Mt. SAC Relays again featuring masters hurdles superstars
The event isn’t until mid-April, but hurdles coach Richard Holmes already has some great timber toppers lined up for a masters exhibition at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, California. “The race will be on 4/17 @ 4pm during the prime-time events,” Richard writes. “They were very happy with our turnout and competitiveness last year and decided another year is deserving. It will be a 110H race at 39 inches and I already have five athletes confirmed:(last year’s winner) Rod Jett, Don Drummond, (world champion) Mike Godbout, (Olympian) Henry Andrade, myself (will do my best to NOT pull a hammy this year, as I did before the race last year!) Tentative athletes include: (M45 world record holder) Karl Smith and Dexter McCloud. . . . It leaves four more open lanes. I will send out a final call, four weeks prior to the event to solidify the field.” If interested, you can write Richard for entry information.
Dan Bulkley, Sid Howard get ink thousands of miles apart
M90 multi-eventer Dan Bulkley and M70 middle-distancer Sid Howard got some great writeups this week — in papers far apart. In southern Oregon, Dan explains his success and longevity in the sport by saying: “Good genes, I guess. . . . The longer distances get a little tougher, the 800 and the 400, but I don’t know, I just keep on going.” Down in Bermuda, New Jerseyite Sid is profiled. “Speaking from his home in the US last month, Howard said he looked forward to returning for his 31st Bermuda International Race Weekend and to returning to Bermuda –a place he loves for its natural beauty and the friendliness of its people.”
Denise Baratta photo shows Dan on roller skis, training for skiing and track.
Heavy challenges for Tony Young, Alisa Harvey at Hartshorne
Between them, Tony Young and Alisa Harvey hold about a dozen American middle-distance records. But when they take the line Saturday in the elite masters miles at the annual Hartshorne races at Cornell University, they’ll have butterflies. Both are among the oldest in their races, and the newbies will be hot on their tails, including Nick Berra of Pennsylvania and Aeron Arlin Genet of California. This is shaping up as the best series of races in the event’s 43-year history. And it could have been even better! Monica Joyce had to bow out because of work and Jim Sorensen “has been on antibiotics the last week and unfortunately the treatment did not succeed in making him feel race worthy,” reports Tom Hartshorne from Ithaca, New York. “Nonetheless, the fields are still the strongest ever and very competitive in all four elite races.” And Peter Taylor, our all-star announcer, will be back to call the miles.
From left, elites Aeron Arlin Genet, Alisa Harvey, Nick Berra and Tony Young.
Nominate your masters faves for USATF awards for 2009
Mary Trotto, filling in for Dave Clingan as leader of the USATF Masters T&F Awards Committee, has announced that y’all can nominate athletes from the 2009 season for awards to be presented this year. Mary writes: “The nomination form is on the mtfawards website. . . . As I am the interim chair, they can send all nomination forms to me at mtrotto@liu.edu. The form gives the minimum criteria that the athlete must have for nomination. The athlete can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else.”Of course, it’ll be odd if the committee picks anyone besides Rita Hanscom for the top female award, but lots of other honorees will be chosen in this process. So get your nominations in before the deadline of February 24. Mary also says: “Once the 2009 award winners have been selected, they will be announced at the National Indoors as they have been announced in the past. And they will receive their awards at an award ceremony at the outdoor nationals in 2010.”
Happ should be happy: two world records at one indoor meet
Christel Happ, a German star born in 1929, set two W80 indoor world records over the weekend, according to the Koops’ site, the Italian masters page and results posted from Brandberge. Christel long-jumped 2.89 meters (9-5 3/4) to crush the listed world record of 2.74 (8-11 3/4) by Germany’s Ingrid Lorenz at Linz worlds in 2006. Christel also high-jumped 1 meter (3-3 1/4) to better the listed mark of 0.96 by two women. (In fact, she apparently opened at 1.00, making it on her second try, before going three-and-out at 1.04, or 3-5). Happ’s reaction to her great marks? “Yes, of course, world record, but not so good.”
Christel, a multi-eventer, chucked the spear last year as well.
Hartshorne mile to honor memory of columnist Diane Sherrer
Diane Sherrer, a great friend to masters track as a running columnist in upstate New York, died last May. But I didn’t learn this awful news until yesterday, when I opened attachments to an email note about entries in this weekend’s Hartshorne Masters Miles in Ithaca, New York. “This year we will inaugurate The Diane Sherrer Memorial Award,” said the note. “Diane passed away this past May after a prolonged battle with lung cancer. This award commemorates the decades of service Diane gave to advocating, promoting, and publicizing masters running in upstate New York. Diane celebrated the participation of women in road racing, cross country, and track for both the health benefits and the joy of competition.”
Diane Sherrer (right) is shown with Marie Fitzsimmons, a running partner.
Manson clears 17-7 at Air Force Academy all-comers meet
Pat Manson
|
Pat Manson, my fellow Jayhawk, turned 42 in late November and could be on the verge of becoming the oldest 18-foot vaulter in history. Of course, Jeff Hartwig holds that distinction now, having gone 18-8 1/4 at age 40 — at an obscure 2008 meet in Eugene, Oregon. On Friday, Pat cleared 17-7 (5.36 meters) at an Air Force Academy all-comers meet in Colorado Springs. (See results here.) This puts Pat close to 18 again. His streak of topping 18 feet for 22 straight years ended in 2007. But he might just start another. On the current WMA Age-Graded Tables, a 5.36 jump is equivalent to an open mark (age 20-30) of 6.07 meters (19-11). His all-time best is 19-2 1/4, so he’s exceeding himself. Many thanks to Becca Gillespy Peter for bringing Pat’s latest mark to our attention.
Indiana’s Janet Sweet, long-sprint specialist, dies at age 80
Janet Sweet
|
Janet Sweet, one of the top W75 long sprinters in recent years, died a month ago of a brain hemorrhage, reports National Masters News (via email alert) and recent posted obituaries in Indiana. She won medals in the 200 or 400 at Landover indoor nationals and Oshkosh outdoor nationals and also competed last summer in the National Senior Games. Born in Dagenham, England, in 1929, she grew up in England and was in London during the blitz of World War II. In 1957 she worked for the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., where she met her husband, Arnold Sweet. Janet took up running in her 50s and moved from road races to track and field. A published death notice said: “A memorial service for Janet A. Sweet will start at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 14, 2010, in the East Faculty Lounge of the Purdue Memorial Union.” Our condolences to Arnold, also a masters athlete, and her friends.
Janet finishes the 400 at Oshkosh, where she won silver behind Audrey Lary.
Masters dashers featured in Alyssa Tower video interview
More than a dozen masters sprinters and runners took part in the Dempsey Indoor Preview meet Saturday at the University of Washington in Seattle, and masters distance ace Alyssa Tower gathered nine for a little chat after their 60-meter dash. She posted the resulting video on YouTube and wrote about the event on Pete Magill’s YLFOR blog, which helpfully notes the ages of entrants. Martha Mendenhall and Mike Waller were among the interview subjects. She posted race videos, too. She also reports: “Tony Young had planned to compete in the 800, but had a mild toe injury and is nursing it for a big meet in New York next week. I had a talk with Tony anyway and asked him how things are going. Training is going well despite the nagging little toe. He was there to cheer Karen (Steen) on.”
Great work, Alyssa!
Alyssa Tower rounded up some fast friends (not easy to do) for this chat.
World record 60-meter dash reported for Don Neidig in N.M.
Don Neidig, an M65 long-dash specialist with several American records, has reported running 60 meters indoors in 7.98 seconds — which would edge the listed WR of 7.99 by Finland’s Jorma Manninen in 2007. (The listed American record is 8.04 by world champ Stephen Robbins in 2009.) Don’s time came at a USATF-officiated all-comers meet. Don wrote a friend:
“I’ve just returned from Albuquerque, where I ran the 60m in the Lobo Opener. I turned in a 7.98, which will be a world record if all the paperwork and approvals go well. A USATF official was there to take charge of the signatures, etc. It doesn’t appear on the meet results on the U of NM website because it was in the all-comers division, not the collegiate division — all the posted results are from the latter.” I’m told that Don plans to run at masters nationals in Boston — and that Saturday’s 60 was his first try at that distance in five years. Nice job, Don!
