2024 USATF Masters Indoor Championships—Recap of Middle Distance Events
These championships were held at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center in Chicago, Illinois from Thursday, March 21st through Sunday, March 24th.
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| Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center, Chicago IL |
Note: Action photos were hard to come by. All photos in this post were downloaded from Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Strava). Some of the Facebook posted photos were attributed to Walter Boyle. Those I list as Photo Credit: Walter Boyle. If a photo had no credit, it may still be a photo of Mr. Boyle's but I leave the credit off as I am not certain. 3000 Meters WOMEN Thursday, March 21
2:30 PM Women 65-89
Women 85-89 Tami Graf Potomac Valley TC won unopposed
in 30:42.05.
Women 80-84 Angela Staab TNT International won unopposed
with a time of 26:17.49
Women 75-79 Kathleen Frable Southern Cal TC [SCTC] led wire to wire, winning at 21:34.71.
Mary Trotto TNT
International finished second a minute and a half back.
Kathlen Frable 21:34.71 Mary Trotto 23:05:07
Women 70-74 Miriam
Paulus Dayton TC pulled
away and won with thirteen minutes to spare in16:05.15. Lydia Woods TNT International claimed the
silver medal.
Miriam Paulus 16:05.15 Lydia Woods 29:38.59
Women 65-69 Debbie
Lee So Cal TC and Cheryl
Bellaire Greater
Philadelphia TC [GPTC] took the first 8 laps of the 15-lap race in
tandem, with Lee ever so slightly ahead and Bellaire happy to accept the pace.
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| Start of the Women 65-69 3000 Meter Run at the 2024 USATF Masters Indoor Championships in Chicago IL Photo Credit:Walter Boyle |
Midway on the 9th lap, Bellaire took the initiative in moving to
take the lead. Lee kept tight for two laps before gradually losing contact.
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| Cheryl Bellaire right out-dueled Debbie Lee for the 3000M win at the 2024 Masters Indoor Championships Photo Credit: Walter Boyle |
Bellaire
had a 7 second lead with 800 meters to go and took the win in 13:41.8, with Lee
2nd in 14:06.22. Clara Northcott of Canada was 3rd
in 14:33.55.
Cheryl Bellaire 13:41.80 Debbie Lee 14:06.22 Clara Northcott 14:33.55
12:00 Noon Women 50-64
Women 60-64 Marisa Sutera Strange GPTC moved to the front of the
field, enjoying a lead of almost 4 seconds by the end of the 2nd
lap. After 800M, Makie Ohler Canada found that Strange’s pace had not picked up; Ohler
gradually closed the gap to Strange over the next 1200 meters. With a kilometer
to go, Ohler was half a second behind Strange. She stayed there until there was
just a lap to go. Strange accelerated and Ohler had no answer. Strange claimed
the gold medal at 11:55.54, with Ohler two seconds back in 2nd at
11:57.89. Strange’s teammate, Lauren Siegel GPTC, finished 3rd at 14:28.20.
Marisa Sutera Strange 11:55.54 Makie Ohler 11:57.89 Lauren Siegel 14:28.20
Women 55-59 This was the Lisa Veneziano Pursuit of Excellence TC [POETC] show.
She enjoyed a 9-second lead on the 55-59 field by the end of the first lap and
added to that margin the rest of the way. Veneziano took gold in 10:56.04. In
the battle for 2nd, Tina Klein T.H.E. TC was content to fall in behind Julie
Pangburn GPTC for the
first 2000 Meters. From there, Klein moved past Pangburn. Pangburn held tough
though, allowing Klein a 2-second lead with 400 meters to go. Pangburn took
more than a second back from Klein on the next to the last lap. But that was
it. Klein found her rhythm as they both improved their pace for the last lap.
Klein took silver in 12:52.12, with Pangburn third at 12:53.33!
Lisa Veneziano 10:56.04 Tina Klein 12:52.12 Julie Pangburn 12:53.33
Women 50-54 After the waterfall start, runners cut to
the inside; Julie Mercado Dayton
TC moved to the front as three runners fell in behind in single file: Kara
Parker Run MN, Rebekah
Kennedy Central Park TC
[CPTC], and Sima Tazavoie Dayton TC. On the backstretch of the 4th
lap, Kennedy moved past Parker into 2nd. After the
800M, Mercado started to pull away from the chase pack. By 1400M, Parker had
repassed Kennedy. By 2000M, Mercado had a 9 second lead on Parker who had, in
turn, 7 seconds on Kennedy, who was still being tracked closely by Tazavoie.
Parker moved up very gradually on Mercado over the final 800M but was still
over 7 seconds back with a lap to go. Parker took 2 seconds out of Mercado’s
lead on that last lap. But Mercado claimed the win at 11:19.11, with
Parker 2nd at 11:24.25. Tazavoie was able to move past Kennedy with
400 meters to go and held her off to take the bronze medal in 11:46.27. Kennedy
was 4th in 11:51.10.
Julie Mercado 11:19.11 Kara Parker 11:24.25 Sima Tazavoia 11::46.27
12:20 PM Women 25-49
Women 45-49 Jennifer Sober Florida TC-SE took the lead
after the first 200 meters. But before they passed the finish line a second
time, Euleen Josiah-Tanner T.H.E. TC had taken the lead; she held it the rest of the way.
Josiah-Tanner built the lead to 3 seconds by the kilometer mark and 6 seconds
by the 2000-meter point. Josiah-Tanner took the win at 10:58.84, enjoying a
winning gap of almost six seconds. Sober was second at 11:04.56, with Elizabeth
Wells Dayton TC third
at 11:21.01.
Euleen Josiah-Tanner 10:58.84 Jennifer Sober 11:04.56 Elizabeth Wells 11:21.01
Women 40-44 April Lund GYS TC had her eye on the American 40-44 Record
of 9:47:05 If she hit every 200-meter lap in 39.14 seconds or faster, she would
have the record. At 37.9 for the first lap, Lund was well under her target. But
the next lap was right on target at 39.12 seconds. The next 11 laps were all
slightly slower than her target. Perhaps Lund had confidence in her kick? With
400 meters to go, Lund was at 8:31.86. She had to run her last 400 meters in
75.19 or faster, after running at 79 seconds per 400 meters for the last two miles.
Lund was up to it; she hit her next to last lap in 36.97 seconds; the final one
was even faster at 36.41. That gave Lund the new 40-44 American Record at
9;45.23, a minute and 42 seconds under the old record. [pending ratification] Allison
Howard North Idaho Distance
Project was a minute back at 10:46.64; she held off a hard charging Hidi
Gaff Three Rivers Racing for
2nd place, the final margin just 1.7 seconds.
April Lund 9:45.23 Allison Howard 10:46.64 Hidi Gaff 10:48.34
Women 35-39 Nicole Rhodes Pony Express TC-moved to the
front and gradually built her lead throughout, taking first in 11:11.75. Megan
Zavorka Thomas Unattached finished
2nd a half minute later.
Nicole Rhodes 11:11.75 Megan Zavorka Thomas 11:42.39.
3000 Meters MEN Thursday, March 21
3:00 PM Men 70-94
Men 90-94 Colben Sime SCTC competed unopposed, winning in 25:03.47.
Men 85-89 Joe Cordero New England 65+ Runners Club was no match for Sherwood
Sagedahl Unattached. Sagedahl
took the win with 8 minutes to spare, winning Gold at 16:14.21. Cordero was 2nd
at 24:41.50.
Sherwood Sagedahl 16:14.21 Joe
Cordero 24:41.50
Men 80-84 It was closer in 80-84 but Thomas
Jennings GPTC had no
trouble building a 17 second lead in the first 1000 meters and sailed the rest
of the way, taking the victory in 15:31.71.
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| Tom Jennings competing in the M80 Division of the 400M Dash at the 2024 Masters Indoor Champs |
Photo Credit: Walter BoyleStan Edelson Shore Athletic Club finished 2nd
at 18:06.96.
Thomas Jennings 15:31.71 Stan Edelson 18:06.96
Men 75-79 Larry Rink SCTC battled but John Roeske Boulder Road Runners won the
day. Roeske built his lead to 12 seconds at 1800 meters. But Rink chipped away
at it ever so slightly over the next two laps and then took bigger bites the
next three laps. With a lap to go, Roeske’s lead was down to five seconds. No
worries for Roeske! He accelerated when the bell sounded for the last lap. Roeske
had plenty in the tank and built the lead back to 9 seconds as he claimed the
win at 13:09.07. Rink was second at 13:18.96. Donald Loew’s SCTC 13:33.33 gave him the bronze
medal with plenty of room to spare.
John Roeske 13:09.07 Larry Rink 13:18.96 Donald Loew 13:33.33
Men 70-74 Eugene Myers Potomac Valley TC, the defending champion, went
to the front in the first lap. Joseph Chimino Genesee Valley Harriers [GVH] fell in behind
Myers and stayed there for the next 14 laps. When the bell sounded, Chimino
moved out to pass Myers with 300 meters to go. Once Chimino accelerated, Myers
could not answer. Chimino claimed gold in 13:10.48; Myers enjoyed the silver in
13:18.40. Michael DeWitt SE
Wisconsin TC finished third at 18:10.85.
Joseph Chimino 13:10.48 Eugene Myers 13:18.40 Michael DeWitt 18:10.85
12:40 PM Men 65-69
David Westenberg Greater Lowell Road Runners went right to the front
and pounded out a pace that no one could match. He enjoyed a two second lead at
the quarter mile mark. Westenberg added to the lead throughout the race,
claiming gold in 10:43.45.
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| David Westenberg #8 leading Michael Lebold #6 and the rest of the M65 field in the 3000M at the 2024 USATF Masters Indoor Championships |
Michael Lebold Jamul Toads led a three-man chase pack through 800
meters. It was Lebold, Blake Wood SCTC and George Henahan Unattached in that order, well behind Westenberg.
Wood took over chase pack lead duty from Lebold on the fifth lap but the pack
remained intact until the end of the tenth lap when Henahan started to lose
contact. As they approached the three-quarter mile mark, Wood started to pull
away ever so slightly. He moved away more decisively in the last lap, earning
the silver medal in 11:05.06, with Lebold taking the bronze seven seconds back.
Henehan finished fourth.
David Westenberg 10:43.45 Blake Wood 11:05.06 Michael Lebold 11:12.47
1:00 PM Men 60-64
Simon Rayner Canada had no peers in this division. Rayner enjoyed a ten second
lead at 800 meters on his way to a half minute win in 10:02.18. Jeff
Mann and Patrick Billig locked horns for the first kilometer. But
Mann pulled slowly, but steadily, away after that, taking the silver medal at
10:36.11. Billig took three seconds out of Mann’s lead over the final 400
meters but had to settle for bronze at 10:41.29.
Simon Rayner 10:02.18 Jeff Mann 10:36.11 Patrick Billig 10:41.29
1:20 PM Men 50-59
Men 55-59 David Taylor Athletics East TC took it out hard from the gun
and enjoyed a 5-second lead over Benoit Hogue Canada by the end of the 5th lap. Thereafter
Hogue started slowly reeling Taylor in. Midway through the 11th lap,
the catch was made; Hogue passed and then moved away from Taylor. The last 4
laps saw Hogue extend his lead to almost nine seconds. Hogue won at 10:00.47,
with Taylor second at 10:09.50. Ken Wempe Indiana Elite AC scored the bronze medal with his 10:29.90.
Scott Siriano Unattached and
Dale Flanders Genesee
Valley Harriers finished in 4th and 5th.
Benoit Hogue 10:00.47 David Taylor 10:09.50 Ken Wempe 10:29.90
Men 50-54 Kelly Mortenson Run MN ran away from the field,
opening a six-second advantage in the first half mile. He won it by almost 17
seconds in 10:05.89. Michael McGrane Boston Athletic Association stayed within a couple of
seconds of Jeffrey Townsend Athletics East for the first 2000 meters but then gradually
drifted back. Townsend won silver in 10:22.64 with McGrane third at 10:41.53.
Kelly Mortenson 10:05.89 Jeffrey Townsend
10:22.64 Michael McGrane
10:41.53
1:40 PM Men 40-49
Men 45-49 For the first 400 meters, it was Jerry
Snider Unattached leading
with Christopher Hernandez GVH and Trent Bryson Cal Coast in close pursuit. But as Snider continued
hitting his splits in the low 36 second range, a gap opened. By 800 meters,
Snider had 4 seconds on Hernandez and six on Bryson. Snider kept the pace up
for a handsome 12-second win in 9:22.41. Hernandez and Bryson had quite the
duel for silver. Bryson passed Hernandez at 1600 meters, but Hernandez stayed
right on Bryson’s heels. Hernandez moved past Bryson with 400 meters to go and
stretched his lead to 3 seconds over that lap. But then Bryson got his kick
going and Hernandez had nothing left in the tank. Bryson captured the silver
medal in 9:34.69, with Hernandez third in 9:40.72.
Jerry Snider 9:22.41 Trent Bryson 9:34.69 Christopher Hernandez 9:40.72
Men 40-44 Ryan Jaskiewicz DW Running, Jay Stephenson
Unattached, and Jeremy
Ruston Unattached
formed a tight 1-2-3 lead pack for the first 1600 meters. Jaskiewicz opened a
two-second gap on the next lap and grew it to almost five by the next.
Jaskiewicz went on for the win in 8:56.85. When Jaskiewicz made his move at
1600 meters, Ruston passed Stephenson to try to go with him. Stephenson slid in
behind Ruston. Stephenson passed Ruston with 600 meters to go and pulled away.
Stephenson enjoyed second in 9:12.47, with Ruston fourteen seconds back in third.
Ryan Jaskiewicz 8:56.85 Jay Stephenson 9:12.47 JeremyRuston 9:25.78
2:00 PM Men 25-39
Men 35-39 Marcus Thomas Unattached led Bob Dugan
Checkers AC and York Thomas
Unattached through the
first kilometer before running out of steam. Dugan took the lead at that point
with Y Thomas continuing a couple of strides behind. They remained in that
order through 2600 meters. Y Thomas swept past Dugan and pulled away, winning
at 9:54.04, with Dugan second at 10:04.82. A minute later, M Thomas finished 3rd.
York Thomas 9:54.04 Bob Dugan 10:04.82 Marcus Thomas 11:00.08
Men 30-34 Anton Darby Unattached opened a ten-second lead in the first
800 meters, going on to win in 10:24.61. Jack Badger Twin City TC finished second,
thirteen seconds later.
Anton Darby 10:24.61 Jack Badger10:37.36.
Men 25-29 Andrew Fathman Unattached built a 13-second
lead in the first 1400 meters and then held on for the last 1600 meters; Jared
Murphy Run Elite chipped
away at the lead a half to a full second per lap. Fathman held onto a
comfortable lead throughout. But Murphy cut the lead down to eight seconds at
the finish. Fathman won in 9:18.68 with Murphy second at 9:26.75.
Andrew Fathman 9:18.68 Jared Murphy 9:26.75
1 Mile MEN Saturday, March 23
12:40 PM Men 75-94
Men 90-94 The contest between Colben Sime So Cal TC and Inocencio Cantu Potomac Valley TC would not be close. Cantu would win by almost three minutes. But Sime was glad to be on the track when Cantu made his attempt on the M90 World and American Records. The American Record of 9:56.58 was well within his reach but he would go faster than the required average of 74.6 seconds per lap. Cantu clocked 71 seconds for the first 200 meters and then ran off sub-75 laps like clockwork for the next four. With 600 meters to go, Cantu knew his training had prepared him for this moment. He accelerated, covering the 6th lap in 72.4 seconds and the final two in just over 71 seconds. When he crossed the finish line, the clock read 9:45.18. He had the M90 American Record and he had the M90 World Record, a remarkable achievement! Just under three minutes later, Sime crossed the finish line, earning the silver medal.
Inocencio Cantu 9:45.18 Colben Sime 12:33.46
Men 85-89 Unlike the 3000M, this time Joe Cordero NE 65+ RC would have a teammate, Ram Satyaprasad NE 65+ RC, to help him chase Sherwood Sagedahl Unattached around the 200-meter oval. Sagedahl had a 20 second lead after the first lap and stretched it the rest of the way, capturing the win, with over three minutes to spare, in 8:26.07. Satyaprasad opened a small gap back to Cordero on the first lap and stretched it, by the end, to over a half minute. Satyaprasad had the silver medal and Cordero the bronze.
Sherwood Sagedahl 8:26.07 Ram Satyaprasad 12:05.64 Joe Cordero 12:40.80
Men 80-84 Tom Jennings Greater Philadelphia TC, Stan Edelson Shore AC, and Thomas D. Sullivan Unattached moved away from the starting line and each quickly fell into a pace that worked for them. Jennings covered the first lap in 55.48 and kept the rest of the laps except #5 under 60 seconds. He made up for his 60.12 fifth lap with a blazing 53.62 last lap. Jennings enjoyed the win in 7:42.68. He added the gold medal to the one he won in the 3000 Meter Run. Edelson favored a pace per lap of 1:03 to 1:11, resulting in second place, a minute and fifteen seconds behind Jennings. A minute and a half later, Sullivan claimed third.
Tom Jennings 7:42.68 Stan Edelson 8:57.29 Thomas D. Sullivan 10:26.76
Men 75-79 John Roeske Boulder Road Runners was going for his second distance win of the meet. He knows how to bide his time in these races. This time, Donald Loewe So Cal TC led it out for his teammate, Tim Wigger So Cal TC, clocking 47.30 for the first lap. There was a four second gap back to Larry Rink So Call TC, Wigger, Paul Perry, and Roeske, in that order. Loewe held the llead for the first half mile. By that time, Wigger was right on his heels, followed closely by Perry, Rink and Roeske. There was only a second and a half between first and fifth. Wigger moved to the front on the next lap, pulling Perry and Roeske with him. Perry made his bid on the next lap, moving past Wigger. But Wigger and Roeske held on just fractions of a second back! They stayed in that order through the seventh lap and took the bell that way. On the first turn, Roeske accelerated and had to swing out as he passed both Wigger and a lapped runner. Roeske kept his acceleration going and sped past Perry on the backstretch! Wigger past Perry at the end of the backstretch but there was no catching Roeske now! He claimed the gold medal in 6:40.61, just two seconds ahead of Wigger. Five seconds later, Perry crossed the finish line in third with five seconds to spare, followed by Loewe and Rink.
John Roeske 6:40.61 Tim Wigger 6:42.76 Paul Perry 6:47.89
12:55 PM Men 70-74 Jay Foote Westchester TC set the pace early, covering the first lap in 46.84. Spider Rossiter Shore AC led the closely bunched group running two seconds behind Foote: Joseph Chimino Genesee Valley Harriers, Tim McMullen Genesee Valley Harriers, David Wiliams Eastern Buckeye TC, Eugene Myers Potomac Valley TC. Jay kept his Foot(e) on the pedal. (sorry, I couldn't resist!) At 600 meters, Foote still had a full second on Rossiter and the rest of the crew. On the next lap, Rossiter moved past Foote, opening a 1-second lead. Chimino and Myers moved past the others and slid in right behind Foote. Over the next three laps, Rossiter built his lead over Foote to twelve seconds. Rossiter cruised to victory at 6:16.12! McMullen moved past Myers and then Foote to claim second with a sub-forty second last lap! Foote was able to keep Myers at bay, claiming third with four seconds to spare. Williams and Chimino followed in fifth and sixth.
Spider Rossiter 6:16.12 Tim McMullen 6:25.68 Jay Foote 6:27.80
1:05 PM Men 65-69
David Westenberg Greater Lowell RR moved right to the front, with Fred
Torneden GPTC falling
in immediately behind him. Torneden won the 60-64 division at the USATF Masters
1 Mile (road) championships, in Westenberg’s absence, last June in
Indianapolis. Michael Lebold Jamul Toads allowed a small space to develop between him and
Torneden. Westenberg was relentless in pushing the pace. After the first half
mile, a small gap started to grow between Westenberg and Torneden. By the
three-quarter mile mark, Westenberg had a four second advantage. Westenberg
extended that lead in each of the final two laps, enjoying the victory at 5:22.83.
Lebold had gradually closed the gap to Torneden by the fifth lap and on the
first turn of the sixth lap, moved past Torneden as Westenberg was pulling away
from both. Lebold pushed the pace but could not drop Torneden. As they came off
the final turn, Torneden had the better kick, claiming second in 5:30.11 to
5:31.0 for Lebold. Timothy Conheady closed strong to take fourth in 5:32.78.
David Westenberg 5:22.83 Fred Torneden 5:30.11 Michael Lebold 5:31.00
1:20 PM Men 60-64
Simon Rayner Canada sped to the front, kept the hammer down all the way to take
the victory in 5:00.19. Four athletes, Gerry O’Hara CPTC, John Borthwick Boulder RR, Jeff Mann Unattached, and David Shotts
Unattached, ran in a
tight pack, in that order, well behind Rayner. At the halfway point there was
little over a second between second and fifth. Mann moved ahead of Borthwick
but otherwise nothing changed. With two laps to go, O’Hara accelerated; Mann
went with him. Borthwick and Shotts drifted slowly back. Borthwick and Shotts
picked up their pace as well but could not match the pace of O’Hara and Mann. O’Hara
kicked in with a 33 second last lap, claiming silver in 5:16.88. Mann also had a strong kick; his 35 second last lap brought him home in third, with a 5:19.17.
Borthwick was just three seconds back in fourth, with Shotts close behind in
fifth.
Simon Rayner 5:00.19 Gerry O'Hara 5:16.88 Jeff Mann 5:19.17
1:30 PM Men 55-59
Charles Novak controlled this race from the front,
forging a three second lead in the first 2 laps. He built it the rest of the
way. Novak claimed the win in 4:49.48 with a ten second margin of victory. Chris
McDonald led David Taylor and Benoit Hogue in a tight 2-3-4 group
through five laps. On the sixth lap, Hogue moved past Taylor to keep McDonald
from pulling away. Hogue was right on McDonald’s heels at the start of the
final lap. Hogue made no headway but stayed close. Midway through the final
straightaway, Hogue found an extra gear and almost surprised McDonald. But
McDonald reacted and held on for the silver medal with a margin of less than a
tenth of a second, 4:59.36 to Hogue’s 4:59.45! Taylor finished fourth.
Charles Novak 4:49.48 Chris McDonald 4:59.36 Benoit Hogue 4:59.45
1:40 PM Men 50-54
Mark Williams Unattached took the field through the first lap. At
the end of the second lap, Brian Tullis Indiana Elite AC moved past Williams and led the
4-athlete group. Williams fell in behind Tullis, just ahead of Craig Maclean Canada and Jonathan Bishard
Kansas City Smoke. They
remained in that order, tightly bunched through 6 laps. Bishard made a move on
the first turn of lap 7, racing past Tullis. Williams recognized the danger and
quickly accelerated, closing on Bishard. As they came out of the second turn,
heading down the backstretch to take the bell. Williams made another decisive
move, taking the lead. Flowing smoothly over the final lap, Williams claimed
the victory. Bishard could not catch him. But neither could Maclean nor Tullis
catch Bishard. It was Williams with the win at 4:35.52, 0.4 seconds ahead of
Bishard. Maclean finished third in 4:36.61 with Tullis a second back in fourth.
Mark Williams 4:35.52 Jonathan Bishard 4:35.92 Craig Maclean 4:36.61
1:50 PM Men 45-49
Trent Bryson Cal Coast TC led a 5-man pack through the first three-quarters of
the race. Chuck Schneekloth Garden State TC slid into 2nd on the rail, followed by Joe
Hyland Unattached,
Joseph Abbot Shadow Project
TC and John Becker GPTC.
They stayed that way through six laps. On the backstretch of lap 7, Hyland
moved past Bryson and Schneekloth, with Schneekloth responding but Bryson
falling back. As they came out of the last turn on 7, Becker moved past
Schneekloth on the outside to move into second and challenge Hyland.
Schneekloth stayed close, confident in his kick.
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| Trent Bryson leading Chuck Schneekloth and the rest of the field in the 1 Mile Run at the 2024 Masters Indoor Championships |
Around the final turn, a lane
opened up for Schneekloth between Hyland and Becker. He shot through, took the
lead and they could not catch him. Schneekloth had gold in 4:46.62, with Becker
rallying past Hyland to take 2nd at 4:46.86. Abbot closed fast to
edge Hyand for bronze, 4:47.13 to 4:47.59. Bryson took fifth in 4:50.71. It was
a ‘barn burner’!
Chuck Schneekloth 4:46.62 John Becker 4:46.86 Joseph Abbot 4:47.13
2:00 PM Men 40-44
Jay Stephenson Unattached and Jeremy Ruston Unattached were matched up
again, this time with Scott Wallace Shadow Project TC added into the mix. Wallace was
willing to take the initial lead, with Ruston and Stephenson in tow. Ruston
briefly moved into the lead with three laps to go! But when they approached 400
meters to go, Wallace seized the lead again! It looked like Stephenson might
get dropped but he hung in third and gradually his rhythm was working and he
closed with Rushton. Coming off the turn, Stephenson accelerated past Ruston.
As Wallace took the bell, Stephenson was within striking distance. Stephenson
got his kick going with 300 meters to go, passed Ruston on the backstretch and
was able to pull away for the win in 4:33.00. Wallace claimed silver in 4:34.03,
with Ruston third at 4:37.80.
Jay Stephenson 4:33.00 Scott Wallace 4:33.03 Jeremy Ruston 4:37.80
2:10 PM Men 35-39
By 600 meters it was clear the battle would come down to Roger
Piñon Piñon TC, Reginald Sanders Atlanta TC, and Stanley
Peyton Unattached.
They headed out for the fourth lap in that order. Sanders challenged Piñon,
passing as they approached 800 meters to go. There was now a small gap back to
Peyton. Sanders was content to stride
along behind Piñon until they approached a lap to go. Sanders took the lead and
stretched it out, winning in 4:35.95. Piñon enjoyed second in 4:42.26, ahead of
Peyton, third in 4:46.13.
Reginald Sanders 4:35.95 Roger Piñon 4:42.26 Stanley Peyton 4:46.13
2:20 PM Men 25-34
Men 30-34 In the early going, Jeff Boudreaux Houston Striders was leading Charles
Dorsett Unattached, Brian
Sixbury Unattached,
and Peter Francis Guevara Athletics
East TC around the track. By 600 meters, Boudreaux and Dorsett had
separated from Guevara in 3rd and Sixbury fourth. As they approached
300 meters to go, Dorsett passed Boudreaux with authority and pulled away.
Dorsett took the gold medal in 4:36.25, with Boudreaux second at 4:51.54.
Guevara finished third at 5:16.46.
Charles Dorsett 4:36.25 Jeff Boudreaux 4:51.54 Peter Francis Guevara 5:16.46
Men 25-29 By 600 meters it was a 3-athlete race; Dalton
Atchison Unattached led
the way, with Jared Murphy Run Elite Program and Christopher Cummings Unattached on his heels. They
remained in that order throughout. After Atchison took the bell, he accelerated
and had the best kick of the three. Atchison enjoyed the win in 4:40.85. Murphy
outlasted Cummings for second place, 4:42.52 to 4:43.08!
Dalton Atchison 4:40.85 Jared Murphy 4:42.52 Chruistopher Cummings 4:43.08
1 Mile WOMEN Saturday, March 23
11:20 AM Women 70-89
Women 85-89 Tami Graf Potomac Valley TC took the win unopposed at
16:15.00. That gave her a second gold medal to go with her 3000M win.
Women 80-84 Angela Staab TNT International was
also unopposed, winning in 13:09.24.
Women 75-79 Five athletes toed the start line for
this division championship. But Yoko Eichel So Cal TC had no peers. She enjoyed an 8-second lead
by the end of the first lap. Eichel claimed the gold medal in 9:15.70. Kathleen
Frable So Cal TC stayed
within three seconds of Nancy Berger TNT International through the first six laps but the
gap grew over the last two. Berger won silver in 10:25.95, with Frable claiming
bronze at 10:40.06, Frable finished less than three seconds ahead of a
fast-closing Terry Foody BLUEgrass
Runners.
Yoko Eichel 9:15.70 Nancy Berger 10:25.95 Kathleen Frable 10:40.06
Women 70-74 Coreen Steinbach Greater Philadelphia TC built a
10 second lead in the first quarter mile and doubled it by the time she crossed
the finish line. Steinbach earned gold in 7:46.91. Miriam Paulus Dayton TC claimed second in
8:07.20; Trenice Mullis Dubow Atlanta TC finished third at 10:00.94.
Coreen Steinbach 7:46.91 Miriam Paulus 8:07.20 Trenice Mullis Dubow 10:00.94
11:40 AM Women 65-69
Debbie Lee So Cal TC led the field through the first lap, with Lesley Hinz
Atlanta TC right on her
heels and Tracey Bernett Unattached
sliding in behind her in third. They stayed in that order through the
first five laps, with never more than a second. At the beginning of the 6th
lap, Bernett swung out around the two leaders and briefly assumed the lead
before Hinz saw the move and not only covered it but moved past both Lee and
Bernett. Once past Bernett, Hinz’s acceleration opened a gap. Lee moved past Bernett
but could not close on Hinz who had a three second lead with 2 laps to go.
Although Lee fought hard, Bernett made the catch for good as they finished the
6th lap. But there was no catching Hinz; she doubled her lead on lap
7. Once she got her kick going on the final lap, Hinz flew away! Hinz won in
6:52.50, with Bernett second at 7:04.94. Lee earned the bronze medal in
7:12.96, ahead of a fast-closing Alda Cossi Liberty AC, fourth in 7:18.25. Earlier in this Grand
Prix season, having recovered from surgery, Hinz did her duty for the team, on
the turf at Tallahassee, and then on the roads in Atlanta. Now she was back on
her favorite surface, the track!
Lesley Hinz 6:52.50 Tracey Bernett 7:04.94 Debbie Lee 7:12.96
11:50 AM Women 60-64
When Sue McDonald Pursuit of Excellence TC steps onto the track, with an
American Record as her goal, there is an extra buzz of excitement around the
track. Apparently, she missed the American and World Records in the 400-meter
dash on Friday by just over 0.3 seconds! McDonald would be chasing the American
Record of 5:43.75, set 6 years ago by Hinz, the winner of 65-69 this year. McDonald also had her sights set on a World
Indoor Mile record, just lowered a month earlier by Clare Elms, Great Britain,
in London to 5:30.89. She needed to average under 43 seconds per lap for the AR
and well under 42 seconds per lap for the WR. There was no question of anyone
staying with her; all eyes were on McDonald. The first lap was just a half
second under 43, good enough for an AR but she would need to be faster for a
shot at the WR. But then she got into her rhythm and the next 4 laps were all
under 40 seconds. With three laps to go she was four seconds under WR pace! But
that pace had taken its toll. The sixth lap was two seconds slower than the
fifth! Now it was a battle of attrition; the muscles in her legs must have been
screaming. She gave back another two seconds on the 7th lap. Did she
have a kick left? McDonald’s legs were heavy, but she gave it all she had,
getting over the line, and then collapsing! She had the American Record with
twelve seconds to spare. She missed the World Record by less than a
second! McDonald’s winning time was
5:31.77.
And then there was the rest of the field. Deb Torneden Greater Philadelphia TC led the
way, taking second in a fine 6:07.87, seven seconds ahead of the bronze medal
winner. Terry Allen Ronald
McDonald House of Providence surged past Makie Ohler Canada on the last lap to claim
bronze by a single second in 6:14.77.
Sue McDonald 5:31.77 Deb Torneden 6:07.87 Terry Allen 6:14.77
12:00 PM Women 55-59
A highly competitive field had entered this division but the
American Record was likely out of their reach. Liz Maguire Canada sped to the front, with Lisa
Veneziano Pursuit of
Excellence TC and Jennifer Harvey Central Park TC in hot pursuit. On the
backstretch of the second lap, Harvey saw too much of a gap opening between
Maguire and Veneziano, surged past Veneziano and closed on Maguire. Maguire and
Harvey continued 1-2 over the next few laps; Veneziano gradually fell back but
stayed well ahead of the next runner, Judy Stobbe Central Park TC. Harvey was content to stay close to Maguire through
most of the first six laps. Just before the end of the sixth lap, the pair
approached a group of slower runners they were lapping; Harvey seized that
moment to surge to the front. Maguire worked around the runners but could not
close on Harvey. From there, Harvey sped away for the win, claiming gold in
5:28.65, four seconds ahead of Maguire in 2nd. Veneziano finished
third in 5:37.90, with Stobbe fourth at 5:56.16. Veneziano added the bronze
medal to the 3000-meter gold medal she earned Thursday evening.
Jennifer Harvey 5:28.65 Liz Maguire 5:32.68 Lisa Veneziano 5:37.90
12:10 PM Women 50-54
Sonja Friend-Uhl Florida TC-SE surged away from the field, opening a
lead of 15 yards in the first lap. In situations like this, Friend-Uhl runs
like clockwork. She has a goal pace and hits it. Her next 6 laps were all
between 40.40 and 41.38; she extended her lead from three seconds to
twenty-three seconds when she took the bell. Friend-Uhl finally allowed herself
a sub-40 second lap, taking the win in 5:27.31. Behind her, Julie Mercado
Dayton TC, Felecia
Nedley Unattached,
and Kara Parker Run MN had
a dandy battle for the remaining two podium spots. Parker led the threesome
through the first three laps, in tight 2-3-4 order, behind Friend-Uhl. Mercado
made her move on the fourth lap and led them through the next two. Nedley took
the lead with two laps to go and held it through that lap but could not shake
Mercado and Parker following in that order. Parker gathered her strength,
surged past Mercado and made a move to catch Nedley on the final stretch, but
ran out of track. Nedley enjoyed second place in 5:50.01; Parker was third at
5:50.24! Mercado was two seconds back in fourth.
Sonja Friend-Uhl 5:27.31 Felecia Nedley 5:50.01 Kara Parker 5:50.24
12:20 PM Women 45-49
Like Friend-Uhl in the race before, Sascha Scott was
a model of consistency once she hit her stride. Scott kept laps 2 through 7
between 38.16 and 39.25 on her way to a big win at 5:11.33. By the end of the
first lap, Jennifer Sober
Florida TC-SE had settled
in third, a couple of strides behind her regional rival, Euleen
Josiah-Tanner T.H.E. TC.
Determined to keep closer to Josiah-Tanner than she had in the 3000 Meters
Thursday evening, Sober stayed attached. Josiah-Tanner could not drop Sober nor
could Sober surge past Josiah-Tanner. It was one of those cases where each
runner helped the other to a faster time. At the end, Josiah-Tanner had the
silver medal at 5:33.96, to go with her gold in the 3000, and Sober the bronze
at 5:34.86, to go with her silver 3000M medal.
Sascha Scott 5:11.33 Euleen Josiah-Tanner 5:33.96 Jennifer Sober 5:34.86
12:30 PM Women 25-44
Women 40-44 April Lund GYS TC was going after her second gold medal.
The 3000 Meter winner wasted no time. Lund moved right to the front. But this
time she had company as Caryn Gehrke Very Nice TC and Allison Howard North Idaho Distance project
fell in behind in single file. Gehrke was still inside of three seconds behind
the leader when Lund started to tighten the screw, running each successive lap
just a bit faster than the last. By the time she took the bell, she had a
margin of ten seconds and growing. In the end, Lund had the gold at 5:02.35,
winning by over fifteen seconds. As she tried to answer Lund’s second half mile
surge, Gehrke pulled away from Howard. Gehrke finished second at 5:17.63, with
Howard third at 5:26.44. Hidi Gaff Three Rivers Racing outlasted Jennifer Ledford Potomac Valley TC to take 4th.
April Lund 5:02.35 Caryn Gehrke 5:17.63 Allison Howard 5:26.44
Women 35-39 Nicole Rhodes Pony Express TFC and Laura
Wiatt Boston-North TC engaged
in a tight duel. Wiatt took the lead with Rhodes right on her heels. Wiatt hit
the half mile in 2:47.60, with Rhodes less than 0.3 behind. Over the next 400
meters Wiatt opened a two-second gap but Rhodes hung tough on the 7th
lap. On the final lap, Rhodes unleashed her kick and it was good to carry her
past Wiatt for the win, 5:34.66 to 5:35.54. Cher Armstrong Raleigh Walkers finished third
a minute back.
Nicole Rhodes 5:34.66 Laura Wiatt 5:35.54 Cher Armstrong 6:45.01
Women 30-34 Shea Johannsen Unattached took the title
unopposed in 5:22.67.
800M WOMEN Sunday, March 24
9:45 AM Women 70-89
Women 85-89 Tami Graf Potomac Valley TC earned her second distance
gold medal to go with her 300M gold. As before, she won unopposed, this time in
7:31.50.
Tami Graf 7:31.50
Women 80-84 Angela Staab TNT International stayed close
for the first 200 meters but then Cora Hill TNT International pulled away, leading by almost 8
seconds at 400 meters. Hill won in 5:40.70; Staab was second in 6:16.03.
Cora Hill 5:40.70 Angela Staab 6:16.03
Women 75-79 Jane Treleven Unattached opened a
twenty-second lead on the first lap and rolled to the win in 3:28.94. Nancy
Berger TNT International led
Terry Foody BLUEgrass
Runners by six seconds at the end of the first lap and by the same
margin at the end of the second. Perhaps that gave Foody hope. In any case,
Foody took four seconds out of that lead in the next lap. But try as she might,
she could not get that last two seconds. Berger held on for the silver medal in
4:59.32; Foody took bronze in 5:01.14.
Jane Treleven 3:28.94 Nancy Berger 4:59.32 Terry Foody 5:01.14
Women 70-74 Coreen Steinbach Greater Philadelphia TC won in
3:22.43; Lydia Wood TNT
International finished second at 7:25.04.
Coreen Steinbach 3:22.43 Lydia Wood 7:25.04
9:55 AM Women 65-69
Cheryl Bellaire led the field through the first lap, Lesley
Hinz running on her shoulder. On the backstretch of the second loop, Hinz
surged past Bellaire into the lead; Bellaire followed a couple of strides back.
Debbie Lee, Susan Loyd, Tracy Bernett, Alda Cosi and Jan Tefft followed
in close order. Right after 400 meters, Hinz surged again and grew the lead to
four seconds when she took the bell. Bellaire closed slightly on the last lap
but could not make any real inroads on the lead. Hinz had the win in 3:06.31,
with Bellaire second in 3:09.97. Loyd broke away from the chase pack to take
third in 3:13.81. Bernett, Lee, Cossi, and Tefft finished, in that order, fourth through seventh.
Lesley Hinz 3:06.31 Cheryl Bellaire 3:09.97 Susan Loyd 3:13.81
10:04 AM Women 60-64
With the 3000 Meter and 1 Mile Records still in her legs, Sue
McDonald Pursuit of Excellence
TC would have a tough time taking down her own 60-64 World and American
Record of 2:25.72. That did not mean she would not try! McDonald needed to
average under 36.43 seconds per lap, a very tall order. No one could stay with
her; she would have to do it on her own. When the first lap registered at
37.34, that meant she had a higher hill to climb. McDonald accelerated and
registered 35.77. Perhaps she could do it after all!? Halfway through she was
at 1:13:10; two more laps at that same 2nd lap pace would give her
the record. It was not to be. The third lap was hard; the accumulated tiredness
from going after three records in 3.5 days was too much. The third lap was
37.74; there would be no record. McDonald claimed the win against a strong
field with sixteen seconds to spare! McDonald’s winning time was 2:29.88. That
gave her the classic middle distance doble gold at the Mile and 800 meters (not
to mention the 400 M gold).
In the meantime, Julie Hayden Greater Philadelphia TC had led the chase pack
through the first 200meters, clocking 42.29. Louise Kelley Greater Philadelphia TC , Lorraine
Jasper Greater Philadelphia
TC, Deb Torneden Greater Philadelphia TC, Donna Dixon Canada, and Terry Allen Ronald McDonald House of Providence followed,
tightly packed. Jasper took the chase pack lead at 400 meters and did not
relinquish it, earning the silver medal with half a second to spare. Torneden
was content to follow Hayden until there were 200 meters to go.
 |
| Lorraine Jasper #8 and Julie Hayden #6 Lead the chase pack including Deb Torneden #5 and Louise Kelley #7 in the Women 60-64 800 Meter Run at the 2024 USATF Masters Indoor Championships |
Torneden had
the kick she needed on the final lap, claiming the bronze medal at 2:46.67,
just 0.3 seconds ahead of Hayden in fourth. Allen, Kelley, and Dixon followed
in that order, fifth through seventh.
Sue McDonald 2:29.88 Lorraine Jasper 2:46.19 Deb Torneden 2:46.67
10:12 AM Women 55-59
Michelle Rohl Greater Philadelphia TC set the American Record in January
2023 at 2:24.47. Rohl struggled with injuries last year but has come back
strong. Still, there would be no need to hit her splits in 37.5 this day to get
the win. Rohl wasted no time, going right to the front on the gun. Jennifer
Harvey Central Park TC,
likely her main rival for the win, did not react as fast. As a result, she had
to swing wide coming out of the second turn and waste a bit of energy to close
up behind Rohl. Liz Maguire Canada slid in behind Harvey, followed by Dominique St. Louis
Central Park TC and Judy
Stobbe Central Park TC.
Harvey was less than 0.3 seconds behind Rohl with 200 meters to go! Rohl was
flying; Harvey could stay with her but could not find the extra speed to close
the gap. Rohl held the lead all the way to the finish line, claiming the gold
medal in 2:31.67. Harvey took silver in 2:32.49. Heading into the bell lap, St.
Louis had passed Maguire and pulled away. St. Louis finished third in 2:33.91.
She was followed by Maguire and Stobbe in fourth and fifth.
Michelle Rohl 2:31.67 Jennifer Harvey 2:32.49 Dominique St. Louis 2:33.91
10:17 AM Women 50-54
Sonja Friend-Uhl Florida TC-SE2 took the gold medal in the Mile on
Saturday. She was back again one day later to see if she could earn a second
distance gold medal. Friend-Uhl went right to the front and built a two-second
lead in the first lap. She raised that to over five seconds by 400 meters and
kept adding to the lead. Friend-Uhl had her second distance gold medal in
2;27.82. Dianne DeOliveira Bella N Motion could not keep pace with Friend-Uhl but had no
trouble distancing herself from the rest of the field.
 |
| Dianne DeOliveira racing in the Women 55-59 800 Meter Run at the 2024 USATF Masters Indoor Championships |
DeOliveira was just
under 1:20 at 400 meters and claimed the silver medal at 2:39.47. Wendy
Welch BLUEgrass Runners finished
third at 2:48.60.
Sonja Friend-Uhl 2:27.82 Dianne DeOliveira
2:39.47 Wendy Welch
2:48.60
10:24 AM Women 45-49
Sascha Scott Syracuse TC was going for her second distance gold, like
Friend-Uhl, the classic Mile-800M double! Scott accelerated away from the
waterfall start and took the lead on the backstretch. Alison Schwalm Greater Philadelphia TC fell in
behind, followed by Maria Dunne Ireland and Natalie Jones Central Park TC. Scott kept the pedal down, growing a
two-second lead at 400 meters to almost six seconds at the tape. Scott’s
winning time was 2:19.17. Jones passed Schwalm just before they took the bell
for the final lap. She held onto that gap all the way to the tape, claiming
second in 2:24.99, a second ahead of Schwalm. Dunne was fourth in 2:27.38. Scott
had her classic double gold.
Sascha Scott 2:19.17 Natalie Jones 2:24.99 Allison Schwalm 2:26.07
10:30 AM Women 40-44
April Lund was aiming for her third gold medal in as
many tries. She won her first Thursday evening in the 3000M and followed that
up with a 1 Mile win on Saturday. Would her legs and lungs hold up for a fast
800 meters on Sunday?! Lund drew the outside lane which did not work in her
favor initially. She had to stay out around the main pack of runners and did
not take the lead until on the backstretch. Once Lund had the lead, she held
onto it. At 200 meters, Lund was in the lead, followed closely by Evelyn Ortiz
Chile, who had Allison Howard North Idaho DP on her shoulder. Lund passed 400M in 1:11.82 but
still had a lead of less than a second. Howard was slightly in front of Ortiz
now but was not able to cut in until they hit the backstretch. As they
approached the bell lap, Lund had extended her lead over Howard to 1.3 seconds;
Ortiz was now two seconds back from Howard. Lund kept the pedal down; she saved
her fastest split for last. Lund won in 2:23.61, with almost four seconds to
spare. The effort to stay tight on Lund had taken its toll on Howard. Howard’s
last lap was her slowest; as she slowed, Ortiz sped up and nearly nipped her at
the finish line. Howard enjoyed second in 2:27.51, with Ortiz in third, just
0.3 seconds back.
April Lund 2:23.61 Allison Howard 2:27.51 Evelyn Ortiz 2:27.54
10:36 AM Women 25-39
Women 35-39 Sophia Downey Unattached moved right to the
lead, with Laura Wiatt Boston-North
TC running on her heels, less than 0.4 seconds back at 200 meters.
Downey stretched her lead at over two seconds by 400 meters. Downey extended
the lead on the last two laps, taking gold in 2:26.65, with Wiatt in second
place, ten seconds back. Cher Armstrong Raleigh Walkers finished third.
Sophia Downey 2:26.65 Laura Wiatt 2:36.85 Cher Armstrong 3:07.38
800M MEN Sunday, March 24
10:42 AM Men 80-94
Men 90-94 The listed American Record for M90 800
meters is 4:19.97, set by Orville Rogers in 2008 in Boston. However, Inocencio
Cantu Potomac Valley TC is
also listed at 4:16.92 Houston Feb 18, 2024. Would Cantu be able to better the
listed record or his own pending one? He would need to hit his splits in 64
seconds for the latter. For the former, 65’s would be sufficient. As it turned
out, his first split was 65.55, within striking distance. When he added a
second lap at 62.5, his 400-meter time was 2:08.05. That was faster than
needed. He just needed another 400 meters like the first one. But perhaps not
today. His third lap split was 1:06.30. If he could repeat the sub-63 split he
achieved on lap two, he would at least beat Rogers’s record again and, if
lucky, might out-match his Houston time. Cantu’s last lap left him shy of those
goals. Still, it was a fine run and a gold medal effort. He finished at
4:22.68, a minute ahead of Colben Sime So Cal TC who finished second.
Inocencio Cantu 4:22.68 Colben Sime 5:23.86
Men 85-89 Sherwood Sagedahl Unattached took aim at Cantu’s
M85 800-meter American Record of 3:36.42. He would need to average 54 seconds
per lap. The first one was no problem; Sagedahl came through in 48.48. He had
over five seconds in the bank! Things got tougher after that. Sagedahl had to
take over a second out of the bank for the next lap, in 55.90. When his third
lap slowed to 1:00.81, he had nothing left in the bank. He was off record pace.
He had made a good effort though! He ran his last lap in 58.28; he had a
fine win. Sagedahl claimed gold at 3:43.46, seven seconds off the record. Ram
Satyaprasad NE 65+ RC led
his teammate, Joe Cordero around the track for four laps. Satyaprasad
took the silver medal with Cordero just five seconds back.
Sherwood Sagedahl 3:43.46 Ram Satyaprasad 5:23.98 Joe Cordero 5:29.00
Men 80-84 There was no record attempt in this
division but there was a heck of a duel! Thomas Jennings Greater Philadelphia TC trailed
Hal Lieberman Central
Park TC for most of the first lap, passing him just before they finished
the lap. Lieberman slid in behind Jennings. Lieberman was content to shadow
Jenning for the next two laps. As they approached the end of the third lap,
Lieberman moved past Jennings. But it was only temporary, as Jennings still had
plenty in the tank. Jennings passed Lieberman on the backstretch and opened a
wider gap as he kicked it home for the win in 3:51.32.
 |
| Tom Jennings competed in the M80 400 Meter Run as well as the M80 800 Meter Run. This shows Jennings leading in the 400 Meter event at the 2024 USATF Masters Indoor Championships |
Four seconds later,
Lieberman claimed the silver medal. Thomas D. Sullivan Unattached finished third.
Thomas Jennings 3:51.32 Hal Lieberman 3:55.51 Thomas Sullivan 4:49.03
10:52 AM Men 75-79
The race started in an odd way. Paul Murphy Unattached started at a very
reasonable pace for someone who expected to run somewhere between 3:00 and
3:10, hitting his first lap in 47.73. He looked like a ‘world-beater’ on the
back stretch of that first lap because no one had gone with him. The others
were easing into the race, perhaps thinking of it as tactical. By the
backstretch on the second lap, things tightened up a bit. Murphy decided to
slow down a bit, perhaps surprised with the big lead. In any case, Donald Loewe So Cal TC closed
the gap on the backstretch and moved past Murphy coming out of the turn. John
Roeske Boulder RR and
Tim Wigger So Cal TC followed
suit just before finishing the 2nd lap. As they came out of the
first turn on hat third lap, Roeske surged past Loewe, with Wigger following
his lead. Roeske and Wigger started to pull away from Loewe. Murphy had not
gone away, and he had some gas in the tank yet. He pulled past Loewe on the
straightway into the bell lap and set his sights on Roeske and Wigger.
 |
| Tim Wigger pouring it on in the M75-79 800M run at the 2024 Masters Indoor Championships |
That was
a difficult task. Roeske was speeding up to see if he had a chance to drop
Wigger. No luck! Wigger came off the final turn with a head of speed, surged
past Roeske and took the win in 3:01.11, with Roeske just over a second back in
second place. Three seconds later, Murphy sped across the line in third place.
Loewe finished fourth another seven seconds back.
Tim Wigger 3:01.11 John
Roeske 3:02.19 Paul
Murphy 3:05.
11:00 AM Men 70-74
Spider Rossiter Shore AC went right to the front and Tim McMullen Genesee Valley Harriers followed
in second, a couple of strides behind. David Williams Eastern Buckey TC and Eugene Myer Potomac Valley TC followed
close behind. On the second lap, McMullen reduced the gap to Rossiter and
Wiliams was right with him. Myers started to drop back. But after they hit the
first turn on the third lap, Rossiter again opened a small gap on McMullen and
Williams. When he took the bell for the final lap, Rossiter had two seconds on
McMullen and Williams. Onto the backstretch, Rossiter kept up his high cadence,
but McMullen got his long, loping stride going and it seemed as if he might
take a bite out of Rossiter’s lead. Rossiter kept his high turnover going all
the way to the finish line. He took the win in 2:47.24, with McMullen in second
place, two seconds back. Williams claimed the bronze medal at 2:52.55. Myers
took fourth.
Spider Rossiter 2:47.24 Tim McMullen 2:49.08 David Williams 2:52.55
11:08 AM Men 65-69
[Run in 3
sections, this recap covers only the final, seeded heat.] In the longer
races, the 3000m and the 1 Mile, David Westenberg Greater Lowell Road Runners just
grinded it out, laying down a pace that no others could stay with for long.
Although he enjoys plenty of speed for a middle dist1ance runner, his ace in
the hole has been his strength over the entire length of the race. The 800M is
a different kind of challenge, especially when you are, as Westenberg was, in
the middle of a build for the Boston Marathon. His main rival, who had come up
short in the earlier two events, was Michael Lebold Jamul Toads. Lebold had
the advantage of having beaten Westenberg over this distance in the
past. Lebold’s strategy would be to hang with Westenberg’s pace long enough
that he could unleash a kick that could carry him to the win. Westenberg’s
strategy was to set a tough enough pace to take any kicks other than his own
out of the equation. Westenberg led the field through the first lap at 38.83.
Lebold followed directly behind. Stephen Chantry Unattached ran most of the first lap in lane
two, a half stride ahead of Lebold. He slipped in ahead of Lebold just as they
started the second lap. Those three were tracked by Timothy Conheady Greater Philadelphia TC,
Evan Wykes Unattached,
Tim Owen Mass Velocity TC,
and Robert Whitaker Unattached.
Westenberg continued at the front.
 |
| David Westenberg leads Stephen Chantry and Michael Lebold (immediately behind Westenberg from L to R) and Tmothy Conheady (behind and to the left of Chantry) in the M65 800M at the 2024 Masters Indoor Championships |
Lebold passed Chantry at the end of the
backstretch and Conheady also tried to pass as they approached the end of lap
two. Chantry fought him off until they were well into the first turn. Lebold
pulled up almost even with Westenberg on the backstretch before dropping in
behind for the turn, letting Westenberg know he was there. Westenberg and
Lebold were 1-2 when they took the bell, with a small gap to Conheady, followed
by Owen. As they headed up the backstretch and around the final turn, Lebold
gathered himself approached, and moved even with Westenberg coming out of the
turn. Lebold’s kick carried him forward and Westenberg found him9self with no
added gear to call on. Lebold took the win in 2:29.90; Westenberg earned the
silver at 2:30.70. Owen tried the same tactic with Conheady, accelerating off
t1he final turn. Conheady had just enough of a kick to hold him off, claiming
the bronze medal in 2:32.93, with Owen just 0.15 seconds behind. Whitaker,
Wykes and Chantry followed in fifth through seventh.
Michael Lebold 2:29.90 David Westenberg
2:30.70 Timothy Conheady
2:32.93
11:15 AM Men 60-64
[Run in 3
sections, this recap covers only the final, seeded heat.] Peter Kashulines moved right to the
front, opened a gap, and led the field through the first lap in 33.80. The
chase pack was led by Joseph Mora Genesee Valley Harriers, followed closely by Simon
Rayner Canada, Mark
Pickard Canada, John
Borthwick Boulder Road
Runners, and Rodney Garratt Unattached. Kashulines kept his high cadence going
through the second lap. At 400 meters, the two Canadians moved past Mora and
set their sights on Kashulines. They reduced the gap on that lap but did not
close it. Despite their best efforts they could still not close the gap on the
backstretch. When they tried to come off the turn with speed, they found that
Kashulines had just enough left to hold them off. Kashulines claimed gold in
2:17.78, with Rayner less than 0.4 seconds back and Pickard basically even,
just another 0.04 seconds back in third. Another second saw Mora finishing
fourth, with a small gap back to Garratt and Borthwick in fifth and sixth.
Peter Kashulines 2:17.78 Simon Raynard 2:18.14 Mark Pickard 2:18.18
11:40 AM Men 55-59
Starting in the outside lane, Charles Novak Unattached did not move past Chris
McDonald Boulder Road
Runners until they were heading into the second turn. Novak led the
field through the first lap in 33.05, with McDonald on his heels. Those two had
a small gap on the rest of the field, led by Alejandro Heuck Greater Springfield Harriers, Benoit
Hogue Canada, and Neil
Fitzgerald Central Park TC.
The second lap was much like the first, with McDonald right on Novak’s heels;
the gap back to the chase pack grew. On the backsteret1ch of the third lap,
Novak started to pull away almost imperceptibly. By the time they were
coming out of the turn, Novak had opened a gap on McDonald.
 |
| Chuck Novak leading Chris McDonald as they go 1-2 in the Men's 55-59 800 Meter Run at the 2024 Masters Indoor Championships |
The gap widened as
Novak pulled away to earn the gold medal in 2:10.54. McDonald could not match
Novak’s closing pace but kept the rest of the field well back; he took second
in 2:13.75. Three seconds later, Hogue claimed the bronze medal. He was
followed by Fitzgerald and Heuck in fourth and fifth. Novak enjoyed the classic
Mile/800M double gold. McDonald was happy to have a strong outing after dealing
with back issues.
Charles Novak 2:10.54 Chris McDonald 2:13.75 Benoit Hogue 2:16.70
11:50 AM Men 50-54
Mark Williams Unattached sprinted away out of the outside lane, and
took the lead on the first turn. The only one who could match that acceleration
was Brian Tullis Indiana
Elite AC who closed quickly and ran on Williams’s heels. Williams passed
400 meters in 29.53 with Tullis right behind. Ater a small gap, Craig
Maclean Canada, Joshua
Scherer Central Park TC,
and Calvin Graham Atlanta
TC came through in a tight group at 31.75. The next 400 meters saw more
of the same except that the gap from the leading pair back to the chasers grew.
Williams was setting a blistering pace, but Tullis was matching it. The pair went
past 600 meters in 1:28.84 and 1:29.10 respectively. Both were showing the
effects of the pace in their face but both kept grinding. As they headed into
the final turn, Tullis gathered himself for one final surge. Coming out of the
turn he pulled past Williams. And it was all over; Williams could not match
that acceleration. Tullis had the win in 2:00.07, with Williams a second
behind. Despite a strong last lap by Scherer, Maclean was able to hold onto
third place at 2:09.23. Tullis was focused on the win. But, after the fact,
must have been gratified to get so close to a sub-2 effort and, in any case,
within a half second of Anselm LeBourne’s 1:59.62 American and World
Record.
Brian Tullis 2:00.07 Mark Williams 2:01.13 Craig Maclean 2:09.23
Footnote: On
March 30th, Williams competed at the Frontrunner’s Indoor Meet,
clocking 1:59.30 to take down LeBourne’s 50-54 record, pending ratification.
12:00 PM Men 45-49
Jason Abbot Shadow Project TC led a foursome through the first lap in 32.46,
with John Becker Greater
Philadelphia TC just behind his right shoulder, teammate, Mark
Walchinsky Shadow Project TC,
behind Becker and Bryan Kelly Unattached on the rail. They continued in that order through 400
meters. Entering the first turn of the third lap, Abbot accelerated, opening a
small gap back to Becker and Walchinsky, with those two having a small gap on
Kelly. As they took the bell, Abbot continued strong at the front, and
Walchinsky moved ahead of Becker. Abbot took the gold medal in 2:06.92, with
Walchinsky just over a second back. A second later, Becker finished third, with
almost three seconds to spare, ahead of Kelly.
Jason Abbot 2:06.92 Mark Walchinsky 2:08.12 John Becker 2:09:16
12:06 PM Men 40-44
Philip Stead Very Nice TC led a closely packed group of seven through the first
lap in 31.98. The group included Scott Wallace Shadow Project TC, Dan Cleary Heartbreakers, and Kenneth
Nwadike Team Superhero,
tight on Stead. A tiny gap filled the space between Nwadike and the
other three, George Young Unattached,
Jonathan Feddock BLUEgrass
Runners, and Joshua Rushton Fast Track Racing. Nothing changed on the
second lap. The third lap was similar except that the gap between the front
four and the three chasers grew. On the backstretch of the last lap, Stead and
Wallace started pulling away from Cleary. Nwadike surged past Cleary into
third. Coming off the final turn, Wallace moved past Stead and took the win in
2:02.78. Wallace had timed his move perfectly. A fast-closing Nwadike almost
nipped Stead for second at the finish line. But Stead had the silver medal just
0.07 seconds ahead of Nwadike. Two seconds later, Cleary finished 4th
with Young another second and a half back in fifth.
Scott Wallace 2:02.78 Philip Stead 2:03.09 Kenneth Nwadike 2:03.16
12:12 PM Men 35-39
Reginald Sanders Atlanta TC ran the first 200 meters in 29.77, enjoying
a lead of almost two seconds. Sanders added another second to his lead on the
second lap; he did not relinquish any of that lead until the final few meters
when the outcome was not in doubt. Sanders enjoyed the win in 2:03.95. Stanley
Peyton Unattached closed
hard to finish within two seconds of Sanders.
 |
Stanley Peyton at the 2024 Masters Indoor Championships in Chicago
|
Jeff Wilson Unattached earned the bronze
medal at 2:10.48, three seconds ahead of Hunter Daniel Prado Racing in fourth.
Reginald Sanders 2:03.95 Stanley Peyton 2:06.31 Jeff Wilson 2:10.48
12:18 PM Men 30-34
Charles Dorsett had no peers in this division. He
raced to 27.92 over the first 200 meters, and carried that pace through 400
meters. At that point he had a seven second lead! Dorsett cruised through the
next two laps at 29 seconds per lap, earning the gold medal with a 1:54.09.
Fourteen seconds back, Brian Doxey kicked away from Hansen Martin
to claim the silver medal. Martin was two seconds behind Doxey and three
seconds ahead of Jeff Boudreaux in fourth.
Charles Dorsett 1:54.09 Brian Doxey 2:08.20 Hansen Martin 2:10.20
It was an excellent set of middle-distance performances at the National Masters Indoor Champs! It had the excitement of record-setting performances, gutsy ‘catch me if you can’
performances and incredible duels! It will be exciting to see some of these
same actors on the roads and then in the summer at the Masters Outdoor
Championships. Ten kilometers is not too much of a stretch for many of these
athletes. We will see some of them running for their teams at the Masters 10 Km
Championships, hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham, MA on April 28th.
The Masters Road Mile Championships are on May 19th, hosted by the
Mile of Truth in Danville, CA. Those championships are the perfect spot for
middle distance runners to make their mark on the roads. July 18-21 in
Sacramento will find many of these athletes testing their fitness, and renewing friendships, at the
Outdoor TF Championships.
