Dorothy (Judy Garland) would be W85 if alive today.
The Chamber of Commercein Olathe, Kansas, already is hyping the 2013 masters nationals, telling the Kansas City Business Journal: “Olathe will host the 2013 USATF Masters Outdoor Track & Field National Championship, an event expected to have an economic benefit of $3.59 million. The championship will bring about 2,000 athletes, ranging from ages 30 to 80, as well as family and spectators to Olathe for as long as a week in June 2013.” Yeah, right. No nationals has ever been close to 2,000 entrants. Maybe 1,500 or 1,600 at the most. But what the heck. Chambers are supposed to exaggerate, right? But Olathe still has USATF hoops to jump through. Stay tuned.
Jeff Davison is a gimpy M50 hurdler with two injured hands. But give him a hand as the founding father of masters shuttle hurdles in America. For five years, starting after Hawaii nationals, he’s labored tirelessly to add his beloved back-and-forth event to the national schedule. At the Virginia Beach USATF annual meeting, his dream came true. It was voted an official national championships event. Teams can score points, and records can be set. Jeff sent us the results of the Rules Committee votes (based on masters delegates’ recommendation). Jeff writes: “A BIG thank you for all that supported the Shuttle Hurdle Relay.” No, thank YOU, Jeff, for being this event’s No. 1 advocate.
Jeff (left) and his hurdling role model: M90 record-holder Ralph Maxwell.
Not yet official, but the word from Virginia Beach is that an M40-plus 60-meter (39-inch) hurdles and women’s 60-meter dash will be the masters exhibition races at USA open indoor nationals. The meet is Feb. 26-27, 2011, at Albuquerque, New Mexico. That’s where USATF Masters Indoor Nationals will be a week later. So this favors folks living in the region—or who can afford a long stay in New Mexico. Mark Cleary, invitational program coordinator, will eventually post qualifying standards and deadlines. It’s the first time these events have been showcased indoors. (Hurdles have been contested at outdoor open nationals.) So progress is being made.
Bob Weiner, our masters media/marketing maven, was nominated for the David Pain Distinguished Service Award this year (along with me again). But we both lost to Jim Weed, a deserving gent. Bob got a big consolation prize at the Virginia Beach annual meeting, however. USATF Prez Stephanie Hightower chose Bob for one of fivePresident’s Awards. Monday, he wrote her a thank-you note that said: “The masters community was thrilled because it was a great message for the mission—and overall, people across the convention kept congratulating me then entire time. … You heard my point at the coffee, everyone who came to the convention could have won for all their dedication and action for our sport, so I am very luck that you noticed what I did.”
The latest “scorecard” of USATF rules changes adopted at the USATF annual meeting has been posted. Click herefor the verdicts in Virginia Beach. Of special interest to masters tracksters is this new rule: “When a Masters Record has been equaled or bettered in a World Masters Association Championship, a USA Masters Indoor or Outdoor Championship, or any event listed in Rule 261.4, that record may be ratified based on the official results of that meet and the submission of correct age documentation, without the need for a formal record application. However, an application and/or other appropriate documentation may be required by the Records Committee whenever it has received information creating some reasonable doubt as to the correctness of the official result.” Good. That’s long overdue.
The biggest world record in masters track this year may have been Douglas Kalembo’smilestone sub-50 for 400 at age 50. But the mark won’t appear on American or WMA record lists. Despite providing a passport that lists his date of birth as July 24, 1960, officials apparently doubt its accuracy. Another reason for suspicion: Track experts have found records saying he was born in 1970 or 1971, making him 40 or 39 at the time of his July race. (He was born in Zambia, but became a U.S. citizen later.) A British statistician working for the Olympic Reference website found divorce records in Texas that peg Kalembo as 10 years younger. And a friend sent me email regarding his time at Blinn College in Texas, saying “teammates of Douglas know he wasn’t 28 when he ran for their team” in the early 1990s. Complicating matters even more: Kalembo admits that his original passport and driver’s license showed him with a 1970 date of birth. He was reissued new documents after submitting this request in November 2009.
Old Georgia driver's license showed Kalembo as being born in 1970.
Masters mole No. 2335, working undercover in Virginia Beach, says the USATF Masters T&F Committee today chose Olathe, Kansas, as site of the 2013 USATF masters national outdoor meet, “contingent on site inspection.” If the site isn’t up to snuff, Jacksonville, Florida, gets the meet apparently. That’s all I know. Details still to come. Olathe, a suburb of Kansas City, isn’t far from Lawrence and the University of Kansas, my alma mater. But I have no idea where the meet would be held, other than one the four local high schools. Olathe has a running club, but I have no clue who made the bid. Stay tuned.
A masters mole at the USATF annual meeting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, says Landover, Maryland, will again host the USATF Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships — in 2013. No word on bidders for 2013 masters outdoor nationals. That decision should be announced soon. In 2009, Landover hosted an indoor nationals beset by timing problems and results snafus. Since then, the executive committee has promised better oversight and stricter rules for local organizers. Hope this is so. The Landover meet was hosted in March 2009 by the Potomac Valley Track Club and directed by Craig Chasse, a masters distance runner and steepler. Anyone have any details on the outdoor nationals for 2013?
W50 throws champion Oneithea “Neni” Lewisis the overall USATF Masters Athlete of the Year, as previously signaled, but the revelation at the Virginia Beach USATF convention is that M90 hurdler Ralph Maxwell and M60 middle-distance runner Nolan Shaheedwill share co-Male Masters Athletes of the Year. It’s Nolan’s third time around for this award; he also won in 2007 and 2008. He set at least five American records in his new age group, including a 4:57.06 indoor mile and a 4:31.93 outdoor 1500. Mary Trotto, chairman of the USATF Masters T&F Awards Committee, also tells the age-group honorees, as chosen by the committee in recent weeks. Also: “The 2010 Recipient for the David Pain Distinguished Service Award is Leslie “Jim” Weed,” Mary says. “Jim is one of the founders and ongoing anchor rocks of our sport. This year he celebrates the 30th anniversary for his ‘baby,’ the Rocky Mountain Masters Games. He is truly a pioneer of masters track and field, taking up the work soon after David Pain.”
Ralph Maxwell, here at Sacto nationals, set several M90 world records in 2010.
Paul Sinatra, an M45 vaulter who competed as recently as April, died today, according to Nick Vogt, coach at Christian Team Ministries of Meadow Vista, California. Nick sent this note: “Today, December 1, 2010, our world lost a most excellent friend, an elite athlete, exceptional pole vault coach, and encouraging mentor to hundreds of young people.  Paul Sinatra endured a 2-year battle against cancer on the horizontal runway on earth; but he vaulted victoriously into the heavens, easily clearing the bar of Eternal Life, and he has landed safely and peacefully into the arms of our loving heavenly Father.” Born in April 1962, he had an M40 best of 4.86 meters (15-11 1/4) and an M45 best of 4.85 (15-10 3/4) — making him one of thetop 3 in history. Some of his vaults are archived on YouTube, including this one from 2008, with Frank Sinatra in the background singing “(I did it) My Way”:
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...]
