Kathy Martin mauls W60 world record in mile with stunning 5:42
Hall of Famer Kathy Martin, 61, has won so many honors she almost ceases to surprise. She took the 10K at Olathe nationals in an American record 41:10.57 — 33 seconds better than the listed W60 best. No sweat. But that was but a warmup for her latest shocker. At Valley Stream North High School in Franklin Square, New York, she ran a mile Wednesday in 5:42.62. That’s the word from USATF Long Island Masters Chairman Rob Lemke. How good is 5:42? The listed W55 American record is 5:46.8. Rob graciously writes: “Kathy Martin beat the listed W60-64 World Record for the mile at a USATF-LI Summer Series meet. … The listed time is 5:48.94 by Gerda Van Kooten of the Netherlands in 1999. The listed American record is 5:57.39 by Marie Michelsohn in 2002. As Kathy is no stranger to record setting, I believe she got all the documentation she needs to have the record approved.”
Kathy enjoyed watching other honorees at the Olathe athletes banquet.
Sloping field may nullify three world records set at Olathe
At least three world records, and one American record, may be nullified as a result of a sloping field at Olathe masters nationals, I learned today. Hearing that rumors were circulating about “lack of certified field event areas,” I wrote to several masters enchiladas. Gary Snyder, the top man, replied: “I do not have the details of the measurements, but the javelin runway and landing area are both illegal. The runway was slanted from high to low toward the front and the landing area had numerous high and low areas. Both were measured with the laser. I believe some javelin records were also lost. I’ll find out more later.” This news will be painful for M85 thrower and pentathlete William Platts, M45 pentathlete Kip Janvrin and W60 javelin ace Linda Cohn — all of whom were credited with records at Olathe. Bill and Kip set WRs and Linda an AR (if an earlier mark this season isn’t accepted).
Google Maps view of javelin and shot areas at Olathe District Activity Center.
Relay records, Peyton-Collins duel highlight final day at Olathe
From left: Gary Sims, Charles Rose, Mack Stewart and Bob Lida and their WR time in the M75 4×4.
Members of the W40 4×8 relay team celebrate WR after Sonja Friend-Uhl’s anchor leg. She’s at left.
No medal stand (or water handouts) at Olathe nationals
USATF and USADA rules govern masters nationals. Local organizers have a say as well. Examples of both were evident Saturday on Day 3 at Olathe. With temps rising into the 90s and high humidity, I made a ruckus about the lack of a table near the finish line with water jugs and filled cups ready to distribute. (A water dispenser was nearby but not well-marked.) So I was thrilled to see officials set up a table and a young lady medic begin handing cups to finishers of the 1500 finals and first races of the women’s 100s. But after a half-hour, the meet referee ordered the table removed. Why? Because anti-doping rules stipulate that nobody hand a cup to an athlete lest the entrant later tests positive for a banned substance and claims they were given spiked water. You heard me right. My effort to sate the thirst of finalists was against USADA rules. Jeeze.
Loretta Woodward edges Lane 5’s Rita Hanscom for W55 title in 100-meter dash at Olathe in 14.63. They ran into a 3.3 mps wind.
Rex Harvey hoping to unseat Stan Perkins as WMA president
Rex in Olathe.
Olympic decathlete Kip Janvrin won the M45 pentathlon wearing a traded jersey from a long-ago Goodwill Games. He set a world record of 4,079 points, which included a monster 53.71-meter (176-2) javelin throw.
Earl Fee, Ed Whitlock join in 4×800 world record in Ontario
Duncan Greenshields graciously writes: “Just in case none of the usual suspects have put you in the loop, we had the Ontario Masters Champs at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium this past weekend. Several Ontario, Canadian (including Queen of the Track Karla DelGrande setting 3 Canuck records [100m, 200m and 400m] in her 1st Championships as a W60) and one world championship records were set. On Saturday, M80 Ray Wardle, M83 Bill Thompson, M82 Ed Whitlock and M84 Earl Fee set a new WR in the 4×800 relay. Their 14:24.03 beats the current 16:01. My clubmate Michal Kapral (The Joggler) captured Ed’s final 100m and then the handoff to Earl for the anchor leg.” That’s an average of 3:36 a leg, and other meet results are here. Congrats to all, and welcome to Olathe!
—
Olathe warmup: Lesley Chaplin claims W55 American mile record
Lesley Chaplin broke won of the oldest marks on the books Sunday when she set an American record in the mile at the Pride Meet in the Bay Area town of Hayward, California. (See results here eventually.) Don Burkett graciously writes: “Her time was 5:42.51. I believe old record is 5:46.8 (yes, by Shirley Matson in 1997.) She also is ranked #1 in USA in the 800 — 2:37.55 and 2nd in 400m with a time of 1:08.99. She is scheduled to run all three events at Kansas nationals this week.” The WR is 5:27.57 by Aussie Jeanette Flynn in 2006. And the headline word has a double meaning. I’m now visiting friends in Kansas, and the highs have hit 100 and 102 past two days. Hoping for cooler temps later in week.
Lesley and meet official with paperwork for W55 American record in Hayward.
Mike Janusey claims M55 pentathlon record at Raleigh regionals
Fifteen years after setting an M40 U.S. record and nearly 10 years after scoring the M45 American best in the pentathlon, Mike Janusey of Venetia, Pennsylvania, notched another AR in the outdoor event. Mike’s score of 3721 points at the USATF Southeastern Masters Regionals topped the listed M55 record of 3687 by Roger Kroodsma at Eugene nationals in 2000. Mike’s marks included a 200 in 26.76, 1500 in 5:58.85, long jump of 5.19 meters (17-0 1.2), discus of 37.60 (123-4) and javelin of 53.56 (175-9). (See other results here.) The meet at North Carolina State University in Raleigh was in mid-May, but I wasn’t aware of the record until today, thanks to a gracious note from Jamie Wells. Belated congrats to Mike!
NC State hosted the USATF Southeastern Regional Masters meet in mid-May.
Adreana Cano sets W35 American records in weight, superweight
Adreana Cano — a hammer and weight throw standout for Cal State Los Angeles in the late 1990s — set two W35 American records Saturday at the USATF Southern California Masters Championships at Caltech in Pasadena, reports meet organizer Mark Cleary. (See results here.) Adreana threw 11.87 meters (38-11 1/2) in the 20-pound weight throw and 7.46 (24-5 3/4) in the 35-pound superweight, crushing the listed records of 11.21 (36-9) by Jennifer Stephens in 2011 and 6.40 (21-0), also by Jennifer. “We have the paperwork signed off and ready to send to Sandy [Pashkin],” Mark writes. Adreana, 38, also won the shot at 9.74 (31-11 1/2), discus at 27.64 (90-8), hammer at 34.57 (113-5) and javelin at 29.19 (95-9). Her weight series was FOUL, 11.87, FOUL, 11.46, 11.36 and 11.42. Her superweight series was 6.06, FOUL, 6.56, 7.44, 6.95 and 7.46. Notable sprint results were posted by Damien Leake, 60, who ran a wind-legal 100 in 12.23 and 200 in 25.83. He also took two long jumps (one a foul) and won with 5.29 (17-4 1/4). M65 Stan Whitley ran the 1 in 13.12 and Nolan Shaheed, 63, won the 800 in 2:17.90. Here’s Adreana in the javelin at 2011 worlds in Sacramento:
Jim Selby, shy of 85, makes comeback from open-heart surgery
Jim Selby motors down the track at Cal State San Marcos.
You probably heard my grunts a little before 11:30 Pacific time Saturday as I willed myself over the last couple hurdles in the 400s — at 59 years and 11 days perhaps the oldest quarter-mile hurdler in the country this season.
