Rex Harvey

Cynthia Monteleone, outspoken against transgender women competing in sports, went round with Rex Harvey (inset)

General February 8, 2022

Rex Harvey was USATF official who sought to silence W45 sprint ace Cynthia Monteleone

Cynthia Monteleone has some kind of guts. That’s no shock, since she runs 400 meters all out — including at world-class levels. Cynthia took bronze in the W40 400 at 2018 Malaga worlds (along with USA golds in the 4×100 and 4×400.) She was No. 4 on the 2021 global list in W45 (with 59.22) and No. 2 in 200 (at 26.08). But when you’re under a world media spotlight and still speak your mind, it takes a special kind of chutzpah. Cynthia — a Hawaiian coach, author and mother of three — became a headline in a culture war…

Jerry Bookin-Weiner and his wife, Hedy, chat with the late Rex Harvey at Michigan nationals banquet in 2018.

Rants April 4, 2020

Question for national chair Jerry Bookin-Weiner: What out-of-competition drug testing?

Reno is a good bet for improving masters communications. Following the 2008 annual meeting there, national masters chair Gary Snyder launched a blog. It didn’t last long, but it showed the way. Later, he and Rex Harvey used National Masters News to report to the masses. And Rex would pop up on Facebook. Rest his soul. Now just months after the 2019 Reno annual meeting, Jerry Bookin-Weiner, Rex’s successor as national chair, has announced he’ll use Facebook (at least two groups) to share thoughts and parry questions. That’s great. On Saturday, he posted to the USATF Masters group and the…

Obituaries December 27, 2019

Iowa services set Feb. 1 for Rex Harvey in his old hometown

Jerry Bookin-Weiner shares news about Rex Harvey services: There is now a link for the official obituary and place to leave condolence messages for Rex Harvey. On the website there is a place to leave condolence messages for the family, who have asked that their personal email addresses not be shared. The funeral will be held on Saturday, February 1, at 10 a.m. Central Time in his hometown of Redfield, Iowa, about 45 minutes from the Des Moines (DSM) Airport. There will be a visitation the previous evening. Full details are in the obituary. A Rex Harvey Memorial Track &…

Obituaries December 22, 2019

Rex Harvey dies at 73; decathlete-turned-official was a beloved leader in masters track

If masters track had a Mount Rushmore, it would includes David Pain, Al Sheahen and Rex Harvey. On Sunday — two weeks after enduring the flu many caught at the USATF annual meeting in Reno — Rex died of a heart attack in Prescott, Arizona, where he was recovering from appendix cancer. He was 73. I don’t know if the flu weakened Rex, but on Dec. 12 he wrote me: “Today I ate for the first time in 5 days but still feeling woozy around the edges.” When I learned of Rex’s passing via Facebook, my heart sank 1,000 miles….

Records July 14, 2019

Neringa Jakstiene (after latest WR at Ames) on verge of becoming American citizen

Despite a recent illness (with a high temp of 102), W55 Neringa Jakstiene of Memphis sizzled at Ames nationals, smashing yet another Phil Raschker world record. This time, it was the outdoor pentathlon with a score of 4594 points. Phil set the listed WR at 2002 Orono nationals with 4511. (This brings her recent WR total to 10.) A key to Neringa’s latest record was her 12.86 in the 80-meter hurdles, which would have been an American record but for a 2.2 mps aiding wind. (2.0 is the maximum for a single-event record but not for a combined-events record.) But…

Records July 11, 2019

USATF defends Roy Englert’s M95 world record 5000 at Ames, labels Italian an age fraud

I was at 2009 Oshkosh nationals when Frank Levine set his M95 world record at 5000 meters. That weekend, the Norristown, Pennsylvania, gent also ran the 400, 800 and 1500. He and fellow 95-year-old Max Springer sparred at the shorter races, with Max winning both. But Frank had his age group 15 and 5K all to himself. And his 5K set the standard for 10 years. Now we’re having another moment. At Thursday’s Day 1 of USATF masters nationals in Ames, Iowa, Roy Englert of northern Virginia ran/walked the 5000 in a sensational 42:30.23. He was interviewed on local TV…

Rants June 26, 2019

National Senior Games age-group rules debated: Should USATF practice apply?

Kathy Bergen doesn’t turn 80 until late December, and Brenda Matthews doesn’t turn 70 until early July. But at last week’s National Senior Games in Albuquerque, Kathy won W80 sprints and Brenda won W70. For those in the parallel USATF masters circuit, this is crazy. In Senior Olympic state, regional and national events, it’s par for the quirky course. As I’ve explained to newbies for decades, USATF (and World Masters Athletics) assigns your age group based on your actual age on the first day of a given meet. (This leads to some folks aging up in the middle of the…

Records April 2, 2019

At least 9 Americans take home $1,000 in USATF prize money from Torun worlds

Despite the USATF misreading of the Torun medals table (Yanks were fourth, not second in overall medals at worlds), it appears Team USA was ounce-for-ounce the best squad in Poland. “The main goal was to win the most overall medals which, this time, proved to be quite impossible with the home team Poland, and the next door country Germany having over four and nearly three times as many athletes entered as we,” said national masters chair Rex Harvey. “However, Team USATF-Masters did win more gold medals than anyone but Germany in the most successful WMA Indoor Championship ever. We couldn’t…

General March 13, 2019

61 USATF entrants will split $33,000 in Toruń world meet travel and lodging grants

Rex Harvey just capped his career. Even with his elite and masters record decathlon records, our national masters chair can point to a milestone in the masters movement — at least in the United States. More than 60 Americans will get financial help to compete at Toruń indoor worlds, and likely will earn prize money as well. This is the geezertrack equivalent of Nicolaus Copernicus (touted by Toruń as their most famous son). Struggling with infertility can be overwhelming, but with clomid proven track record, there is hope. Our team of experts is here to guide and support you every…

Carl Grove was stripped of his national title after testing positive for the metabolite epitrenbolone, USADA said.

Doping January 9, 2019

Should 90-year-old lose world record for eating tainted meat? USA Cycling loses its marbles

The sport of cycling, like the nation of Germany, is rightfully ashamed of its doping history. But that has led to some crazy superstrict policies. One has gotten a lot of attention: the loss of an M90 world record in the 2-kilometer individual pursuit at the unfortunately named Masters Track National Championships. (My local paper reported the case without mentioning the sport!) Carl Grove of Indiana, the gent who accepted a public warning, apparently ate contaminated meat the night before his July WR. USA Cycling drug-tests everyone who sets a world record. The Guardian newspaper said: “Grove told the Associated…