Largest U.S. team ever to compete at World Masters Championships
02-08-2010

Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690

INDIANAPOLIS - Team USA will send its biggest ever team to the World Masters Athletics Championships Indoor (WMA) March 1-6 at Kamloops, British Columbia, featuring 298 athletes (including 71 women) between the ages of 35 and 92. This is the fourth WMA indoor world meet but the first outside Europe.

24 American gold medalists from the 2008 WMA Indoor Championships in Clermont-Ferrand, France, will defend titles at Kamloops, and 22 champions from last year's outdoor worlds in Lahti, Finland are on the U.S. team.

U.S. stars at the meet are expected to include Phil Raschker (W60), who won ten golds at the 2007 outdoor world championships, was named the outstanding athlete, and is a two-time Sullivan Award finalist the past five years for America's top athlete in any sport-other finalists included Michael Phelps, Apollo Ohno, and Tim Tebow (Raschker is entered in nine events in Kamloops); Nolan Shaheed, acclaimed jazz musician/trumpeter who's played with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Phil Collins, Anita Baker and Natalie Cole - and in January set a new indoor world record in the M60 mile; Kathryn Martin, (W55), a BENGAY Athlete of the Year and Nike TV ad star, who is slated to try for gold in five distance races; Emil Pawlik (M70), Lahti World Champion in the Decathlon; Becky Sisley (W70), winner of four gold medals among seven medals in Lahti; Rita Hanscom (W55), celebrated in Monte Carlo last November as IAAF World Masters Athlete of the Year after winning five gold medals at Lahti worlds; Sid Howard (M70), whose New Jersey delivery company "Super Fast" could describe his numerous world track middle distance championships; and Bruce McBarnette in the M50 high jump, a professional actor (we saw him in "The West Wing") who proudly uses his world track titles to draw people to events to raise money for important philanthropic causes. Details on these and other potential stars and charts of American reigning world champions competing in Canada are below.

The oldest American entrants are Orville Rogers, 92 of Dallas and Ralph Maxwell, 90, of Alamo, Texas -- both record holders. Orville set M90 world indoor records in the 800 and mile in 2008. Maxwell holds American outdoor records in the 80- and 300-meter hurdles.

Team USA's oldest women are Johnnye Valien, 84, of Los Angeles and Sumi Onodera-Leonard, 81, of Huntington Beach, Calif. Valien has world indoor marks (W80) in pole vault and triple jump and as W75 in pentathlon, and Onodera-Leonard in the W80 400m and 800m.

U.S. stars to watch at Kamloops

Val Barnwell (Brooklyn, N.Y.): Set M50 world record in 60m (7.18) at 2008 World Indoors and ran 7.13 at the 2009 Indoor Nationals, won the 100 and 200 at 2009 worlds, as well as helping win gold in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays in Finland.

Nick Berra (Enola, Pa.): Won the M40 elite race in 4:24.74 at the prestigious Hartshorne miles at Ithaca, New York, in January. In late December, he ran an anchor leg of 1:57.4 to help the Greater Philadelphia Track Club slice a tenth of a second off the listed M40-49 world indoor record for the 4x800 relay.

Bill Collins (Houston, Texas): Swept the 60m, 200m and 400m in Clermont-Ferrand. Skipped Lahti worlds but ran at the Sydney World Masters Games in October, where he won triple gold (100, 200 and 400). A former World Masters Athlete of the Year, he currently holds four world indoor records and three outdoor WRs. Widely considered one of the greatest masters sprinters of all time.

Frank Condon (Chico, Calif.): Won the 800m and 1,500m the National Senior Olympics last August in Palo Alto. Set the M65 world indoor record in the mile in 2008 -- 5:11.43 at Boston.

Rita Hanscom (San Diego, Calif.): Named World Masters Athlete of 2009 by the IAAF and World Masters Athletics after winning five gold medals in Lahti and setting a world record in the W55 heptathlon. She's a deputy attorney general for the state of California.

Sid Howard (Plainfield, N.J.): America's top-ranked middle-distance runner in the M70 age group, he won Lahti gold in the 1,500m (5:19.51) and silver in the 800m (2:29.01). He holds four American records in the 800m. Though a New Jerseyite, he's also an honorary citizen of Bermuda, which he has visited since 1977. The only runner to compete in every Fifth Avenue Mile, dating to 1983.

Kathryn Martin (Northport, N.Y.): One of the most decorated American masters distance runners of all time, she starred in a Nike TV commercial and won the 2004 BENGAY Masters Athlete of the Year award from USATF. She'll have a full plate in W55 at Kamloops - three indoor races (800, 1,500 and 3,000) and two outdoor races associated with the championships (8 km cross country and half-marathon). That's a total of 21.5 miles.

Bruce McBarnette (Sterling, Va.): Recently inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame at the young age of 52. High jump specialist (a Fosbury flopper) with an all-time best of 2.16m/7 feet 1 inch. Owns several world masters titles. Had a 2009 best of 1.93m/6-4, best in the world and an American record. One of world's best masters jumpers in history. Lawyer, professional actor, he also works in real estate.

Bill Murray (Birmingham, Ala.): Multi-eventer who once weighed 259 pounds, he shed close to 80 pounds in his late 40s. At Lahti, he set an American record in the M55 decathlon with 8,087 points. In late January, he scored 5,080 points in winning the national indoor heptathlon title. Also a world-class high jumper, hurdler and vaulter. Makes his living in real estate.

Emil Pawlik (Jackson, Miss.): Hurdle specialist, won the M70 decathlon world title in Lahti and the national heptathlon title in January. Entered in seven events at Kamloops, including the pentathlon. Made his career as an oilman.

Philippa "Phil" Raschker (Marietta, Ga.): Two-time finalist for the AAU's Sullivan Award and 2007 World Masters Athlete of the Year, she won 10 gold medals at the 2007 world championships in Riccione, Italy. Inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 1997, she owns 64 world titles and has set 200 world and U.S. records. Entered in nine events at Kamloops. Tax accountant in Georgia.

Nolan Shaheed (Pasadena, Calif.): Named USATF Athlete of the Week in late January after setting an M60 world indoor mile record of 4:57.06 at the Hartshorne Mile in Ithaca, N.Y. Shaheed served as musical director for Motown great Marvin Gaye and has played the trumpet with Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Phil Collins, Anita Baker and Natalie Cole. Threat to set world records in the 800m and 1,500m at Kamloops.

Becky Sisley (Eugene, Ore.): Was the first women's athletic director at the University of Oregon. She won seven medals in W70 age division at Lahti worlds, including four gold.

Michael Waller (Federal Way, Wash.): Swept the 100m, 200m and 400m at the USATF masters national outdoor championships last summer in Oshkosh, Wisc., beating three world champions in the process in the M50 age group. He is a coach in Washington State.

OLYMPIAN ON TEAM USA: Patricia Porter of Albuquerque, N.M., was a high jumper on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. Her personal best is 1.96m/6-5. She holds three American age-group records.

2009 World Masters Outdoor Championships gold medalists to compete in Kamloops

Val Barnwell - Brooklyn, N.Y. (M50 60m, 200m, relay)

James Chinn - Oceanside, Calif. (M50 200m, 400m, relay)

Linda Cohn - Northridge, Calif. (W55 60m, discus, hammer, javelin, LJ, shot, TJ, weight throw)

Lisa Daley - White Plains, N.Y. (W40 200m, 400m, relay)

Jeanne Daprano - Fayetteville, Ga. (W70 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, relay)

Latrica Dendy - New York, N.Y. (W35 200m, 400m)

Alfred Dubois - West Allis, Wis. (M75 3 km walk, 10 km walk)

Kathleen Frable - Ivins, Utah (W60 3 km walk, 10 km walk, 8 km cross country)

Norman Frable - Ivins, Utah (M60 3 km walk, 10 km walk, high jump)

Rita Hanscom - San Diego, Calif. (W55 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 400m, HJ, LJ, TJ, PV, pentathlon)

Mary Harada - West Newbury, Mass. (W70 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 3000m, relay)

Sid Howard - New York, N.Y. (M70 800m, 1,500m)

Jeff Lindsay - Tulsa, Okla. (M50 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, relay)

Bruce McBarnette - Sterling, Va. (M50 HJ)Martha Mendenhall - Tacoma, Wash. (W50 60m, HJ, relay)

William Murray - Birmingham, AL (M55 60m hurdles, HJ, LJ, TJ, PV, pentathlon, relay)

Sumi Onodera-Leonard - Huntington Beach Calif. (W80 60m, 200m, 400m, 800m)

Emil Pawlik - Jackson - Miss. (M70 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, HJ, LJ, pentathlon, relay)

Greg Petrosian - Reston, Va (M50 LJ)

Marcus Shute - Conyers, Ga. (M45 200m, 400m, relay)

Becky Sisley -Eugene, Ore. (W70 60m hurdles, 200m, HJ, PV, javelin, relay)

Kenneth Thomas - Houston, Texas (M50 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, LJ, pentathlon, relay)

Robert Thomas - Grand Prairie, Texas (M40 200m, 400m, relay)

Johnnye Valien - Los Angeles, Calif. (W80 60m, 200m, HJ, LJ, TJ, PV, shot, javelin)

2008 World Masters Indoor Championships gold medalists to compete in Kamloops

John Altendorf - Corvallis, Ore. (M60 pole vault)

Val Barnwell - Brooklyn, N.Y. (M50 60m, 200m, relay)

James Broun - Sarasota, Fla. (M55 60m hurdles, relay)

Bill Collins -Houston, Texas (M55 60m, 200m, 400m, relay)

Lisa Daley - White Plains, N.Y. (W40 200m, 400m, relay)

Jeanne Daprano - Fayetteville, Ga. (W70 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, relay)

Christel Donley - Colorado Springs, Colo. (W75 60m hurdles, 200m, HJ, LJ, TJ, javelin, pentathlon, relay)

Don Drummond - Lawrenceville, Ga (M40 60m hurdles, relay)

Gregory Foster - Lumberton, N.J. (M45 LJ, TJ, relay)

David Jones - Bellaire, Texas (M45 400m, relay)

Robert Lida - Wichita, Kans. (M70 60m, 200m, 400m)

Bruce McBarnette - Sterling, Va. (M50 HJ)

Kathryn Martin - Northport, N.Y. (W55 800m, 1,500m, 3,000, 8 km cross country, half-marathon)

George Mathews - Hayden Lake, Idaho (M65 weight throw)

Dexter McCloud - Norcross, Ga. (M45 60m hurdles, relay)

Greg Petrosian - Reston, Va (M50 LJ)

Phil Raschker - Marietta, Ga. (W60 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 400m, HJ, LJ, TJ, PV, pentathlon)

Nolan Shaheed - Pasadena, Calif. (M60 800m, 1,500m)

Marcus Shute - Conyers, Ga. (M45 200m, 400m, relay)

Robert Thomas - Grand Prairie, Texas (M40 200m, 400m, relay)

Joy Upshaw-Margerum - Los Altos Hills, Calif. (W45 60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, LJ, relay)

Johnnye Valien - Los Angeles, Calif. (W80 60m, 200m, HJ, LJ, TJ, PV, shot, javelin)

USA MEDIA CONTACT: For U.S. athlete interviews and information, Bob Weiner, USATF MTF Media Chair, 301-283-0821; During meet, find Bob trackside or at cells 202-329-1700 or 202-306-1200, or hotel (250) 374-4144

Link to athletes by age, event, home association, etc: http://www.usatfmasters.org/20100205wma_summary.htm

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