So Cal M50’s battle in Seattle

An eight-man squad of M50s (plus one M60) ventured to the Great Northwest on Dec. 10 for the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, run on a 10K course around Seattle’s Jefferson Golf Course.
Led by that 62-year-old, 1,500-meter World Champion Nolan Shaheed, So Cal earned 11th place among 17 teams competing in the M50-59 division.
In a men’s Masters race that produced more than 350 finishers, Nolan finished 27th overall and first in the M60 division by a full minute.
Here are the full So Cal results:

USATF National Club Cross Country Championships
Jefferson Golf Course -Seattle, Wash.
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Team Results 50+ Men
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1. 37 Club Northwest-A 2:56:18

11. 267 So Cal Track Club-A 3:15:11
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1 27 Nolan Shaheed 62 36:59 1036
2 41 Brian Nelson 54 38:05 1034
3 52 Steve Brumwell 53 39:03 1030
4 68 Perry Forrester 59 39:56 1032
5 79 William Ward 55 41:08 1037
6 ( 80) Mark Cleary 53 41:15 1031
7 ( 86) David Jackson 52 41:56 1033
8 ( 96) George Shackelford 50 43:20 1035

Now, on to track season.
Congratulations to all our teammates.

Season-ending honors for 5 So Cal athletes

Lisa Valle in 2010

Five So Cal Track Club athletes were honored by USA Track & Field – during the organization’s annual meeting – for their accomplishments during the 2011 track and field season. The outdoor season was marked by the first World Masters Athletics championships held in California, which So Cal athletes took full advantage of by winning 55 overall medals, including 17 individual golds.
Nolan Shaheed‘s season, punctuated, as many of his have been, by a world record and a world championship, was named the overall Masters Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Lisa Ryan and Lisa Valle were among the six honorees among women ages 30-49.
Gary Patton, a new So Cal member, was among the six men ages 60-74 honored, and 97-year-old Leland McPhie was one of three men honored in the 75-years-and-older category, which Leland certainly is.
Congratulations to all our teammates for their well-deserved honors.

M50 team title goal of So Cal XC squad

Nolan Shaheed in 2010

Eight So Cal Track Club athletes will travel to Seattle on Dec. 10 to vie for the Men’s 50-59 title during the 2011 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships and USA Open & Masters Men’s 10K and Open & Masters Women’s 6K Championships at the Jefferson Park Golf Course.

So Cal entries include Steve Brumwell, Mark Cleary, Perry Forrester, David Jackson, George Shackelford, Brian Nelson, Nolan Shaheed and Robert Ward.

This is one of the largest So Cal contingents ever to contest a national championship.

Good luck to all our teammates.

So Cal dominates SCA XC Champs

Debbie Lee, center, in 2010

So Cal Track Club won three of four  Masters team titles contested, and So Cal runners won three individual age-group championships at the Southern California Association Cross Country Championships, Nov. 5 at Kenneth Hahn state park in Los Angeles.
So Cal captured team gold in the Women’s 50-59 group, plus the Men’s 50-59 and 60-69 races.

Debbie Lee was overall winner in the W50 category and third overall, covering the 6-kilometer course in 28:49.70. Sharing the W50-59 team gold with Debbie were teammates Pat Contreras (2nd W50, 31:38.54) and Marianne Fullove (3rd W50, 32:02.20)

Steve Brumwell (25:33.31) led a So Cal sweep of the first five places in the M50-59 portion of the Masters 6K, followed by David Jackson (26:48.42), William Fain (26:54.42), Mark Cleary (27:22.17) and Perry Forrester (27:35.28).

Debbie and Steve also were the overall champions of the 50-59 divisions of the Southern California Association Cross Country Grand Prix, a nine-race series that began in August.

Nolan Shaheed (24:32.41) was first among the M60-69 racers and fourth overall in the Masters race. Other So Cal runners — Fred Lindsley (30:36.21), Dan Davidson (30:37.41) and Eric Jones (46:31.54) ­– accounted for all the other M60-69 finishers.

In the Open Men’s 8K, So Cal’s Barry Givens was 10th (29:29.95). Teammate Amy Atkinson took 13th in the Women’s Open 6K (27:52.57).

Congratulations Debbie, Steve, and all our teammates.

Outdoor Nationals post-mortem: So Cal takes 2nd

So Cal Track Club was unable to defend its team title at the 2011 USATF Masters Track & Field Outdoor National Championships in Berea, Ohio, last July. With the meet being held in neighboring Ohio, Pennsylvania-based TNT International Racing Club made the most of the proximity and won the team title. So Cal Track Club, the defending champion, finished second.

Combined Team Scores – 248 Events Scored

1) TNT International Racing C 674

2) So Cal Track Club         556

3) Over The Hill TC           413.50

4) Atlanta Track Club        326

5) Potomac Valley Track Club  272

6) Carolinas Track & Field C 219

7) Mass Velocity Track Club   202

8) Shore Athletic Club       120

9) Golden West Athletics Club 106

9) Houston Elite Track and F 106

Multiple individual medalists:

Kathy Jager: 6 (3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)

Leland McPhie: 4 gold

Lisa Ryan: 4 (2 gold, 2 silver)

Jolene Steigerwalt: 3 (2 gold, 1 silver)

Debbie Lee: 3 (1gold, 2 bronze)

Salih Talib: 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze)

Barry Givens: 2 gold

Rick Easley: 2 (1 gold, 1 silver)

Nolan Shaheed: 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze)

Greg Retzer: 2 silver

Paul Pearson: 2 (1silver, 1 bronze)

Kathy Frable: 2 bronze

Worlds wrapup (update 3): So Cal a big part of U.S. success

Hopefully, this includes all our teammates:

So Cal Track Club medals: 35 individual medals: 17 gold, 12 silver, 6 bronze; plus 20 team relay medals for total of 55.

W80 5000 Meter Race Walk

2 Elkins, Claire W81 United States of America 44:53.80

W80 10000 Meter Race Walk

3 Elkins, Claire W81 United States of America 1:32:23.95

M55 Weight Throw

2 Meyer, Thomas M59 United States of America 17.04m 55-11.00

M40 110 Hurdles 39″

1 Godbout, Michael M42 United States of America 14.37 -2.8

2 Pye, Derek M43 United States of America 14.68 -2.8

5 Holmes, Richard M44 United States of America 15.94 -2.8

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And, here’s another of our teammates. Kudos, Sy.

And, everyone is invited to use the comments section to leave their stories and impressions about these World Championships.

90 Weight Pentathlon
3 Lampert, Seymour M91 United States of America 2071

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Here are some additional medal-winning performances by So Cal Track Club athletes at the World Championships, including a couple world records in the women’s steeple. Congrats to Lisa and Lisa.

M35 8000 Meter Run Cross Country

Results – Men 35

1 United States of America  28:00.78 29:15.46 (Barry Givens) 38:33.30

Event 890  M35 10000 Meter Race Walk

2 United States of America     55:23.91   58:36.22 1:08:08.10 (Art Morrow)

Event 905  M35 20000 Meter Race Walk

2 United States of America   (3378)2:01:56.35 (3469)2:04:40.01 (4204)2:23:57.12 (Art Morrow)

Event 91  W40 1500 Meter Run

3 Ryan, Lisa               W41 United States          4:38.63

Event 135  W40 2000 Meter Steeplechase

1 Ryan, Lisa               W41 United States          6:49.58 (World Record)

Event 181  W40 4×400 Meter Relay

1 United States of America                            4:03.49

1) Roux, Maryline 44               2) Daley, Lisa 41

3) Ryan, Lisa 41                   4) Roberts, Charmaine 44

Event 136  W45 2000 Meter Steeplechase

1 Valle, Lisa              W45 United States          6:58.89 (World Record)

Event 665  M35 4×100 Meter Relay

1 United States of America                              41.89

1) Snaer, Demitrius 36             2) Ho, Thachvu 35

3) Pittman, Lyndell 39             4) Dussett, Antwon 35

Summary update: Lisa Ryan: 1 gold, 1 bronze, 1 relay gold

Art Morrow: 2 relay silver

Medal update (courtesy Mark Cleary): 30 individual medals — 16 Gold, 10 Silver and 4 bronze, and 10 golds and 2 silvers for a total of 12 team medals. Thirty individual medals ties So Cal with Finland for sixth place among nations.

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The WMA World Masters Athletics Championships concluded Sunday, July 17, in Sacramento.

Here’s a concise, but hopefully accurate, account of how often our So Cal Track Club teammates stood on the medal stand. (Before we get started, apologies to anyone I overlooked. There were many teammates who competed honorably, even spectacularly, without winning a medal.)

Summary: So Cal athletes won 24 individual medals and 10 team and relay medals, including 10 individual gold medals, 12 silver, 2 bronze; 4 team gold in race walking, 1 team silver in race walking; 1 team bronze in cross-country; 4 relay gold.

Top medal-winners:

Leland McPhie: 3 gold, 2 silver

Lisa Valle: 2 gold, 1 silver

Nolan Shaheed: 1 gold, two silver

Kathy Jager: 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 relay gold

Dena Birade: 1 gold, 1 silver

Carlos Acosta: 1 silver, 1 bronze, 1 team gold

Brian Sax: 1 bronze, 1 relay gold

Here’s a summary, in no particular order, of the results involving So Cal Track Club medalists:

Event 506  M45 110 Short Hurdles 39″

1 David Ashford            M48 United States            15.37  -2.9

2 Henry Andrade            M49 United States            15.90  -2.9

Event 505  M40 110 Short Hurdles 39″

2 Derek Pye                M43 United States            14.68  -2.8

3 Don Drummond             M42 United States            15.16  -2.8

Event 30  W35 100 Meter Dash

1 Birade, Dena             W39 United States            12.36   0.9

Event 45  W35 200 Meter Dash

2 Birade, Dena             W39 United States            25.51  -1.2

Event 580  M60 800 Meter Run

2 Shaheed, Nolan           M61 United States          2:11.98

Event 595  M60 1500 Meter Run

1 Shaheed, Nolan           M61 United States          4:35.97

Event 610  M60 5000 Meter Run

2 Shaheed, Nolan           M61 United States         17:19.60

Event 541  M95 100 Meter Dash

2 McPhie, Leland           M97 United States            28.05  -2.3

Event 765  M95 Shot Put

2 McPhie, Leland           M97 United States            5.86m   19-02.75

Event 704  M95 Long Jump

1 McPhie, Leland           M97 United States            1.29m  +0.0   4-02.75

Event 719  M95 Triple Jump

1 McPhie, Leland           M97 United States            2.42m   1.6   7-11.25

Event 736  M95 High Jump

1 McPhie, Leland           M97 United States            0.80m    2-07.50

Event 77  W45 800 Meter Run

1 Valle, Lisa              W45 United States          2:20.73

Event 92  W45 1500 Meter Run

2 Valle, Lisa              W45 United States          4:44.00

Event 136  W45 2000 Meter Steeplechase

1 Valle, Lisa              W45 United States          6:58.89

Event 774  M55 Discus Throw

1 Fruguglietti, Ralph      M56 United States           52.25m     171-05

Event 695  M35 Long Jump

2 Pettes, Alfy             M36 United States            6.45m   0.2  21-02.00

Event 36  W65 100 Meter Dash

2 Jager, Kathy             W68 United States            15.09  -1.8

Event 246  W65 Pole Vault

1 Jager, Kathy             W68 United States            2.30m    7-06.50

Event 576  M40 800 Meter Run

3 Sax, Brian               M40 United States          1:55.83

Event 891  M75 10000 Meter Race Walk

3 Acosta, Carlos           M77 United States       1:08:46.15    2

Results – Men 75

1 United States of America   1:07:25.90 1:08:46.15 (Carlos Acosta) 1:09:51.76

Total Time:  3:26:03.81

Average:  1:08:41.27

Event 406  20000 Meter Race Walk

Results – Women 65

1 United States of America (2880)2:19:06.30 (3261)2:21:25.41 (Jolene Steigerwalt) (2874)2:24:08.43 (Darlene Backlund)

Total Time: 7:04:40.14

Average: 2:21:33.38

Event 906  M75 20000 Meter Race Walk

2 Acosta, Carlos           M77 United States       2:22:11.85    1

Event 906  20000 Meter Race Walk

Team Scores

Results – Men 65

2 United States of America (3758)1:58:49.10 (Norm Frable) (3939)2:01:49.81 (3547)2:03:56.21 (Richard Campbell)

Total Time: 6:04:35.12

Average: 2:01:31.71

Results – Men 70

1 United States of America (3428)2:12:13.46 (3382)2:18:24.82 (John Backlund) (4679)2:18:28.23

Total Time: 6:49:06.51

Average: 2:16:22.17

Results – Men 75

1 United States of America (3334)2:22:11.85 (Carlos Acosta) (3721)2:23:59.92 (3685)2:38:09.17

Total Time: 7:24:20.94

Average: 2:28:06.98

Event 875  M35-M54 8000 Meter Cross Country Run

Results – Men 35

3 United States of America     28:00.78   29:15.46 (Barry Givens)   38:33.30

Total Time:  1:35:49.54

Event 170  W60 4×100 Meter Relay

1 United States of America                              58.75

1) Matthews, Brenda 62             2) Jager, Kathy 68

3) Warren, Sharon 60               4) Hale-Hall, Marcella 60

Event 686  M65 4×400 Meter Relay

1 United States of America                            4:08.51

1) Pierce, Roger 66                2) Barnum, Larry 67

3) Laing, Winston 68               4) Talib, Salih 66

Event 684  M55 4×400 Meter Relay

1 United States of America                            3:49.28

1) Schoffman, Jim 58               2) Davis, Mark 55

3) Hockersmith, Dave 55            4) Haywood, George 58

Event 681  M40 4×400 Meter Relay

1 United States of America                            3:23.15

1) Prince, Eric 42                 2) Sax, Brian 40

3) Wensel, Marek 42                4) Fitzgerald, Neil 43

Now, it’s on to Masters Nationals, starting July 28 in Berea, Ohio. Best of luck to all our teammates making that trip.

So Cal takes men’s team title at Southern Calif. USATF Championships

Jeff Davison, shown here in 2010, earned 8 points.

Versatility may have been the key to success as So Cal Track Club easily captured the men’s team title at the Jim Bush USATF Southern California Championships, June 4 at Mt. SAC.

Exhibit A: Mac Niroumand, an M50 multi-eventer, accounted for 36 of So Cal’s 149 points, earning first-place points in the long jump and javelin, plus second-place points in the high jump and triple jump.

(Points were allotted on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the team-affiliated competitors in each event. No points were awarded to unattached athletes.)

For complete results go here

Debbie Lee scored all 18 points for the So Cal women, who tied for third place.

Other top scorers for the So Cal men included Greg Retzer, with 10-point efforts in the shot, discus and hammer; Gregory Charles, with a total of 30 points in the long jump, pole vault, javelin and shot put; Carl Flowers, with 12 points total in the long and triple jumps; Richard Campbell, with 10 points in the 5K race walk; Jon Coletti, with nine points in the 400 and 800; Jeff Davison, with 8 points in the 110H; Rafer Weaver, with 8 total in in 800 and 1500; Damien Demaj, 3 points in the 800; and Barry Givens, 3 points in the 5000.

Way to go, Champs.

Nolan Shaheed makes it 3 world records in three weeks

Nolan Shaheed nears the finish line in 1500m WR.

(Ken Stone photo)

So Cal Track Club’s Nolan Shaheed set a third world record in as many weeks, seizing the 1500 mark for men 60-64 at the Southern California Striders Meet of Champions, April 30 at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Nolan, 61, running behind So Cal teammate Barry Givens, clocked 4:24.00, eclipsing the 10-year-old standard of 4:27.65, set by Ron Robertson of New Zealand.

The prior two weekends, Nolan lowered the world record in the M60 800 meters.

Hitting the 1200 meter mark in roughly 3:33, Nolan fought to close on Barry, who won the race in 4:21, and a second runner ahead of him, running his final 300 meters in about 51 seconds.

When the record was announced, the crowd applauded, and Nolan accepted hugs and handshakes from teammates and other competitors.

The meet marked the outdoor season debut for many So Cal athletes. Full results will be posted soon at scstriders.org.

USATF honors So Cal’s Nolan Shaheed

What are two world records in eight days worth? To USA Track & Field, that feat, accomplished in the M60-60 800 meters by So Cal Track Club’s Nolan Shaheed, was worth a citation as the track governing body’s Athlete of the Week.

Anyone familiar with Nolan might argue that someone of his mettle may come along only a few times in a generation, but USATF doesn’t have an award for that.

Here’s a portion of the press release: “Nolan Shaheed has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after he broke his own world record in the M60 800 meter race in 2:08.56 Saturday in Los Angeles.

“Running at the Tommie ‘Tiny’ Lister Classic, Shaheed lined-up next to collegiate athletes young enough to be his sons or even grandsons. With 200m to go, announcer Bill Fitzpatrick noted that Shaheed needed a 33-second closing 200m to set the world record. With the crowd behind him, Shaheed crossed the line half a second faster than his efforts at the Mt. SAC Relays the previous week.

“’The college kids were wonderful, celebrating with me and coming up to shake my hand after the race,’ Shaheed said. ‘Then I was named the athlete of the meet, and that was really heartwarming because there were hundreds of great college kids running at this meet, and for them to decide that mine was the greatest achievement of the meet was very touching for me.’

“Shaheed was first introduced to track in high school, but did not compete seriously until his late 20’s. While he once clocked 1:46 for 800m, Shaheed has watched his times in the 800 and 1500m creep up by an average of one second each year as he gets older.

“’I will be one of the 95-year-old guys running masters races,” Shaheed said. “I never want to retire from track and field; it’s good for your body, and it’s good for your mind.’

(Nolan broke the pending world mark of 2:09.02, which he set April 16 in the Masters 800 race at the Mt. SAC Relays.)

Note: The USATF release repeated the usual reference to Nolan as a “jazz musician.” Nolan has let it be known that he, in fact, is a studio musician, someone who can play any style called for.

Shaheed breaks 2:10 for another WR; Pye demolishes 110H field

So Cal Track Club’s Nolan Shaheed made history April 16 at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif.
Running with a Masters 800 meter field much younger than he, Nolan, 61, ran negative splits en route to a time of 2:09.02. He not only broke a 12-year-old world record (2:10.42 by Alan Bradford of Australia in 1999), Nolan became the oldest human being to run 800 meters in less than 2:10.
This race marked the second rewriting of the record book in eight days for Nolan. On April 9 at a college-open meet in Claremont, Calif., Nolan ran the 1500 meters in 4:30.39, lowering his own M60 American Record of 4:31.93.
Nolan appears free of the Achilles issues that limited his performance the past few years, just in time for the Worlds in July.
Congratulations, Nolan, on your latest of many age-group World Records.

So Cal’s Derek Pye won the Masters 110 hurdles by more than a half-second, clocking a tremendous early season time of 14.46.

Also in Mt. SAC Masters action, So Cal’s Lisa Valle took second in the women’s 800, clocking 2:22.52. Teammate Debbie Lee clocked 2:47.17.
So Cal’s Mike Dietz, chasing Nolan in the Masters 800, clocked 2:14.16.
Congratulations to all our teammates.
Ken Stone photo