Sunday, March 07, 2010

Joy Upshaw-Margerum (Los Altos Hills) wins W45 world championhip

KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- John Altendorf of Corvallis, Ore., raised his own world indoor record in the M60 pole vault not once but twice Friday at the 4th World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships. Altendorf, who wears a helmet on most of his jumps, cleared 4.02 meters/13 feet 2.25 inches on his third try at the Tournament Capital Centre -- breaking his listed age-group record of 4.00m/13-1.50 set at the 2008 National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.

He then cleared 4.05m/13-3.50 on his first try -- to more thunderous cheers. Altendorf, 63, shot a victory sign with the bar still quivering. It stayed up. He called it a day and shook hands with his fellow competitors.

Other American vaulters taking gold Friday were M55 Kirk Bentz of San Pedro, Calif. 3.85m/12-7.50; M65 Howard Booth of Gregory, Mich., 3.05m/10-0; M70 Robert Fulton of Fort Collins, Colo., 2.90/9-6.25; and M80 Jerry Donley of Colorado Springs, 2.20m/7-2.50.

Helped by a dominant showing in the 60m hurdles, Team USA boasted 240 medals (105 gold) with one day left in the first world masters indoor meet held in North America. Canada trailed with 210 (70 gold), followed by Germany's 94 (38 gold).

W45 Joy Upshaw-Margerum of Los Altos Hills, Calif., turned back rival Liz Palmer of Folsom, Calif., 9.44 to 10.00, to take one of the hurdle races. In the W60 race, Phil Raschker of Marietta, Ga., took gold with a time of 10.40. She also won the triple jump with a leap of 9.03m/29-7.50 to up her medal haul here to eight (six gold).

M55 James Broun of Sarasota, Fla., the defending world indoor champion from 2008 Clermont-Ferrand, France, took the 2010 title with a time of 9.07 -- better than his winning mark in France of 9.09. Ronald Bolling of Richmond, Calif., took silver with 9.31.

Other American hurdle champs Friday were M80 Bill Daprano of Fayetteville, Ga. (14.75); M75 William Clark of Sicklerville, N.J. (12.26); M70 Richard McKisson of Arvada, Colo. (10.37); M60 Frederick Johnston of Pleasanton, Calif. (10.06); M50 Kenneth Eaton of Atlanta (8.69); M45 Dexter McCloud of Norcross, Ga. (8.68) and M40 Don Drummond of Lawrenceville, Ga. (8.24).

Team USA race walkers added four golds in the 10 km race held outdoors. The champions were M50 Jonathan Matthews of Helena, Mont. (46:34.20); W70 Bev McCall of Mazama, Wash. (1:09:22.50); M75 Alfred Du Bois of West Allis, Wis. (1:09:25.40); and M80 John Starr of Wallingford, Pa. (1:13:14.00). All four had won their indoor 3 km race walks two days earlier.

Other American gold medalists on Day 5 were W70 Mary Roman of Norwalk, Conn., who won the 12-pound weight throw with a heave of 9.34m/30-8.25; M40 Kevin Gross of Eden Prairie, Minn., who won the high jump at 1.90m/6-2.75; and W55 Linda Cohn of Northridge, Calif., who won the triple jump at 8.96m/29-4.75.

For complete results, visit http://www.kamloops2010masters.com/Results/index.htm

Team USA home: http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/WorldMastersAthleticsChampionshipsIndoor/

Contact: Bob Weiner, Chair, USATF Masters Media Committee 202-306-1200 weinerpublic@comcast.net

About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org

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