‘T.R.A.C.K. Live’ reality TV show slotted for October on cable
The masters track TV show refuses to die. After a rollercoaster production process, promises made and not kept and a Web site that bordered on nonsense — “T.R.A.C.K. Live” is set to air this October, according to an email shared with me. The note, sent to “family, friends, supporters and fans,” reported: “It was hard but fun. It will be aired this fall in October on ION TV. . . Check your TV guide to find out what channel it will be on in your city or state. There will be 13 episodes beginning October 11 on Saturdays at one-thirty. The audience will vote on Jan 10, 2009 (maybe meant 2010) in which we have to go back to Fresno and find out the final winners. You can go to http://www.tracklive.tv for updates and new footage. Videos and stats of the final track meet (August 2nd) are also listed.” ION TV isn’t much of a player, and apparently a deal with Fox Sports Net fell through. So we’ll see how this pans out.
Special Report: Perjury and perfidy at the New York Armory
Three years ago this month, New York trackos were shocked to learn that Ed Small had left his longtime job as director of track and field at the Armory, an indoor track mecca
nolvadex online in Manhattan. Shock turned to outrage when word spread that Ed didn’t merely retire. He was fired. I took an interest in his case since he coached Sharon Warren, a masters sprinter and Armory assistant. And Sharon was fired a few weeks after Ed. But Sharon and Ed fought back by suing the Armory, and early in 2008 they reached a settlement with Dr. Norbert Sander and The Armory Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit behind the track. The dollar amount wasn’t disclosed, but the settlement’s existence was. (See the N.Y. Division of Human Rights memo here.) Yet the case has loose ends — possibly felonious ones. In late 2006, The Armory Foundation filed a Form 990 with the IRS detailing its finances in 2005. Dr. Sander ativan signed the document “under penalties of perjury.” But his Form 990 contains several lies. And I don’t know why.
Dr. Norbert Sander stands accused of felony perjury in his IRS filing of 2006.
Roald Bradstock ups own American record in M45 javelin
Roald Bradstock might wish he was a former NFL star. Willie Gault’s 10.80 at age 48 became the talk of the Net in recent weeks, mainly because Willie once did the Super Bowl Shuffle. But Willie’s 100 at Mt. SAC can’t hold a candle to Roald’s latest mark — an M45 American record in the javelin yesterday at the Georgia Invitational near his home in Marietta. (See results here.) Roald, a British Olympian who later became a U.S. citizen, threw the 800-gram stick 72.49 meters (237-10) to beat his own listed AR of 71.75 (235-4) in May 2007. The listed M45 world record is 77.15 (253-1) by Germany’s Peter Blank in 2007. How good is RB’s latest throw? It will soon make the Top 10 Open list on usatf.org. Willie’s 10.80, while phenomenal, falls way short of the high school top 50 list.
USATF posts latest ‘corrected’ results from Landover nats
Today, USATF shows this May 8 update to the late-March USATF national masters indoor meet in Landover, Maryland. Despite all our complaints, errors remain, especially in the men’s short hurdles. M40 Johnny Watson is still credited with an American record 8.14 in the 60-meter hurdles. (Even National Masters News reported that time as a record.) Johnny didn’t run that time, we’re told, and who knows what it really was. But now Karl Smith is given an 8.39 for the M45 hurdles, instead of the 12.12 he had until today. Karl was 49 at Landover, and the M50 record is 8.47 by Walt Butler in 1993. Karl should get it next year. I haven’t inspected all the results yet. Check out your event and let us know what still is messed up. We may be stuck with these “official results.” Cripes!
Harvey Lewellen sets four M80 American records at Fling
M80 Harvey Lewellen was one of two dozen entrants April 25 at the Seattle Spring Fling, a masters throwsfest in Washington. And he got his money’s worth. George Mathews reports: “Harvey Lewellen broke four American records with marks of 15.23 (49-11 3/4) in the weight throw, 8.26 (27-1 14) in the superweight throw and 40.13 (131-8) in the hammer throw. He also set a new American record in the throws pentathlon with a mark of 4762.” Complete results are here. In addition, former USATF masters throws coordinator Dick Hotchkiss broke his M70 American record in the ultraweight pentathlon and his pending record with a score of 4534. Here’s a link to what they throw and what they weigh. “Four athletes completed both pentathlons,” George writes, listing Tim Shannon, Bill Deeter, Dick Hotchkiss and Bob Ward. Great jobs, gents! Especially Harvey and Dick!
USATF drags feet on posting Throws Championships info
George Mathews is fit to be tied. Although he’s the world-record holder in the M65 weight throw, George can’t seem to budge USATF’s Andy Martin on getting entry information online for the USATF Masters Throws Championships, set August 22-23, 2009, at Mac Wilkins’ world-class throws center in Portland, Oregon. A former national masters chairman, George knows where the bodies are buried in Indy, but hasn’t been able to find USATF’s brain. Since USATF can’t seem to get its act together, I’ve posted this official entry form on George’s behalf. And here is some motel information. What’s the hangup? Since early March, George has been exchanging email with Andy, who has nitpicked George’s entry form to death. Here are some highlights of George’s responses to Andy’s queries and suggestions.
Six years later, American 20K track records near acceptance
On June 8, 2003, M50 Paul Cook and M45 Dave Parsel ran 50 laps of the track at Orange Coast College — 20 kilometers (12.4 miles). It took a while, but when they finished both had bested American age-group records in the rarely contested event. Dave’s time of 1:11:09.20 and Paul’s mark of 1:13:48.79 smashed listed records of 1:13:42 and 1:27:14, respectively — times that date back to the early 1980s. You can guess what came next. Nothing. Records set at that Southern California meet — a USATF association championships — languished in USATF limbo for six years. The holdup? Officials didn’t have a copy of the surveyor’s measurement certificate. Yup. Everything else was kosher (as documented by the files archived here). Lap scorer sheets, FAT photos, record forms were all in order. They just lacked proof the track was 400 meters. Now here it is, and their real marathon is almost over.
Truman and Walter have held the records long enough, doncha think?
Brazil picked for 2013 WMA world championships? Doubt it
With no fanfare, World Masters Athletics has announced venues for its 2012 world indoor and 2013 world outdoor championships. Yeah, right. But what’s up with the Eurovets Web site? Its 2012 meet calendar lists Jyväskylä, Finland, as site of WMA worlds, and its 2013 meet calendar lists outdoor worlds for July 24 – August 2 in Porto Alegre, Brazil (which lost to Sacramento for 2011 worlds). WMA’s Web site doesn’t list meets beyond 2011. Of course, these meets are up to voters at the Lahti General Assembly this summer — not some stooge webmaster at the EVAA. Expect this to be cleared up pretty fast. (Porto Alegre in midwinter should be delightful!)
Here’s how the Eurovets calendar looked on May 5, 2009.
SISU 800 Challenge averts disaster, with Shaheed’s presence
Saturday’s 3nd annual SISU Foundation 800 Meter Challenge — one of a handful of prize-money races in our sport — barely made it out of the blocks at Arizona State University. Stuff happened, writes event organizer Doug Thompson, who was sweating bullets that a race would even be held at all. Somehow, four runners made it to the starting line (including Doug himself) and lemonade was served all around. “Our . . . race was a microcosm of the highs and the lows of masters track,” Doug writes. “Because we ran during an ASU college meet, our race was not listed on the local masters track schedule, so unlike prior years we had few local ‘walk -in’ entrants.”
Rita Hanscom ready to explode into W55 ranks this month
Rita’s form was captured in a 2005 photo.
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Running in the rain and cold of Oakland’s Skyline High School, Rita Hanscom of San Diego clocked a monster 13.60 in the 100 yesterday — a half-hour after a 400 in 66.80. Rita turns 55 later this month. The 13.60 had no wind reading, but it was her best mark since April 2007, when she ran 13.59 at the Mt. SAC Relays (the same day M40 Aaron Thigpen ran his never-ratified American record of 10.60). “Probably ran well because my 84-year-old mother was bundled up, sitting
in the stands under a dripping tent with the college kids from Mills
College, cheering me on,” Rita replied to my query. Even more impressive: She competed despite jet lag after having spent four days in New York City on a job-related assignment, where she did only some walking and jogged around Central Park before returning to San Diego on Friday. The listed world record for the W55 100 is 13.30 — by Phil Raschker in 2002. A tough nut to crack, for sure. But Rita is tough, too.
