Well, good. Kenya has announced it will send masters to Perth worlds. But the wording of a story in The Star newspaper suggests someone didn’t get the memo on starting ages. (It’s 35 for everybody, not just women). Also, the story refers to trials. None needed. In any case, it’s worth celebrating that M75 Olympic legend Kip Keino is listed as an honorary member of the Kenyan masters board. Trials may suggest that Kenya will subsidize travel for its best athletes. But dangit! Don’t give readers the impression you have to qualify for worlds. You don’t!
Saturday was a good day for another Willie — Willie Gault. Competing at the Jim Bush meet at Cerritos College (the Southern California Association USATF championships), Willie at age 55 ran 100 meters in 11.06 with a 2.8 mps aiding wind and 200 in 22.69 with a 4.1 mps aiding wind. (The legal limit for records is 2.0 meters per second, or 4.47 mph). If Willie finds a meet with legal wind, he’ll lower his season bests (and M55 world records) of 11.30 and 23.24. Here are Bush meet results. In other news, W30 Allyson Felix ran the 400 and M30 Tyson Gay sprinted 200 at this meet.
Here’s my favorite Willie shot again — from 2011 Sacramento worlds.
I focused on Willie Banks on Saturday, squeezing his two events into a 6-minute video. With temperatures reaching the low 90s at the Pasadena Senior Games, it’s amazing Willie was able to perform as well as he did. He waited hours for his event to start. (He relaxed in the shade of a palm tree.) Even with Mike Powell and members of his family present, Willie conducted himself as just another jumper in a field of nine, including 84-year-old Don Leis (who went 5.27 or 17-3 1/2). I was surprised that Willie also high jumped. But since he entered the event with the bar at 1.61, he had perfect timing. one of his three tries at a world record 1.82 was good. He says he’ll try again for some records in late July. Another notable entry Saturday at Caltech was Sandra “Sandi” Woepse (her brother-in-law is former vault star Greg Woepse). As Sandra Goldsberry, she was the youngest member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the high jump at Munich, clearing 1.60 at age 16 in qualifying.
With long jump world record holder Mike Powell cheering him on, Willie Banks thrice beat the listed M60 American record in the triple jump Saturday at Caltech. Competing in the Pasadena Senior Games, Willie did 12.51 (41-0 1/2) (a correction from earlier post) on his second of four tries. His third attempt was a scratch, but the first and fourth were 12.05 and 12.08 (about). His best effort beat the 34-year-old (!) record of 11.96 (39-3) by the late, great Tom Patsalis. Willie was going for the WR of 12.68 (41-7 1/4) by Stig Bäcklund in 2000. But wait! There’s more! A half-hour after the triple jump concluded in low-90s temps, Willie walked over to the high jump, saw the event was still going on, and proceeded to clear 1.61, 1.66 and 1.71 (just under his recent AR of 1.73), all while wearing a backward ballcap. Then he had the bar set at a world record 1.82 (5-11 1/2) and had two good efforts at straddling it. Mike Powell, meanwhile, told me he’s lost 77 pounds, is down to the 190s and is hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials, where the automatic qualifier is 26-3. Mike is 52, and the WR for M50 is 6.84 (22-5 1/4). Pasadena results are here.
W60 Mary Jane McMaster, in 5 or 6 events, made comeback after a long break.
John Seto has shared news that his all-world rankings site will offer special features for paying members only starting Monday. The vast database will continue to stay public. But this is John’s way of paying for his and others’ time updating the site. He writes: “You have told me (via survey) how you think that there should be members only areas which include MastersRankings’ best features. Your opinions and wishes for the site are very important to us and we want to fulfill your requests and wishes plus make this site even more exceptional.” He said members-only areas will include: current year’s progressive list, current year’s rankings numbers on personal profiles, and current year’s Rankings Awards Leader Boards. “Members’ benefits will evolve over time as we add the features you’ve requested and considering your feedback,” he wrote.
Cameroon in west-central Africa hosted the continent’s WMA regionals last weekend, a three-day meet that included rain and small fields. But they did a fair jobposting (some) results and photos to Facebook and elsewhere. (But all the times were to tenths, implying hand-timing.) Here’s the African Masters Athletics homepage. Given Africa’s incredible record in Olympic and world elite track, it’s only a matter of time when the talent trickles up to masters. Top marks so far appear to be M45 Richard Ogunleye’s 100 and 200 in 11.4 and 23.1. Still awaiting field event results.
Track was wet on relays day at WMA Africa regionals, apparently in Limbe.
In a flopper world, Willie Banks is an unapologetic straddler. But he does it the hard way — taking three steps to the bar. Last Saturday, a gentleman named Bob Larsen captured Willie’s 1.73 meter (5-8) clearance for a M60 American record, which beat the listed AR of 1.72 (5-7¾) by fellow San Diego County jumper Phil Fehlen in 1998. When I informed Phil of the new record, he replied: “Wouldn’t it be great to see the USA get back the [world] record and with the straddle? The flop is an ugly name and an unattractive style but has the advantages of clearance with a lower center of mass and using greater speed in the approach. I hope Banks can get that record [1.81 by Russia straddler Vladimir Kuntsevich], but it won’t be easy.”
M45 supersprinter Allen Woodard warmed up with a 49.38 in the 400 Sunday at Langston Hughes High School near Atlanta. Then he and three others destroyed the listed M45 world record in the 4×400 relay set by an all-star team at 2011 Sacramento worlds. Allen anchored with a running start 47.5, he says, providing a detailed analysis (line to line). Karnell Vickers led off, handing to Mark Gomes, followed by Andrew Junas and Allen, who overtook a kid for a final time of 3:22.31, nearly 2.5 seconds faster than the listed WR of 3:24.84 by Khalid Muzalim, Duane Gosa, James Lawson and Marcus Shute. The average was a jaw-dropping 50.58. Results are here. Allen said splits were 50.19, 50.33, 53.8 and 47.50. Awaiting info on other runners.
Last time I saw Rolf Geese he was making mincemeat of the M65 world record in the decathlon. That was at 2009 Lahti worlds. Now he’s back in M70, doing the same. According to these results from a Stendal meet, Rolf scored 7943 points to crush the listed world record of 7678 by American Phil Shipp in 2005. Rolf ran the 100 in 13.72 (+1.6 wind), long jumped 4.20 (13-9 1/4), put the shot 11.59 (38-0 1/4), high jumped 1.33 (4-4 1/4) and burned a 400 in 67.07. Day 2: 80 hurdles in 14.47 (+1.2), discus 33.35 (109-5), pole vault 2.90 (9-6), javelin 32.72 (107-4) and 1500 in 6:22.10. Meet official Sandra Beiersdorff wrote me: “We had best conditions on day one (sunshine, almost no wind). Second day was very hot and [became] more and more windy in the evening. The men had to work hard to jump the pole vault from time to time.” She also sent a photo of All-Universe Phil Raschker, who donated some spikes and shirts. She doesn’t appear in the results, but looks in good shape at 69.
From left are Phil, club president Peter Ludwig and announcer Conny Gebert.
Two months after turning 60, National T&F Hall of Famer Willie Banks straddled 1.73 meters (5-8) for his first American M60 record. He topped the listed AR of 1.72 (5-7¾) by fellow San Diego County jumper Phil Fehlen in 1998. I’ve heard that his was one of two ARs set at Saturday’s USATF Southern California Association Masters Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk. (Look for results here.) But I wrote Willie, and he said his progression was 1.45, 1.50, 1.55, 1.60, 1.73 and three misses at a world record 1.82 (5-11 1/2). The listed WR is 1.81 by Russia’s Vladimir Kuntsevich in 2012. He didn’t triple jump at Norwalk on Saturday but says: “will go for the TJ WR next weekend at CalTech Senior Games!” That’s the Pasadena Senior Games. (The listed WR is 12.68, or 41-7.) You’ll remember that Willie in June 1985 set the TJ WR of 17.97 (58-11 1/2 inches) at Indy nationals. I’ll be at Pasadena to witness that piece of history — and perhaps the first 90-year-old female pole vaulter — Johnnye Valien.
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...]
