Y ask Margaret Hinton is probably cussing herself out good for not clearing her next height in the pole vault, but the Texan from Comfort (northwest of San Antonio) should be proud of herself anyway.
She's the first 80-year-old woman to vault in America -- and probably the world. Hinton cleared the modest height of 1.20 (3-11 1/4) at the USATF National Masters Indoor Track Championships on Friday (3/22/02) at Boston's Reggie Lewis Track. I wasn't there, but I doubt she was wearing a helmet. Probably the world's oldest female vaulter, she also won her age group in the weight throw, twirling the 16-pound implement 6.45 (21-2). And she's not done yet. Hinton's also entered in the 60, HJ, LJ, TJ, SP and super weight toss. Hinton may have inspired William Bell of Jonesboro, Ark. -- father of Olympian Earl Bell, who was present for the meet. Bell, also 80, won the M80 pole vault at 2.75 (9-0 1/4), smashing the listed indoor world record for his age group of 2.44 (8-0) by Carol Johnston in 1994. Hinton and Bell's performances were among many notable marks at Boston on the opening day of the three-day national masters meet. Other highlights: -- Thomas Dalton, 43, of Schenectady, NY, won the M40 3,000 in 8:38.89. -- Nolan Shaheed, 52, of Pasadena, Calif., won the M50 3000 in Nolan Shaheed 9:18.45. -- Oneithea Lewis, 41, of Bayside, N.Y., spun the 20-pound weight an amazing 16.42 (53-10 1/2) for an age-graded 122.26 percent -- way off the scale of a set of tables that are soon to be revised due to the likes of Lewis. -- Everett Hosack of Chagrin, Falls, Ohio, the first serious 100-year-old competitor in USATF national masters history, began the meet with a 25-pound weight throw of 5.10 (16-8 3/4). He has three events to go: the 60, shot and super weight toss. (Note to Flash Results, which is posting results at Boston at: http://www.usatfne.org/masters/boston2002/r_day1.txt Hosack is listed as being 99. That's apparently because the software being used for recording meet results doesn't allow for athletes with three-digit ages.) -- And Kathy Jager of Arizona competed in her first national masters meet since her two-year suspension ended for testing positive for a chemical in her doctor-prescribed hormone therapy for treatment of menopause miseries. She took second in the W50 vault to Phil "The Legend" Raschker of Marietta, Ga., 2.60 (8-6 1/4) to 2.20 (7-2 1/5). Much more to come from Boston. Ken Stone http://www.masterstrack.com
