TrackCEO
Sun, 24 Mar 2002 02:19:47 -0800
Y ask: Phil (Phillipa) Raschker, a self-employed accountant in Marietta, Ga., is run ragged at tax season. But she still finds time to run world records this time of year.
Already one of the most decorated track athletes in history -- and a member of the USATF Masters Hall of Fame -- Raschker added to her legend Saturday (3/23/02) by breaking three world indoor age-group records in her debut in the W55 age group at the USATF National Masters Indoor Track Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Competing against world-champion masters sprinter Kathy Jager of Glendale, Arizona, Raschker won the 60-meter dash in 8.59 seconds -- demolishing the listed WR for that group -- American Kathy Bergen's 8.98 from 1995. Jager, 58, also ducked under the old record, running 8.92. Raschker extended her string of world indoor records in the 60-meter hurdles as well. Already the record holder at W45 and W50, Phil added the W55 standard by clocking 10.08 seconds, nearly a tick under the listed record of 10.98 by Rietje Dijkman of the Netherlands in 1999. And just for (hitch) kicks, Phil added the 2002 U.S. title in the W55 long jump, going 4.62 (15-2) for yet another world indoor best (beating the listed 4.50 by Germany's Brunhilde Hoffmann in 1997.) Phil's mother is German, so that was apt. Raschker was only one of many stars on the second day of the USATF masters indoor nationals. Other highlights: -- Charlene Landrum, 38, of East Elmhurst, N.Y., nipped Alethea Morris, 37, of Brooklyn in the W35 60-meter dash, 7.93 to 7.94 seconds. Landrum is the listed American indoor record holder for W35 at 7.88, but a recently turned 35-year-old by the name of Gail Devers ran 7.18 this year. The world indoor W35 record belongs to Dever nemesis Merlene Ottey of Jamaica, who ran 7.01 in 1999. -- As Raschker was breaking Bergen's American indoor record at 60, Bergen was setting her own W60 record. Bergen, 62, of La Canada, Calif., clocked 9.03 to nip Irene Obera's American indoor record of 9.05 from 1995. But the listed world W60 record is Obera's 9.01 from 3/25/94. Oh well. -- Carolyn Smith-Hanna, 51, again beat the listed American indoor record for the W50 400, clocking 1:05.61 -- the EXACT same time she recorded in an exhibition race at the USATF open indoor championships in New York earlier this month. Smith-Hanna, of Pittsford, N.Y., is primarily a miler. See a story on her from last year at http://www.coolrunning.com/headline/01/smit0124.html Oh, and the woman who held the indoor American 400 record for W50 before Smith-Hanna? That would be one Phil Raschker, who ran 66.61 in 2000. -- Nadine Lowenstein, 56, of Clinton, N.Y., nipped the listed world indoor record for W55 in the 400, going 1:06.99 to beat the 67.38 by Canada's Diane Palmason in 1995. -- Kathryn Martin, 50, of Northport, N.Y., upset Smith-Hanna in the W50 mile a couple hours before the 400, running 5:22.74 to Smith-Hanna's 5:26.03. Martin added insult to injury by beating the listed world W50 indoor mile record -- a 5:22.92 by Smith-Hanna in 2001. (These times may have been better this year, however.) -- Joni Shirley, 55, of San Diego, cracked the listed WR for the W55 indoor mile by running 5:43.96 -- just under the 5:49.42 by Joan Ottaway in 2000. Joni's husband, Graeme, an active official in USATF Masters, was 10th in the M55 men's mile, clocking 6:03.7. -- Marie-Louise Michelsohn, a noted SUNY math professor from Stony Brook, N.Y. demolished the listed world indoor record for the W60 mile, running 6:08.43 to beat the 6:35.55 by Jeanne Hoagland in 1999. For more on Michelsohn, http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/09/sports/09MICH.html -- Jeanne Daprano of Fayetteville, Georgia, smashed the listed world indoor W65 mile record, touring the Reggie Lewis track in 6:28.91 to lower the old mark of 6:59.89 by New Jersey's Toshiko d'Elia in 1997. Among the men: -- Mitchell Lovett, 40, nipped fellow Brooklynite Val Barnwell, 44, in the M40 60 -- 7.21 seconds to 7.24. -- In his M45 debut, former world-class sprinter Martin Krulee of Redwood City, Calif., clocked a best heat time of 7.34, but was listed as DNF in the final won by Brady Crain, 45, of the Bronx in 7.40 seconds. -- Superhuman sprinter Bill Collins, 51, a recent author of a book on how to improve running speed, lowered his own world indoor M60 record in the 60, clocking a sensational 7.20. The resident of Missouri City, Texas, ran 7.23 a year ago. The No. 2 time in the heats Saturday was turned in by former NFL star Billy `White Shoes' Johnson, 50, of Duluth, Georgia, clocking 7.37. But Johnson is not listed as a starter in the final. For more on Billy (who apparently was robbed of a chance to do his funky chicken victory dance) see: http://www.houstonprofootball.com/team/pr.html -- Harold Tolson, 64 of San Diego recorded the fastest heat in M60 60 of 8.12 seconds but had some problem in the final, finishing last in 9.74 as Marion Harrison, 63, of Savannah, Georgia, claimed the national title with a time of 8.14. -- Dr. Milan Jamrich, 51, of Houston, a molecular biologist at Baylor School of Medicine, beat world masters champion James Sauers of Dacula, Georgia, in the M50 high jump -- 1.75 (5-8 3/4) to 1.70m (5-7). -- Another doctor wasn't as lucky. USATF Masters honoree Ladislav Pataki, 55, of Los Gatos, Calif., twirled the 35-pound weight 17.71 (58-1), which would beat the listed American indoor M55 record in the event. But 1972 Olympian Tom Gage, 58, of Billings, Montana, put that puppy out there an otherworldly 19.70 (64-7 3/4) to claim the American record (a world record in the event is not formally recognized). -- Finally, Everett Hosack of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, the greatest centenarian trackster in history, clocked a world indoor M100 record in the 60-meter dash of 27.29 seconds, then minutes later won the 8.8-pound shot put (for a first world W100 record in that event) with a toss of 3.52 (11-6 3/4). Hosack's sprint -- apparently part of the M80 race -- was described masters thrower Dave Tolson, who reported: `Hosack used a standing start, ran in long sleeve T-shirt and blue sweat pants. Got out quick and maintained a running pace for the whole 60. Good arm action! He's tall and has a very full head of silver white hair. After the race, he was greeted by many officials and took a leisurely stroll back to the start to great spontaneous applause from the crowd! Like a lot of masters (especially some of the women), he just doesn't look or act his age.' The final day of the meet is Sunday. For complete set of Saturday's results, see: http://www.usatfne.org/masters/boston2002/r_day2.txt Ken Stone (writing from San Diego, Calif.) http://www.masterstrack.com