Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0500 x317
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2001
Raschker keeps winning at USA Masters
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Under cloudy skies and temperatures in the low
eighties, day-two of the 2001 USATF Masters Outdoor Track & Field
Championships was filled with a variety of strong performances. The
Championships, which are conducted for men and women athletes competing in
five-year age groups, are being held at Louisiana State University's Bernie
Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge.
After winning the pentathlon Wednesday night, Phil Raschker of Marietta,
Ga., captured the W50-54 division in the pole vault with a clearance of 2.90
meters, 9 feet, 6.25 inches. On Thursday, she also won the W50-54 age group
in the 80-meter hurdles in 13.47 seconds, and the W50-54 long jump with a
best mark of 4.51/14-9.50, in her first and only jump of the competition.
Raschker, who won six gold medals and one silver during last week's
Senior Olympics (also in Baton Rouge), currently holds 24 U.S. age-group
records in eight events.
During her amazing career, Raschker has set more than 100 masters world
records and she currently holds 15 indoor and 17 outdoor world bests. She
says she doesn't expect to set records at this year's Championships due to a
sore left Achilles that is keeping her from performing her best. "I'm just
trying to win events while I'm here," said Raschker. "I could've gone higher
in the pole vault, or take more attempts in the long jump, but I don't want
to get greedy. I'll put on a walking cast for six weeks when I get home to
make sure it heals properly."
Other winners in the women's pole vault competition included Liz Johnson
from North Carolina (W45-1.80/5:10.75), Barbara Cleveland from Florida
(W60-2.50/8-2.50), Flo Meiler of Vermont (W65/1.80/5-10.75) and Johnnye
Valien from California (W75-1.70/5-7). National champs in the women's long
jump included Paul Leslie of Oregon (W30-4.80/15-9), Veron Amarasekara of
California (W40-5.44/17-10.25) and Linda Lowery from Georgia (W45-4.24/13-11).
Women's winners in the 80m hurdles included Ann Carter from South
Carolina (W55-19.47), Joy Margerum of California (W40-12.76) and Linda Lowery
of Georgia (W45-16.42). The women's 60-64 division winner was Becky Sisley
from Oregon in 18.93, and Barbara Jordan of Vermont won the 65-69 group in
18.73.
In the men's 100m hurdles, Emil Pawlek won the 60-64 division in 17.73,
and James Stookey captured the 70-74 class in 13.25. Other winners were Don
Drummond from California (M30-14.86), David Ashford of Illinois (M35-14.04),
Peter Grimes from California (M42-15.17), Stanley Druckrey from Wisconsin
(M50-14.98) and Courtland Gray from Texas (M55-16.34).
Men's 400 meter champions were 1984 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist
Sunder Nix from Indiana (M40-50.03), Robert Thomas of Indiana (M30-49.10),
Kettrell Berry of California (M35-48.99), Frank Haviland of New Jersey
(M65-1:03.56), Charles Allie of Pennsylvania (M50-52.88), Bob Lida of Kansas
(M60-59.18), Matthew Pruitt (M55-56.97), Steve Coenen of Virginia (M45-53.77).
Women's 400m winners were Dionne Bruff of Texas (W30-59.6), Diane Heil of
California (W40-1:04.50), Denise McField of Missouri (W45-1:02.30), Marilyn
Fitzgerald of Virginia (W65-1:20.46), Sumi Onodera-Leonard of California
(W70-1:30.11), Sharlet Gilbert of California (W50-1:08.13), Nadine Lowenstein
(W55-1:09.44), Jeanne Daprano of Georgia (W60-1:18.65), Marilyn Fitzgerald of
Virginia (W65-1:20.46), Patricia Peterson of New York (W75-1:40.04) and Ivy
Granstrom of Canada, who ran unopposed in the W85 division in 2:57.67.
Winners in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase were Nathaniel McVey-Finney
of Virginia (M30-11:21.90), Chris Yorges from Oregon (M35-10:15.77), Jeff
Brower of Texas (M40-14:28.78), Bob McCluskey of Connecticut (M45-10:52.57),
David Taylor of Oregon (M50-11:05.09), and Hugh Sweeney of New Jersey
(M55-13:31.70).
In the 2,000-meter men's steeplechase competition, John Pelton won the
M60-64 division in 8:09.33 and Frank Haviland from New Jersey won the M65-69
class in 8:26.21. Women's 2,000m steeple champs were Sheri Liebschner from
Ohio (W30-9:47.79), Nancy Cochrane from California (W45-10:11.35) and Hillen
Stubendorff of Maryland (W50-8:51.12).
In the men's discus, national champions were Andrew Pratt from Texas
(M30-41.96/137-8), Glenn Thompson from Pennsylvania (M35-52.72/172-11),
Warren Taylor from Pennsylvania (M45-46.26/151-9), Gary England from Florida
(44.05/144-6), Larry Pratt from Delaware (M60-53.05/174-0), Wendell Palmer
from Texas (M65-48.31-158-6), Grove Bolles from Idaho (M70-43.05/141-3), Ed
Hooker of Oklahoma (M75-37.01/121-5), Tom Kennell of Florida
(M80-26.46/86-10) and Robert Boucke from California (M85-14.96/49-1).
Men's high jump winners included James Barr from Virginia
(M30-1.65m/5-5), Kent Rhyne of Texas (M35-1.75m/5-8.75), Mack Reese of
California (M40-1.80/5-10.75) and Garry Pirch of Missouri (M45-1.70/5-7).
Men's pole vault winners on Thursday were Gene Bard of Missouri
(M50-4.00/13-1.50) and Joe Johnston of Florida (M55-3.85/12-7.50).
Men's long jump champions were Philip Byrne of Massachusetts
(M60-5.02/16-5.50), Charlie Richard of Louisiana (M65-4.56/14-11.50), James
Stookey of Maryland (M70-4.65/15-5), and unopposed winners Tom Kennell of
Florida (M80-3.74/12-3.25) and Robert Boucke of California (M85-1.55/5-1).
National champions in the women's long jump were Cruyssen Vander of Texas
(W55-3.46/11-4.25), Barbara Cleveland of Florida (W60-3.77/12-4.50), Barbara
Jordan of Vermont (W65-3.18/10-5.25), Johnnye Valien of California
(W75-3.05/10-0) and Diane Friedman of Ohio (W80-2.28m/7-5.75).
Winners in the women's discus included Vanessa Hillard of Florida
(W60-29.80/97-9), Erika Messner (W65-22.34/73-3), Gloria Bortell of Florida
(W70-17.45/57-3), Margaret Hinton of Texas (W75-15.35/50-4), Katharine
Gradick of Florida (W80-11.58/38-0) and Juanita Brookover of North Carolina
(W85-12.45/40-10).
In the morning race walk competition, men's winners were Patrick
O'Shaughnessy of Washington (M30-45:46.12), Stephen McCullough of Connecticut
(M35-34:13.76), Rod Craig of Michigan (M40-25:55.10), Carl Renfroe of
Mississippi (M45-27:56.14), Max Walker of Indiana (M50-26:07.55) and Paul
Johnson of Florida (M60-28:53.26). Allyn Evans won the M65-69 division in
31:25.21, and Jack Starr of Delaware won the M70 class in 31:30.80. The
M75-79 group was won by Robert Mimm of New Jersey (M75-34:07.77), and Paul
Geyer of Minnesota captured the M80 class in 41:40.66.
In women's 5,000m race walk competition, Jean Tenan from Connecticut won
the women's 35-39 division in 28:53.93, and Yoko Eichel of California
captured the W50-54 class in 28:47.69. The W60-64 group winner was Rita
Sinkovec from Colorado (31:53.53), Joanne Elliott won the W65-69 division in
32:16.43 and Terry Hamilton of Virginia captured the 70-74 group in 40:49.13.
All race walk times are age-graded.
Unopposed women's race walk winners included two-time Olympian Victoria
Herazo of Carson City, Nev., who placed 13th in the 20K walk at the 2000 U.S.
Olympic Trials. Herazo won the W40-44 group in 25:20.86.
Other race walk winners were Carol Simonds of Florida (W45-28:54.42),
Kathy Frable of Texas (W55-31:09.97), Miriam Gordon of Florida (W75-36:41.56)
and Jane Dana of California (W80-37:46.76).
For more information on the 2001 USATF Masters Championships, including
an event schedule and a list of competitors, visit the Baton Rouge Sports
Foundation Web site at www.brask.com/masters. Results from the Championships
appear on the USATF Web site at www.usatf.org.
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