USA Track & Field – News – Top Masters Set for Boston Nationals and Budapest Worlds

100-YEAR OLD LELAND McPHIE READY TO SET WORLD & NATIONAL MARKS AT USA MASTERS TRACK INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP IN BOSTON MARCH 14-16; ED BURKE(OLYMPIC HAMMER 1964/FLAGBEARER 1984), HAS BEEN THROWING THE 16lb WEIGHT 22 meters (72 ft) SET TO COMPETE in 70-74 MEN'S WEIGHT THROW

OVER 900 OTHERS INCLUDING WORLD'S BEST ATHLETES 35 TO 100 INCLUDING 47 WORLD CHAMPIONS AND BOSTON AREA STARS

REGGIE LEWIS TRACK, 1350 TREMONT STREET; 
EVENTS FRI. 9AM-4:40 PM, SAT. 8:30AM-6:40PM, SUN. 8:30AM-3PM

110 GOING TO WORLD MASTERS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BUDAPEST MARCH 24-30 TO USE BOSTON USA MASTERS AS TEST; BOSTON WILL SHOW AGE NO BOUNDARY TO FITNESS AND SKILL

(Boston, MA) –  Leland McPhie of San Diego, a former San Diego sheriff captain who turns 100 March 10, is ready to set world and national marks at the USA Masters Track Indoor Championship in Boston March 14-16, joining 920 others including the world's best athletes 35-100.

The meet, open to the public and free of charge, is at the Reggie Lewis Track, 1350 Tremont Street.  Events are Friday 9AM-4:40 PM, Saturday 8:30 AM-6:40 PM, and Sunday 8:30 AM-3PM. Track events will include sprints and distances from 60 meters to 3000 meters, and field events will include the full range of jumps and throws.  Media is invited for coverage and athlete interviews. 

On Friday afternoon, in the 70-74 Men's Weight Throw where one competitor, Ed Burke (Olympic Hammer 1964 /Flagbearer 1984 – Great Story), has been throwing the 16lb weight 22 meters (72 ft).

Over 140 USA national masters competitors will go soon after the March 14-16 Boston meet to the World Masters Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary March 24-30.  The world athletes will use the Boston national masters as a test. At least 47 reigning indoor or outdoor world champions will be competing in Boston at nationals as well as Hungary at the world championship.

The Boston meet will show that age is no boundary to fitness and skill, as well as a means of achieving lifetime fitness and health.

McPhie will be the first 100 year old to compete in the indoor high jump and will establish the world mark (media note: 12:15 PM Saturday).  He will also compete in the shot put, weight throw, and superweight throw. 

Detailed meet schedule may be found at here.

Boston and Budapest competitors who will be defending their World Indoor Title include:

FOR  THE WOMEN:
Name   age   World Tithe from 2012   Hometown
Jeanne Daprano   75  800m, 1500m (and first woman over 75 to break 7 minutes in mile)   Fayetteville GA
Lorraine Jasper    50  1500m    Birchrunville PA
Coreen Steinbach    60 3000m   Pompey NY
Charmaine Roberts 40  400m    Beltsville MD

FOR THE MEN:
Bill Collins  60  60, 200, 400m   Houston TX
Antwon Dussett  35  60, 200, 400m   Peoria IL

Other potential stars at Boston and Budapest should include:

Nolan Shaheed, M64, Pasadena CA, jazz great and 800M and 1500M world record holder, who played lead trumpet for Count Basie, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Marvin Gaye and recently played studio trumpet on the Emmy's, the Voice, and other top programs.

Charlie Allie, Pittsburg, PA, selected as the World's Outstanding Masters Athlete in 2013 after winning five gold medals at last year's World Masters Track Championships in Brazil:  the individual 100, 200, 400, and two relays.

Bruce McBarnette, M55, Sterling, VA, nine-time world champion, high jump

Oscar Peyton, M60, Accokeek , MD, multiple 100-200 world champion, in the 60-200

Middle distance star runner Lorraine Jasper, 55, Birchrunville, PA;

Kathy Martin, F64, multiple world and American record holder and a Bengay outstanding athlete winner, 800, 1500, mile, 3000 meters, and more;  

Irene Obera, F80 100-200-400 sprinter (birthday 12/7/33), multiple world champion and track Hall of Famer whom two-time Sullivan award finalist Phil Raschker says "is a beautiful sprinter whom we only see every few years," from San Bernadino, CA

Sid Howard, M75, Plainfield, NJ, multiple age record holder in the 800 and 1500, famed for his enthusiasm for the mission of masters track;

Emil Pawlik, M75, Jackson, MS, record holder in the pentathlon and heptathlon

*** BOSTON AREA STARS ENTERED: ***
Roger Pierce, M69, of Essex, MA, 60-200-400 sprints, who holds many national and world masters titles, a member of the USATF Masters Hall of fame.

Diane Pomeroy F45 Essex, MA 200, 400, 800M, Bronze medalist at 2013 Brazil worlds

Sarah Lawson, F50 Wayland MA multiple medalist at 2013 World Outdoor Championships

Craig Fram M55 Derry NH, Mile, 300M, M 45 American record holder 3000M  

Antonio Palazzo M85 Providence, RI Weight and SW, American record holder SW

The meet is returning to Boston after four years.  It is the 14th time the national indoor masters championship has been held in Boston, the most of any city in the US.  The 920 entrants are the most ever in Boston and third highest ever for the event.

 

Source: USATF Masters Media Committee and Robert Weiner Associates

USA Track & Field – News