Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0500
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 8, 2003
Raschker wins again at USA Masters Championships
EUGENE, Oregon – Masters legend Phil Raschker continued her winning ways by
winning two national titles Friday at the 2003 USA National Masters Track &
Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene.
A picture perfect sunny day with temperatures in the high 70s provided the
setting as America’s finest masters athletes (ages 30 and over) set several
records and competed for national championships.
The holder of numerous world and American records and more national titles
than she can count, Raschker added to her legacy Friday with her win in the
women’s W55 long jump (4.16 meters/13 feet, 7.75) and 80m hurdles (13.96).
On Thursday, Raschker captured the W55 pentathlon with 4,351 points, and the
women’s pole vault with a clearance of 2.40m/7-10.50. “I’ve been fighting a
sore hamstring ever since the World Championships (last month) in Puerto
Rico,” said Raschker. “I’m really not looking to set any records at this
competition. I’m just here to do the best I can under the circumstances.”
After setting the world record on three occasions Thursday in the W75 pole
vault, Leonore McDaniels won the long jump in that division Friday with a
best effort of 3.14m/10-3.50. McDaniels’ winning mark in Thursday’s pole
vault competition was 1.90m/6-2.75.
In other field event action, American records were set in the men’s javelin
by Bill Platts and Charles Pistorino. Platts won the M75 division with a
throw of 40.70 meters/133-6. The previous standard was 33.60m/110-3 by
William Bronson. Pistorino won the M80 division with an American record
throw of 27.86m/91-5, bettering the previous record of 19.11m/62-8.50. Other
men’s javelin winners this morning were Larry Horine (M70-38.19m/125-3) and
David Schlothauer (M85-10.82m/35-6).
Men’s high jump winners were Ronald Lee (M35-1.87m/6-1.50), Mack Reese
(M40-1.87m/6-1.50) and Bruce McBarnette (M45-1.91m/6-3.25).
In the M55 pole vault competition, the winner was Matti Kiltelainen, who
won with a clearance of 3.85m/12-7.50. The M50 winner was Steve Patterson
with a clearance of 3.90m/12-9.50. Other winners were Larry Holmes
(M60-3.35m/10-11.75) and Terry Cannon (M65-3.45m/11-3.75).
Men’s long jump winners were Kyle Hopkins (M30-6.47m/21-2.75), Siegfried
Casar (M35-6.14m/21-0.75), Roger Parnell (M50-5.61m/18-4.75), Richard Lech
(M55-5.25m/17-2.75), Frank Struna (M60-4.75m/15-7), Doug Spainhower
(M65-4.58m/15-0.25), James Stookey (M70-4.41m/14-5.25), Bill Platts
(M75-4.05m/13-3.50), Bill Carter (M80-3.25m/10-8), Ed Moore
(M40-6.13m/20-1.50), Bryan Johnson (M45-6.33m/20-9.25) and Max Springer
(M85-2.22m/7-3.25).
In men’s hammer competition, 1972 Olympic Games 12th place finisher Tom
Gage won the M60 event with a new American record of 59.98m/196-9. USATF
Masters Chairman George Mathews also bettered the existing American record
of 53.32m/174-11, with his throw of 54.44m/ 178-7. Other men’s hammer
winners were Matt Cavender (M35-50.91m/167-0), Marty Martinez
(M40-40.44m/132-8), Kenneth Jansson (M45-55.13m/180-10), Thomas Meyer
(M50-49.50m/162-5), Todd Taylor (M55-51.86m/170-2) and Bob Humphries
(M65-38.73, 127-0).
In other women’s field event action, Veronica Amarasekara set a new
American record in the W40 long jump by winning the event with a best of
5.68m/18-7.50. She bettered her own AR of 5.44m/17-10.25 from 2002. Other
long jump winners were Paula Leslie (W30-4.99m/16-4.50), Regina Richardson
(W35-5.43m/17-9.75), Donna Schultz (W45-3.77m/12-4.50), Anna Wlodarczyk
(W50-5.15m/16-10.75), Kathy Jaeger (W60-3.86m/12-8), Barbara Jordan
(W65-3.61m/11-10)
Women’s discus winners were Mary Hartzler (W50-32.21m/105-8), Lorraine
Tucker (W55-23.41m/76-9.75), Margery Swinton (W60-23.16m/76-0), Tomasa
Schultz (W65-19.09m/62-7.75), Marilyn Gray (W70-11.25m/36-11), Patricia
Osmon (W75-9.77m/32-0.75), Olga Kotelko (W80m-14.47m/47-5.75) and Betty
Jarvis (W85-12.34m/40-6), Jacqueline Nasca (W30-39.53m/129-8), Brenda
Westbrook (W35-44.76m/146-10), Deborah Ecklund (W40-19.32m/63-4.75) and
Carol Finsrud (W45-48.74m/159-11).
On the track, women’s 400m winners were Sarah Leonard (W33-1:01.07),
Lauriea Blume (W35-1:09.46), Kathleen Shook (W40-1:01.04), Cindy Steenbergen
(W45-1:02.03), Karla Del Grande (W50-1:00.60), Avril Douglas (W55-1:07.98),
Lynne Ingalls (W60-1:11.61), Diane Palmason (W65-1:08.21) and Sumi
Onodera-Leonard (W75-1:32.74).
Men’s 400m winners were Marek Wensel (M30-49.59), Robert Thomas, Jr.
(M40-48.68), Elvis Forde (M40-49.30), Mike Andrews (M45-54.59), Bill Collins
(M50-53.13), Charles Allie (M55-54.17), Sai Ching (M60-58.58); Mack Stewart
(M65-1:01.38), Earl Fee (M70-1:04.62), Rodney Brown (M75-1:11.37), Archie
Messenger (M80-1:22.73) and Les Leyland (M85-1:45.43).
The highlight of the men’s hurdles action was the win by David Ashford in
the M40 division is a blistering 13.82 seconds. Ashford set a pending world
record in that event last month at the 2003 World Masters Championships with
his time of 13.73. Other men’s hurdles winners were Don Drummond
(M30-14.24), Leee X (M45-16.21), James Stookey (M70-13.66), Melvinn Larsen
(M80-19.13), Brian McKinley (M50-14.69), Fred Johnston (M55-15.95), Walt
Butler (M60-16.22) and Robert Paulen (M65-19.52).
Women’s hurdles winners included Joy Upshaw-Margerum (W40-12.06), Teresa
Drotar (W45-15.31), Anna Wlodarczyk (W50-13.13), Becky Sisley (W60-17.11)
and Barbara Jordan (W65-17.07).
Janet Martin set an American record in the W45 2000m steeplechase with her
time of 8:18.11, which betters the standard of 8:21.66 by Sue Grigsby in
2002. Another AR was set by Sharlet Gilbert in the W50 division with her
time of 8:54.19, which easily bettered the previous standard of 10:54.85 by
Mary Trotto in 2000. Other women’s steeplechase winners were Shannon Overbay
(W30-8:46.94), Lauriea Blume (W35-9:23.67), Dee Ann Dougherty (W40-8:22.46)
and Laura Stepan (W60-13:21.03).
Men’s steeplechase winners included Jim Selby, who set a new American
record with his M75 win in 10:09.12, bettering the previous record of
10:40.02 by Avery Bryant. Other men’s steeplechase winners were Vern
Christensen (M60-8:05.25), Jerry Levasseur (M65m-9:26.43), Nathaniel
McVey-Finney (M30-10:38.62), Chris Yorges (M35-10:13.27), Christopher
Grenzer (M40-9:48.54), David Cook (M45-10:31.15), Leonard Hill
(M50-10:40.27) and Ronald T. Pate (M55-12:53.94.
In morning race walk action, Jack Bray set a national record in winning the
M70 5000m walk in 27 minutes, 51.03 seconds, bettering the previous record
of 28:57.77 set by Alfred DuBois. An additional U.S. record was set when
Jack Starr won the M75 5000m race walk in 30:57.45. The previous standard
was 31:14.00 by Giulio DePetra.
Other men’s race walk winners were Joseph Nieroski (M40-24:48.56), Pedro
Santoni (M45-23:50.64), Michael Wiggins (M50-25:07.15), Richard McGuire
(M55-26:03.64), George Opsahl (M60-28:31.17), Paul Johnson (M65-27:04.53)
and John Levinsohn (M80-41:36.79.
An American race walk record was set in the W70 division by Shirley
Dockstader, who won in 32:40.97. The previous AR of 34:56.50 by Joan
Rowland. Additional women’s 5000m race walk winners were Lorraine Burger
(W35-37:56.64), Kelly Murphy-Glenn (W40-26:55.54), Mary Anne Torrellas
(W45-25:52.68), Mary Snyder (W50-27:21.64), Donna Cunningham (W55-28:54.70),
Joan Christensen (W60-31:37.37), Bev LaVeck (W65-30:48.00), Miriam Gordon
(W75-37:54.20), Jane Dana (W80-39:00.25) and Fan Venno-caris (W85-45:39.63).
For more information on the 2003 USA National Masters Championships,
including the complete results, visit www.usatf.org.
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