US Masters T&F Championships Start Thursday

World champions, Olympians prepare for USA Masters Outdoor
Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — More than 1,000
athletes, which include a total of five Olympians and 30 reigning world masters
champions, will be on hand when the USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field
Championships kick off Thursday, July 11, and run through Sunday at the Olathe
District Activity Center in Olathe, Kan.

Encompassing the true spirit of
lifetime fitness and competing in five-year age categories, the USA Masters
Outdoor Championships includes competitors ages 30-95+ in events ranging from
100-meters through 10,000m and a full array of field events. More information
on the meet can be found here.

 

Olympic athletes competing in Olathe
Kip
Janvrin (M45-49, Warrensburg, Mo.) ‰ÛÓ Janvrin is a 2000 Olympian and
the oldest American to compete in the Olympic decathlon. He has won the Drake
Relays decathlon an amazing 13 times.
Ed
Burke (M70, Los Gatos, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ A three-time Olympian, Burke was
the flag bearer for Team USA at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. 
Sunder
Nix (M50, Muncie, Ind.) ‰ÛÓ Nix ran the leadoff leg for Team USA
when they won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in the 4x400m in a time
of 2:57.91.  
Chris
Williams (M40, Colton, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ A three-time Olympian (2000, 2004,
and 2008) for Jamaica, in 2000 Williams won a bronze medal in the 4x400m. 
Jason
Rouser (M40, Dade City, Fla.) ‰ÛÓ The University of Oklahoma alum
won a gold medal in 1996 as part of Team USA’s 4x400m relay. 

 

Along with Olympians and world
champions, a long list of world and American record holders and national
champions will be on hand in Olathe. Some of the bigger names to watch out for
include:
Kathy
Martin (W64, Northport, N.Y.) ‰ÛÓ She is a winner of multiple world
championships as a distance runner.
Kathy
Bergen (W70-74, La Canada, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ The former BenGay Athlete of
the Year, Bergen is the first woman over the age of 70 to break 15 seconds in
the 100m dash and the W70 indoor world record holder in the high jump. 
Jeanne
Daprano (W75, Fayetteville, Ga.) ‰ÛÓ Daprano became the first woman
over the age of 70 to break seven minutes in the mile before becoming the first
woman over the age of 75 to do the same. She was also named USA Track &
Field’s 2012 Masters Athlete of the Year.
Rita
Hanscom (W55, San Diego, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ Hanscom is a recent world masters
athlete of the year award winner.  Lorraine Jasper (W50, Birchrunville,
Pa.) ‰ÛÓ The 2012 world indoor 800m champion also holds a 2013 American indoor
record mark.
Nolan
Shaheed (M64, Pasedena, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ Shaheed is a jazz musician great
that has played lead trumpet for Count Basie, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin,
Dianna Ross and Marvin Gaye. He also holds world masters records in the 800m,
1500m and other distances.
Paul
Babits (M50, Fort Wayne, Ind.) ‰ÛÓ Babits is a world indoor record
holder and world outdoor pole vault champion.
Bill
Collins (M60-64, Houston, Texas) ‰ÛÓ A past world champion who
recovered from a life-threatening case of Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2011 to
break world records in the 60m and 200m in 2012.
Oscar
Peyton (M60, Accokeek, Md.) ‰ÛÓ Broke his own world indoor record in
the men’s 60m at the USA Masters Indoor Championships. 
Bob
Lida (M76, Wichita, Kan.) ‰ÛÓ Lida was given the World Masters
Athletics 2012 Best Master of the World award. In 2012 Lida established world
records indoors in the 60m, 200m and 400m along with winning world titles in each
event and set world outdoor records in the 100m and 200m.
Khalild
Mulazim (Cleveland, Ohio) ‰ÛÓ Mulazim holds the world 400m record for
men 45- 49 at 50.18. 
Derek
Pye (Long Beach, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ Holds the M40 American record in the
60m at 8.09 and won a silver medal in the 110m hurdles at the 2011 World
Masters Outdoor Championships.
Landen
Summay (Cincinnati, Ohio) ‰ÛÓ At age 47, Summay ran 2:00.65 in the
800m at the Drake Relays and is the reigning USA Masters Outdoor
champion. 
Bruce
McBarnette (Ashburn, Va.) ‰ÛÓ McBarnette has won
numerous masters world championships and established the world indoor record in
the high jump at the USA Masters Indoor Championships.  
Thaddeus
Wilson (Oxnard, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ Wilson set the M60-64 world record in the
100m hurdles in 2011 at 14.37 and went on to win world titles in both the 100m
hurdles and 300m hurdles.
Charles
Allie (Pittsburgh, Penn.) ‰ÛÓ Earlier this year Allie established
world indoor records in both the 200m and 400m. 
Ty
Brown (Washington, D.C.) ‰ÛÓ The world indoor record holder in the
M65 60m hurdles, Brown ran faster than the world-record time in the 100m
hurdles earlier this year at 15.20.
Don
Isett (Dallas, Texas) ‰ÛÓ Isett holds the world indoor record in
the pole vault for M70-74 at 3.25m/10-9 and won the 2011 world title. 
Myrle
Mensey (Saint Louis, Mo.) ‰ÛÓ Mensey set W60 American records both
indoors and outdoors in the weight throw along with the superweight throw.
Johnnye
Valien (Los Angeles, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ Valien won gold in the long jump,
high jump, pole vault, javelin, and shot put at the 2011 World Masters
Athletics Championships.

 

Local athletes competing in Olathe
Randy
Wasinger (M35, Overland Park, Kan.) ‰ÛÓ Wasinger won the 800m and mile
titles at the USA Masters Indoor Championships and is the reigning USA Masters
Outdoor 800m champion. 
Ron
Kochanowicz (M40, Smithville, Mo.) ‰ÛÓ Kochanowicz
finished runner-up in the 1,500m at the 2011 USA Masters Outdoor
Championships. 
Gwen
Wentland (W40, Manhattan, Kan.) ‰ÛÓ  A veteran of five Olympic
Trials in the high jump, Wentland was an All-American at Kansas State. She
holds a lifetime best of 1.95m/6-5 and will shoot for the American or world
mark in Olathe.
Kip
Janvrin (M45, Warrensburg, Mo.) ‰ÛÓ  A 2000 Team USA Olympian at
the age of 35, Janvrin competed for Simpson College in Iowa and now coaches at
the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.
Scott
Menka (W45, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) ‰ÛÓ Menka won both the 80m hurdles
and long jump at last year’s USA Masters Outdoor Championships.
Kevin
Miller (M50, Olathe, Kan.) ‰ÛÓ Miller has won the 800m, mile and
3,000m at each of the last two USA Masters Indoor Championships.  
Tim
Wigger (M65, Shawnee, Kan.) ‰ÛÓ Wigger won both the 800m and mile at
the 2009 USA Masters Indoor Championships.
Orville
Rogers (M95-99, Dallas, Texas) ‰ÛÓ Rogers set five world records at
events from 200m through 3,000m at the recent USA Masters Indoor Championships.

USATF 2012 masters age-group athletes of the year award
winners competing in Olathe
Women
Kathy
Bergen (W73, LaCanada, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ 100m, 200m, high jump, discus,
javelin
Kathy
Martin (W62, Northport, N.Y.) ‰ÛÓ 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m,
2,000m steeplechase
Coreen
Steinbach (W61, Pomey, N.Y.) ‰ÛÓ 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m
Rita
Hanscom (W55, San Diego, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ  100m, 200m, high jump, pole
vault
Flo
Meiler (W78, Shelburne, Vt.) ‰ÛÓ 100m, shot put, pole vault, 2,000m
steeplechase, shot put, hammer throw, triple jump
Gloria
Krug (W81, New Oxford, Pa.) ‰ÛÓ Shot put, discus, hammer throw,
javelin
Christel
Donley (W76, Colorado Springs, Colo.) ‰ÛÓ long jump 
Charmaine
Roberts (W45, Beltsville, Md.) ‰ÛÓ 400m, 800m
Lorraine
Jasper (W51, Birchrunville, Pa.) ‰ÛÓ 800m, 1500m
Sonja
Friend-Uhl (W41, Brentwood, Tenn.) ‰ÛÓ 800m, 1500m
Debbie
Lee (W56, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ 800m, 1500m, 5000m, long
jump, triple jump
Lisa
Ryan (W43, Sioux City, Iowa) ‰ÛÓ Pentathlon, shot put, high jump
Carol
Finsrud (W56, Lockhart, Texas) ‰ÛÓ Shot put, discus, javelin, hammer
throw, weight throw

Men
Bill
Collins (M61 , Houston, Texas) ‰ÛÓ 200m, 400m
Oscar
Peyton (M60, Accokeek, Md.) ‰ÛÓ 100m, 200m
Nolan
Shaheed (M60, Pasadena, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ 800m, 1500m,
5000m, 10,000m, 2,000m steeplechase
Orville
Rogers (M95, Dallas, Texas) ‰ÛÓ 800m, 1500m
Charles
Ross (M90, Conyers, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, 5000m,
shot put, triple jump, discus, weight throw, javelin
Bruce
McBarnette (M55, Sterling, Va.) ‰ÛÓ High jump, triple jump
Ed
Burke (M70, Los Gatos, Calif.) ‰ÛÓ weight throw  
Gary
Patton (M67, Rock Rapids, Mich.) ‰ÛÓ 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m
Sherwood
Sagedahl (M73, Fairmont, Min.) ‰ÛÓ 400m, 800m, 1500m
Robert
Thomas (M45, Indianapolis, Ind.) ‰ÛÓ 100m, 200m, 400m

Competitors will have their sights set
on the 2013 World Masters Athletics Championships, which are scheduled for
October 16-27 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.