For Immediate Release Friday, July 17, 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
Contact: Tom Surber USA Track & Field Media Information Manager 317-713-4690; [email protected]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
U.S. stars to compete at World Masters Championships ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
INDIANAPOLIS - World champions, national champions, record holders and Hall of Famers aplenty will compete for Team USA at the 2009 World Masters Athletics Championships, July 28-August 8 in Lahti, Finland.
The championships will feature athletes from all over the world ranging in age from 30-95+ in an impressive display of speed, strength, and endurance for all ages. Track events will range from 100 meters to 10,000 meters, while field events will include the full range of jumps and throws. Team USA athletes to watch in Lahti include:
M65 Ed Burke, who is a U.S. Masters record holder and national champion in the hammer throw. Burke was a 1984 Olympian and flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team during the opening ceremonies in Los Angeles.
Renee Henderson swept the 100m, 200m & 400m at the recently completed 2009 USA Masters Championships in Oshkosh, Wis., and will be making her W45 debut in Lahti. She competed in the W40 age-group at Oshkosh.
W45 Joy Upshaw Margerum is a renowned Masters sprinter/hurdler, an American Masters record holder and the winner of numerous national titles.
W45 Patricia Porter will look to defend her 2007 World Masters title in the high jump. M50 Val Barnwell is a former Guyana Olympian and World Masters champion, who will compete in the 100m, 200m & 400m. M50 Anselm LeBourne is a former American record holder and World Masters 800m champion, who will compete in the 800m and 1,500m. M50 Bruce McBarnette is a three-time World Masters high jump champion who set the U.S. record in his age group of 1.93m/6-4 at the 2009 USA Masters Championships. M50 Ralph Fruguglietti will look to defend his 2007 world discus throw title. W50 Carol Finsrud will seek to defend her throws titles from the 2007 World Masters Championships. . W50 Monica Joyce, an Olympian for Ireland but now a U.S. citizen, recently set a world masters record at 5,000m. M65 Robert Cahners will seek to defend his World Masters weight throw title. Reigning World Masters M75 pole vault champion and 1952 Olympian Bud Held is slated to compete in the M80 age group. M65 Stephen Robbins, Masters Hall of Fame sprinter with numerous world titles.
M65 George Mathews, a hammer thrower and shot put competitor, Mathews is a former USATF Masters Chair and the winner of numerous national Masters Championships and five World Masters titles. M70 Sid Howard, Masters Hall of Fame middle-distance runner. M70 Emil Pawlik, Masters Hall of Fame combined-events competitor. W70 Jeanne Daprano, Masters Hall of Fame middle-distance runner. W70 Becky Sisley, Masters Hall of Fame combined events competitor. W70 Christel Donley, Masters Hall of Fame combined-events competitor. M80 Arnie Gaynor, who has set numerous records in throwing events. W80 Sumi Onodera-Leonard, Masters Hall of Fame sprinter and middle-distance runner. W80 Johnnye Valien, Masters Hall of Fame combined events competitor. M85 Mel Larsen, Masters Hall of Fame sprinter/hurdler. M85 Tom Patsalis, Masters Hall of Fame horizontal jumper. For more information and a complete list of U.S. entrants slated to compete at the 2009 World Masters Athletics Championships listed by age group, visit:
