Greetings from the Gray Side: Results are now posted for the Chuck McMahon Memorial Masters Track and Field Meet from Sept. 18-19, a part of the California State Senior Games, held at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. See http://www.sandiegousatf.org/masters/9162000/results.html Despite temperatures in the high 90s, high humidity and sprints/hurdles run into a wind, some of the older competitors made masters history at the meet. All marks were taken with wind guages and were timed electronically. Everett Hosack of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, became the oldest one-lap sprinter ever by going 400 meters in 3:53.10 at age 98 -- two years older than the previous oldest record-holder, Herb King, who did 2:49.4 back in 1992. Bert Morrow of San Marcos, California, came back from a four-month injury layoff to record an 80-meter hurdle time of 25.56 -- not a great time for the Banana Man (he used to star in Chiquita TV commercials), but not bad considering he now is the oldest hurdler in human history at 87, and he turns 88 in November. Bert hurt himself while training over hurdles earlier this year when he caught his spikes into an all-weather track in Oceanside, Calif., his knees getting bloodied and his face smashed into the hurdle. The previous oldest hurdler was Karl Trei of Canada, who competed in hurdles until age 86. Johnnye Valien of Los Angeles, California, became perhaps the oldest female hurdler on record with her 21.87 in the same 80-meter hurdles, breaking the old W75 world age-group record of 27.89 by Rosaline Sole of New Zealand. Younger oldsters also set a slew of records at ARCO, where many track Olympians train between Games: Leland McPhie of San Diego, California, set a world record for age 86 by high jumping 1.11 (3-7 3/4) at age 86, beating the old record of 1.06 by Buell Crane in 1986. Harry Hawke of San Diego set an American record for age 71 in the 1 kg discus wuth a throw of 44.21 (145-0), beating the old record of 140-11 by Arnie Gaynor in 1999. James Stookey of Dickerson, Maryland, set an M70 age group American record in the triple jump with his 10.26 (33-8), beating the 9.56 (31-4 1/2) by Tom Patsalis in 1992. Stookey also broke the AR for M70 in the 300 hurdles, going 50.22 to crush the old record of 53.84 by Dan Bulkley in 1987. Phil Raschker of Marrietta, Georgia, set an age-53 American record in the women's 300 hurdles, going 52.61 to shatter the old record of 66.11 by Tami Graf in 1989 and nearly clip the world record of 52.04. Phil also broke the age-53 world record in the long jump, going 4.76 (15-7 1/2) to beat the old record of 4.62 (15-2) set by Una Lund of Australia in 1994. Doug Schneebeck (pronounced SHNAY-beck), a 40-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, lowered one of the softest records on the books by running the rarely contested 42-inch hurdle 110 highs in 17.54 (into a wind), lowering the previous age-40 record of 20.6 by Sam Adams in 1971. Masters hurdlers in his age group run 39-inch hurdles. The world record for 110 highs set at 42 inches remains the otherworldly 14.4 by Don Finlay of Great Britain set back in 1949. The age-41 record for 110 hurdles at 42 inches is 15.0. Best friends Franklin "Bud" Held and Nadine O'Connor of Del Mar, California, made notable marks in an unfamiliar event. Both tried pole vaulting -- Held for the first time since 1987 (a one-time shot at the Melbourne WAVA meet, where he won) and O'Connor for the first time ever. Nadine, a world-class W55 sprinter recovering from knee surgery, jumped 2.35 (7-8 1/2) -- only 4 inches shy of the world age-58 record held by Becky Sisley of Oregon. Held, who invented the modern javelin in the 1950s, also is recovering from recent knee surgery and vaulted 2.65 (8-8 1/4) while holding at 11-6 on a 14-foot pole. He says he can beat the world record for age-72 -- the 10-0 mark by Jim Vernon. I'm sure I missed other noteworthy marks, but these were among the best. Ken Stone http://www.masterstrack.com
