This report was compiled by Tom Bernhard and Cynci Calvin. If we missed anyone, email Cynci with the information. Congratulations!
It’s a long way from Northern California to Finland, but when you can come back home with Masters World Championship medals it’s a trip worth taking. PA Masters athletes did just that, winning a total of at least 21 medals at the just concluded World Masters Athletics Outdoors Championships held in Tampere Finland.
Leading the medal haul was Lynne Hurelle who won five Golds (W85 400m, 800m, 1500m, XC6K, and Javelin). Next was holder of multiple American age-group records and member of the USATF Masters Hall of Fame, Christine Kennedy, with gold in the W65 Half Marathon and 10K Road Races. Another winner of individual Gold was Robert Qualls, 1st in the M70 6K Cross Country event. Qualls also took home an individual bronze in the M70 1500m.
Mark Yuen won M50 Silvers in the 5000m and 1500m, and Durelle Schimek took Silver in the W50 Javelin.
In team competition the three-man US M65 Half Marathon team, which included John Hirschberger, (70) took Gold, and the Sierra Gold TC with Drue Mathies also took M75 Gold. Adjua Gibb-Gabriel took Silver on both the 4x100m & 4x400m Relay Teams. Robert Qualls took Silver for his part on the American M70 4×400 team. Also taking Silver was the US M70 XC team which included both Qualls and Hirschberger. Christine Kennedy took Bronze for her participation on the W45 Half Marathon Team, and Martin Beene took bronze for his efforts on the M60 Half Marathon team.
Gold – Individual
W85 400m, 800m, 1500m, Javelin, XC6K – Lynne Hurrell; note that her 800m time of 5:12.85 is a pending AR W85 record, smashing the existing record of 5:43.32.
W65 Half Marathon, Road 10K – Christine Kennedy
M70 XC – Robert Qualls
Silver – Individual
M50 5000m – Mark Yuen
W50 Javelin – Durelle Schimek
Bronze – Individual
M50 1500m – Mark Yuen
M70 1500m – Robert Qualls
M75 200m Steeplechase – Drue Mathies
Gold – Team
M65 Half Marathon Team – Tomas Rodriguez, John Matthews, John Hirschberger
M75 Half Marathon Team – Sierra Gold TC team
Silver- Team
W40 4x100m & 4x400m Relays – Adjua Gibb-Gabriel
M70 4x400m Relay – Robert Bowen, Curtis Baldwin, Alston Brown, Robert Qualls
M70 XC – Team Robert Qualls, Jerry Learned, John Hirschberger
Bronze – Team
W45 Half Marathon – Christine Kennedy
M60 Half Marathon – Martin Beene
Complete results from the Tampere 2022 WMA Championships can be found here.