June 2018

Peter Taylor posed with middle-distance greats Nick Berra and Lorraine Jasper after a 2013 meet.

General June 16, 2018

Announcer Peter Taylor sent home after CT scan shows no sign of stroke

Good news from famed meet-announcer Peter Taylor. He’s at home in Fairfax, Virginia, after a brief medical scare. On Friday, we was getting set for outpatient surgery when the anesthesiologist noticed his mouth drooping on the left side. Fearing a stroke, they gave him a CT scan, his sister Phoebe told me. Later, Pete called me to report that it wasn’t a stroke but possibly a TIA — transient ischemic attack. Pete says they found an aneurysm in his carotid artery, but “not big enough” to be a threat. He’s has two strokes, including one in 2012. He was sent…

Kate Landau, shown at another race, kicked butt with the kiddies in the Portland 10K.

Records June 13, 2018

Kate Landau claims W40 American record 10K at Portland after health crises

Kate Landau is officially back. The silver medalist at the 1996 NCAA championships in the 10K was 19th in the elite 10,000 at last weekend’s Portland Track Festival. Her age isn’t noted, but her splits were — and a finishing time of 3:44:46.01. She’s 41. That means she shatters the listed W40 American record of 34:58.54 by Madelyn Noe-Schlentz in 2002. (The listed WR is 31:33.44 by Rio Olympian Jo Pavey of Great Britain, but Kenya’s Edith Masai ran 31:31.18 in 2007.) Kate’s historic run comes after a rollercoaster career that saw her fighting an eating disorder — anorexia —…

People say it's crazy to have Mt. SAC be site of 2021 IAAF world trials.

Rants June 11, 2018

USATF CEO picking site of 2021 open nationals (aka IAAF world trials)?

Every year, our USATF Masters Committee votes at the annual meeting to award indoor and outdoor nationals several years in the future. Sometimes only one city bids, so it’s a slam dunk. But not once has a USATF masters chair gone around the committee and delegates and awarded the meet on his own say-so. So what do we make of the latest news — which I reported on Times of San Diego — that USATF CEO Max Siegel summarily handed 2021 open nationals (and IAAF Eugene world trials) to Mt. SAC? According to a memo I quote, Max claims USATF…

General June 10, 2018

Sonja Friend-Uhl takes Portland mile, but W60 Lesley Hinz has top mark

At least three world-class milers mixed it up Sunday at the Portland Track Festival at Lewis & Clark College, with W45 Sonja Friend-Uhl clocking a great 5:07.26. But video doesn’t reflect the results, which don’t list W50 Marilyn Arsenault of Canada and Kaitlyn Barthell (who ran stride-for-stride with Sonja the first two laps). Later, I learned that Kaitlyn, in her 20s, and Marilyn were entered as open runners, with times listed elsewhere. W50 Aeron Arlin Genet was credited with a great 5:19.84. But also impressive was W60 Lesley Hinz, fifth in 5:47.16. That’s less than 5 seconds off the listed…

Records June 8, 2018

Geraldine Finegan bumps Rita Hanscom as W50 decathlon record-holder

Dieter Massin of Germany shares news of an unofficial WR in the W50 decathlon. (Unofficial since WMA contests the women’s hep, not dec. Hence no records kept.) Dieter writes: “In 2010 these [age] factors changed; Bernd Rehpennig was the person in charge and he got an ‘order’ by WMA to revise all factors. Due to this change of factors, the results of Rita Hanscom are less than before, see the attachment. In regard to the performance of Geraldine Finegan in Stendal 14 days ago, the result of Geraldine is ‘unofficial’ world record. By the way: Bernd Rehpennig has created a…

James Patterson makes the spin look easy. It isn't.

Records June 6, 2018

James Patterson pulverizes Lad Pataki M55 American record in shot

George Mathews, our former national masters chair, writes from the Great Northwest: “Jim Patterson traveled to Seattle for the Seattle Parks & Recreation USATF-sanctioned meet (see results) and set a new men’s 55 shot put (American) record with a put of 16.23 meters (53-3). Jim looked very strong throughout the competition.” His record throw was on his third attempt. The meet was modest, but Jim’s effort with the 6-kilo ball beat the listed and legendary AR of 16.06 (52-8¼) by Hall of Famer Ladislav Pataki in Santa Barbara in 2001. Lad, who died of brain cancer in 2007, was a…

Scott Gross of Jacksonville, Florida, says he won't stop riding despite 4-year suspension for refusing drug test.

Doping June 5, 2018

Suspended M55 cyclist Scott Gross says he took banned DHEA

When USADA reps showed up at the Florida home of 59-year-old road cyclist Scott Gross at 8:32 p.m. May 3, he refused a drug test. So he drew an automatic 4-year suspension. He didn’t appeal. After posting about Scott’s case a couple weeks ago, I found him through his cycling shop, Open Road Bicycles. He called me, and we chatted for about a half-hour. He told me he refused testing, which he assumed would include drawing blood, because he met the USADA pair in his garage and didn’t think it was a suitable place. He also wasn’t sure the reps…

Brenda Matthews (red), Linda Cohn (middle) and Pat Kelly (blue) battle in a 50.

General June 4, 2018

Pasadena Senior Games gave us chance to improve, qualify for ABQ 2019

Masters track is great cuz you can still improve year-to-year despite age. So I was thrilled to run the 50-meter dash Saturday in 8.31 at the Pasadena Senior Games (held at Cal State Los Angeles because Caltech’s track is said to be undergoing rehab). A year ago, I ran 8.56 at Caltech. So that makes up for my dropping out of the 100 after four steps (calf cramp, related to high jumping). Mastersrankings.com has results from the two-day meet (with javelin held at Occidental College because or artificial turf Sunday). Many entrants tried their feet at multiple events — since…

Marianne the Muscular has the form to reach 40 feet perhaps

Records June 1, 2018

Marianne Maier’s monster throw is W75 world record in the shot

The German masters seite Lampis.net reports a massive improvement in the W75 shot world record. “The versatile 75-year-old “Maierin” [Marianne Maier] improved the global record … to 11.80m (38-8 3/4). It would have to be more precise – she pulverized it [by] 70 centimeters! And that with only three attempts” during a heptathlon Sunday at the Manfred Gonner Gedenkwettkampf der Masters. (See results here.) The listed WR is 11.10 (36-5) by Britain’s Evaun Williams at 2013 Porto Alegre worlds. “And since we are still pretty early in the outdoor season, the highlights are yet to come — it is not…