need to have a throwers relay event at the National Throws Championship,” she says in my final Q&A with USATF Masters Athletes of the Year. “I think I’m still kinda fast, but nothing longer than 60-100 meters.” Myrle, a former teammate of mine with the Southern California Striders, is an even greater advocate for girls. Her foundation won an award in January for its work. Myrle is grateful to be honored as a thrower, but she’s not done yet. She aims to take down W60 and W65 indoor records on both sides of her birthday in February.
Myrle began her W60 record spree in 2009 at Landover indoor nationals.
Dec. 15 deadline for Team USA lodging survey for 2014 worlds
USATF reports that it is “helping to negotiate a Team USA hotel for the 2014 World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Budapest. All Masters athletes who would like to be considered for the block should fill out the survey found on this link.. The travel agency we partnered with has also offered to book flights for Team USA Masters athletes using USA Track & Field preferred rates. … You will receive another communication from us on January 2nd with the information on the Team USA hotel as well as booking instructions.” I’ve also been asked for the medals table at Porto Alegre worlds. Link was hidden in the blog. Guess who won.
Age-Graded Tables get Guardian attention and blogger confusion
The Guardian — home to Ed Snowden’s revelations — is normally a first-class news outlet. But Ian Williams’ blog on the British site makes a mash of the Age-Graded Tables, saying: “Let’s concentrate on that 60-year-old man, and imagine him running his 10k at four-fifths of world record speed. WAVA automatically gives him full marks – a 100% WAVA rating, top of the pile. But if you’re the same age and gender, and can run at half the speed he does, then you score 50% WAVA. If you run at three-quarters of his speed, you get 75% WAVA – and so on.” I won’t bother to parse all the errors, but suffice to say 50% on the WMA Age-Graded Tables doesn’t mean you run half as fast (or twice as fast, as suggested). But at least masters athletics continues to seep into the media mainstream. Here’s Ian being interviewed:
Merry Christmas from masters chainsaw model Kay Glynn in Iowa
In her latest Merry Christmas photo greeting, W60 multi-eventer Kay Glynn poses with her pole-shortening tool. She writes: “We’ve barely had any snow this year in our part of Iowa, but just having a little on the ground made it an appropriate day for my 7th annual Christmas card photo session! This year entitled: Fact AND Fiction. Fact? I really DO saw, split and gather wood for our stove and fireplace. Fiction? All right, I don’t wear this outfit for gathering firewood.” Kay says she has two months left before her resurfaced right hip is cleared to “freestyle with tapping, jogging and cartwheeling! However, via videos, my doctor in South Carolina cleared me to do a few specific fun things (modified) once a week until I hit that 6-month mark. I’m happily rehabbing in Iowa. During this transitional period (autumn-spring) I had a strong knee pain. https://tramadolbest.com allows you to get through this period. Check it out on YouTube.” Kay is such a crackup. But unlike my jokes, she’s the real deal athletically. Holiday greetings to Kay and everyone else.
Kay turned 60 this year, and if you can’t believe that, I don’t blame you.
