General

Carmen Jackinsky of Aloha, Oregon, wants to say hello and goodbye to the W55 race walk record over 50 kilometers.

General January 18, 2019

W55 race walker Carmen Jackinsky preps for 50K nationals, has Olympic Trials in mind

Carmen Jackinsky of suburban Portland, Oregon, is an inventor, coach and W55 race walker. Not sure which order she would use. But proving again that masters are far more interesting than kiddies, I point to my profile of Carmen in Times of San Diego. She walked funny as a child, she recalls, and was put in dancing. Then she wouldn’t stop hanging from a bar upside down and became a gymnast. Then she injured her back and was told she’d never be an athlete again. So she took up race walking. And then she decided to improve the design of…

Men's elite field may not challenge meet record 4:17:98 bu Jim Sorensen 10 years ago.

General January 17, 2019

Prize money returns, team competition added at Saturday’s Hartshorne Masters Miles

I love seeing heat sheets for the Hartshorne Masters Miles — the 52nd edition is Saturday at Cornell University in Ithaca, Snow York. That’s where I learn who submitted 4:56 as a seed time. This year, it’s Brian Lazzaro of Ithaca. Why 4:56? That’s my all-time PR — set indoors at Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas as a 20-year-old senior. (The dirt track is gone, subsumed by a museum beneath the basketball arena.) Brian, 44, will wear Hip No. 7 in the men’s elite race, where Stefan Lingmerth, 41, is top seed at 4:25. (Defending champ Mark Williams…

Nick Symmonds, who also has a plan to climb mountains around the world, says he's going on a 100 journey.

General January 3, 2019

800 great Nick Symmonds reveals M35 goal: Learn his 100-meter speed for first time

Nick Symmonds, the Run Gum CEO who defied USATF over its wear-Nike edict, turned 35 on Sunday and came out with a video Thursday. He says he’s unretiring. But Nick’s not making a comeback in the 800, where he won a world silver medal and competed in two Olympics. He says he can’t turn left anymore. So he’s challenging himself in a completely new event: the 100-meter dash. He has a 400 PR of 47.45 and figures he once was in 10.5 to 11 shape for the 1. He’s also using his YouTube channel to promote his brand and training…

Straddler Steve Hackel trains off concrete at a homemade facility in Illinois.

General December 24, 2018

Help comebacking M65 high jumper find brief 1971 clip from ‘CBS Sports Spectacular’

In the summer of 1971, the NAIA Outdoor track championships were held in Billings, Montana, and a second-place Sioux Falls College high jumper was interviewed by long jump legend Ralph Boston for a tape-delayed episode of “CBS Sports Spectacular.” “My last cleared height was shown on TV in about August or September of ’71 when this was broadcast,” writes Steve Hackel. “To my knowledge, this is the only video of my jumping that might still exist.” So nearly M70 Steve, making a comeback after 26 years, wrote me for help in digging up the clip of his jump. “I am…

Phil Greenwald (inset, shown in Malaga) will direct 2021 indoor nationals at the new home of the Millrose Games.

General December 9, 2018

Phil Greenwald named meet director of 2021 USATF masters indoor nationals at Armory Track

Upon learning that the Armory track in New York City was the likely (and only) choice for 2021 indoor nationals, I wrote to Jonathan Schindel, who presented the bid at Columbus. Jonathan is co-president and CFO of the Armory Foundation. He graciously responded, informing me that the nationals are set for March 19-21, 2021, and “our goal would be to keep entry fees as close as possible to current / then-current entry fees.” But the biggest news is that Phil Greenwald, known mainly as USA team manager (stadia) at WMA worlds the past umpteen years, will serve as meet director….

Carroll DeWeese, shown at 2009 Lahti worlds, is our treasurer and newly minted WMA delegate.

General December 7, 2018

Here’s how USATF Masters T&F Committee is allocating its dollars — budget of $258,000

Carroll DeWeese, treasurer of the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee, has graciously shared our budget for 2019, adopted at the recent Columbus annual meeting. He sent it as an Excel file, and I also made a PDF version. So view either way. Carroll wrote me: Note that it is not a budget in the traditional sense. It is actually pre-approved spending limits for different areas of responsibility. The total is actually greater than the funds being provided to MTF by USATF. MTF knows that everyone will not spend all their approved funds and the total spending will be less…

Kerry Sloan, in front during a pentathlon 1500 at 2011 Berea nationals, faces serious charge involving a 17-year-old girl.

General December 5, 2018

Kerry Sloan faces 10-to-life sentence in rape case — with federal trial set for April 15, 2019

Three months ago, I reported how M55 hurdler Kerry Sloan had been arrested on rape charges on the way to Malaga worlds — seized at a Texas airport on the way to London. I tracked the case for a few days and then let it slide. Wednesday, a USATF notice brought Kerry to my attention again: Please be advised that it has come to USATF’s attention that the following individual has been deemed ineligible by the U.S. Center for SafeSport (www.safesport.org). KERRY SLOAN (Harker Heights, TX) – INELIGIBLE (SUBJECT TO APPEAL/NOT YET FINAL) Accordingly, this individual is prohibited from participating,…

Josh Robbins showed off national meet hardware. He rook silvers in Spokane in the M40 100 and pentathlon.

General December 4, 2018

Speedy Josh Robbins of Arizona quick to embrace masters track, share stories via video

M40 national-sprinter Josh Robbins is so geeked out on masters track he’s started posting videos promoting our niche on Facebook and YouTube. He’s based in Arizona, but his work is an example for USATF associations and clubs nationwide. I was so taken by his professionalism, I shot him a note. He graciously replied to my quickie Q&A. Masterstrack.blog: Where in Arizona do you live? What’s your line of work? Josh Robbins: Gilbert, Arizona. I am a full-time parent (two daughters, Jaya and Maya. Ages 6 and 3) and married 11 years. I worked as a freelance videographer from 1999-2012 (PA/NY/CA/AZ)….

Kay, in her trademark red elf tights, is our Medicare masters star.

General November 30, 2018

At 65, Kay Glynn jumps for joy in 12th annual Christmas photo greeting to masters tracksters

Kay Glynn of Hastings, Iowa, is 65 and still splits my sides with her annual Christmas photo greeting. But I’m onto her secret. It’s the long hair! She apparently took the story of Samson to heart. But I doubt anyone’s angling to mow her mane. So expect her to show her superhuman strength and flexibility for years to come (especially in the pole vault). Here she is at Sky Zone trampoline park in Omaha, where she asked staff about when it was least busy. “They told me that if I were to get there right when they opened on a…

General November 26, 2018

USATF could end masters club scoring (titles at indoor, outdoor nationals) under rule proposal

Last January, the WMA Competition Committee issued the world body’s “Rules of Competition 2018-2020.” Buried within, under Scoring, is Rule 151.1: “There shall be no overall Team Championships.” That appears to mean that WMA meets won’t score national teams for the purpose of identifying the top teams. OK fine. But since USATF likes to stay in step with World Masters Athletics, a rule proposal at the Columbus annual meeting this week aims to update USATF rules to end club scoring at masters nationals. (See team results from Maryland indoor nationals and Spokane outdoor nationals.) Have you been struggling with infertility?…