By Bob Burns

Roger Parnell is a self-made national champion. Not by design, but by geography.

Parnell lives in Susanville. There’s no one else doing what he does – or coaching what he does – in his neck of the woods.

“People scratch their heads when they see me training,” Parnell said. “They’re polite about it, but I know they’re wondering what this old guy is doing.”

Parnell’s victory in the M60 long jump at this summer’s USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Oshkosh, Wisconsin was his fifth national title. He may feel lonely at times, but whatever he’s doing up there in the hinterlands is obviously working.

“I’m a student of the sport,” he explained. “I have to be. I wish I had someone who could tweak some of my weaknesses, but I’m it, and that’s it.”

In addition to winning the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 5½ inches at the 2009 nationals, Parnell finished second in three other events – the 00 and 200 meters and the 100-meter hurdles. He jumped even farther at the National Senior Games this month in Palo Alto, leaping 17-8¼ to claim first place. He then finished a close second in the 100, clocking 12.42 seconds– an “age-graded” personal best.

“It was really a nice way to wrap up the season,” Parnell said.

Parnell was living in Chico in the mid-1990s when he read a newspaper article about a local masters track athlete. Unaware that there were even meets available to men his age, Parnell decided to give it a go. In his first meet in two decades, one of Parnell’s competitors informed him that his long jump mark would be good enough to place in the national championships.

“It’s been nonstop since then,” Parnell said. “Injuries have taken me out a few times, but I can’t imagine doing anything more satisfying. In Oshkosh at this year’s nationals, there were three 95-year-old gentlemen who were competing. I thought that was so great.”

Sixty-year-old bones and the long jump don’t necessarily get along, so Parnell, a behavior specialist for the Lassen County Office of Education, takes a conservative approach to training.

He stretches 20 to 30 minutes each night, and he limits the number of jumps he takes in practice to avoid the aches and pains that invariably accompany his event. He was forced to pass his final jumps in Palo Alto when he strained a groin muscle on his opening effort. He then withdrew from the 200 meters but eased his way through the rounds of the 100 and was ready to go again in the final.

“I listen to my body,” Parnell said. “If you’re off by just a little bit in the long jump, nasty things can happen. When I hear sprinters say they’re thinking about trying the long jump, I warn them about what they’re getting into. I can’t think of a better event to hurt yourself in.”

After winning the M55 long jump and 100-meter hurdles at the 2005 World Masters Games, Parnell broke his foot in three places while competing in the hurdles at the 2006 USA Masters Championships. He underwent surgery and wasn’t able to resume competition until late 2008, making his achievements this year all the more rewarding.

In his younger years, Parnell competed in the long jump and low hurdles at San Ramon High School. He clocked 9.8 for 100 yards at Santa Barbara City College and was a 23-foot long jumper at Chico State. When he graduated in 1973 and embarked on a career as a school psychologist, Parnell figured he was done with track.

He and his wife, Kris, a speech therapist, have four grown children. Roger’s job entails working with teachers to develop plans that help integrate troubled students into the classroom. He plans to work three more years before retiring – from work, not track and field.

From a M45 best of 19-101⁄2 to this year’s 17-81⁄4 in his first season in the 60-64 age group, Parnell has adjusted well to each successive age group. He looks forward to competing close to home at the 2010 USA Masters Outdoor Championships and the 2011 World Masters Athletics (WMA) Championships, both of which will be held in Sacramento.

“I’ve competed in the Nike World Masters but never the WMA Championships,”  Parnell said. “I look forward to it. That’s the holy grail.”