Charlie Kern defends masters mile title at New Balance in Boston
Charlie Kern
Track piggybacks Super Bowl: Not a bad idea, since game’s in Indy
USATF news release notes: “USA Track & Field will become a part of Super Bowl XLVI today when it takes part in Super Sports Day in the Super Bowl Village in downtown Indianapolis from 3-10 p.m. Approached by the Indiana Sports Corporation and the Super Bowl Committee to participate in the program, USATF’s presence will include an interactive booth featuring sprint drills, hurdle demonstrations, giveaways and information on membership programs.” This is a necessary evil, since crowds are crowds. It would be unforgivable for Indy to host a Super Bowl and USATF to ignore the event in its own home base. Now who are the oldest NFL players involved? Masters football!
Beware DMAA supplement, which has killed some U.S. troops
Masters Mole 4337c(3) says: “I just found this on FoxNews. I believe it is the pre-workout supplement that a couple of our masters guys got snagged using. I have a nephew that works for USP Labs in California, he calls it lifters cocaine (because of the rush it gives the user…also known as “1,3”).” The story starts: “The deaths of two U.S. soldiers who collapsed during physical training in the last few months have prompted a military investigation of a popular body-building supplement that was found in their systems. The dietary supplement Dimethylamylamine, or DMAA, has been banned for sale … in military bases across the country pending the results of the probe.”
Sex sells, but DMAA can kill. This website markets the supplement.
M60 Carter Holmes and his W10 track friend share walks, hopes
Four years ago, we shared the story of WMA-bound Carter Holmes, an M55 pentathlete who suffered a heart attack but was saved thanks to the quick action of triple jumpers Shani Marks and Amanda Thieschafer. A year and a half later, we gave an update on his progress. He ran a 100-meter dash in 2:07.82 and the 400 in 9:10.24. Yesterday came another status report, courtesy of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and reporters Gail Rosenblum and Jim Gehrz. It’s a touching story of intergenerational friendship. Carter, now 62, has a walking buddy in Charlotte DeVaughn, 11. After their stroll, “Carter stands at his door while Charlotte does a twirl around his clothesline post,” the story says. “It’s their way of saying goodbye.”
Carter and Charlotte take 45-minute walks. She does track, too.
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Neni Lewis crushes W50 weight-throw records while battling injuries
My apologies to throwers everywhere! I neglected to highlight a WR by Neni Lewis at Eastern Regionals on Sunday. Neni graciously writes: “I did up the (W50) world record in the weight throw to 17.29 meters (56-8 3/4) at the East Regional Championships January 29 in Providence. The paperwork was filled out for it and will be submitted. Unfortunately, I just realized yesterday that I upped the American record in the Super Weight several times, but for some reason I thought it was 12.49 when in fact it was 11.72 (38-5 1/2). My best throw for the day was 12.17 (39-11 1/4). Hopefully I’ll do it again. I just missed the American record in the shot put with a throw of 12.65 (41-6) and the record is 12.66.”
Neni lets her fly at 2009 Oshkosh masters nationals, despite series of injuries.
Former ESPN sportscaster nails the mystery of masters track
Rich Wallace in Rhode Island
American Records to Michelsohn, Peterson at East Regionals
Pat Peterson cannot be stopped — by cancer, injury or Mother Time. At Sunday’s USATF Eastern Regionals Masters Championships, she set W85 American records in the 60 and 200, clocking 14.32 and 54.70. See results here. The 60 mark doesn’t beat any Yank’s listed record, becuz there ain’t any. See W85 records here. At the same meet — held at a high school in Providence, Rhode Island — Marie-Louise Michelsohn utterly destroyed the W70 American record in the 3,000, smashing the 14-minute barrier with her 13:15.88, beating the listed AR of 14:07.09 by the legendary Toshiko d’Elia in 2001. (The listed world age-group record is 12:58.41 by Russia’s Rimma Vasina.)
Pat rarely runs without a smile on her face, as in this 2006 outdoor shot.
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Carl Wallin pips M70 superweight record at Harvard indoor meet
Carl Wallin
Carl pauses before starting a throw at Harvard meet.
Jeff Laynes scorches 55 meters at Run for the Dream meet
Jeff Laynes
David Pain made sport go viral, like video by Rita Hanscom’s son
Profiles of masters track founder David Pain and W75 star Jeanne Daprano are featured in running magazines this winter. In the December issue of Running Times, 5K superstar Pete Magill quotes David as saying: “When I started masters, I got a phone call from a guy who’s a captain in the Navy, and he said, ‘I’m going to introduce swimming to masters.’ And he did! Age-group competition changed athletics. And now there isn’t a sport that doesn’t have masters competition—in bowling, weightlifting, and God knows what!” See column here. And hubby Bill Daprano sends a note from Georgia: “Jeanne has a cameo in the March issue of Runner’s World. (page 20) about her winning her age group in the Fifth Avenue Mile.” That one isn’t online yet, but look for the magazine. Finally, as I catch my breath from a busy week at work, here’s a video shared by proud mom Rita Hanscom, who says her son Scott is “living in L.A., trying to make a career in Hollywood as a comedy writer, [and] has made a couple of short videos. This latest one has gone viral. Over 700,000 views in 5 days.”
