ALBUQUERQUE – The spotlight shone brightly on Christopher Bates in the USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships as he set an American and World Record in the M45 pentathlon in Albuquerque, N.M.
Christopher Bates Pentathlon
The three-day meet features athletes ranging in age from 30-96 in a display of speed, strength, and endurance for all ages. Track events range from 60m to 3,000m, while field events will include the full range of indoor jumps and throws. Competition resumes tomorrow at the Albuquerque Convention Center with the first finals in the blocks at 10:00 a.m. Spectators are welcome, and entry is free of charge.
Christopher Bates of Portland, Ore. broke his own World and American Records in the M45 pentathlon where he led the point tallies from the first event of the 60m Hurdles and built a sizable lead on his way to victory with 4036 points total. On his way to his record breaking victory, he set the following marks: 60m Hurdles – 8.94; Long Jump – 5.97m/19-07.00; Shot Put – 12.09m/39-08.00; High Jump 1.81m/5.11.25.
Kay Glynn tied her own pending World and American Record in the W55 pole vault with a leap of 2.95m/9-08.00 to claim the National Championship Title.
Albuquerque local and decorated middle distance runner, Lisa Valle ran away from the field in the W45 3,000m to record a win in 10:53.76. Other titlists in the 3,000m included Latashia Key of Indianapolis, Ind. Winning the W35 race in 12:15.64 and Sheryl Miller of Houston, Texas winning the W45 competition in 10:53.76.
Todd Taylor of Molalla, Ore. had a record-breaking series of throws in the M60 Weight Throw. He had four throws better than the previous American Record, with a winning mark of 20.02/65-08.00.
The women’s pentathlon was one for the record books. For the W35 division, all three competitors broke the previous American Record established by Teri Lowe in 2006. Dawn Kent of Wilmington, Del. racked up 2,242 points to claim the national title and American Record. Runner-up Danelle Readinger of Terre Haute, Ind. also bettered the previous record with 2,212 points, and Melissa Anderson took the bronze with her record-breaking performance of 1,145 points. In the W75 competition, two women broke the current national record in the shot put. Florence Meiler of Shelburne, Vt. threw 7.18m/23-06.75 and Christel Donley of Colorado Springs, Colo. recorded an even further mark of 7.84m/25-08.75. Meiler went on to amass 3,939 points to win the national championship. Nadine O’Connor of San Diego, Calif. started her busy weekend of seven events off on a good note, by breaking the W65 American Record with 4,139 points.
The 400m competition saw four records fall, where Jeanne Daprano of the Atlanta Track Club, a 2010 World Masters Indoor Champion, broke her own record in the W70 age group with a time of 1:20.57. Latricia Dendy of New York, a multi-time world champion, set her first indoor American Record in 56.46. John Means of Richmond Heights, Ohio shattered a four-year-old record in the Men’s 90+ age group in 1:46.94, besting the previous record by almost three seconds. In the M60 division, Bill Collins of the Houston Elite Track and Field Club led the field, with his teammate Charles Allie running just off his shoulder until the final meters of the straightaway. Collins bested the previous record in a time of 55.68, with Allie finishing second in 56.58.
In other field event action, Florence Meiler recorded her second American Record of the meet with her winning leap of 1.90m/6-02.75 in the W75 pole vault. Don Issett of Dallas and Steven Warr of Hockley tied for the M70 national title with heights of 3.0m/9-10.00. The oldest competitor in the championships, 96-year-old Leland McPhie of San Diego recorded a toss of 4.26m/13-11.00 in the weight throw to win his first of seven events he is entered in this weekend.
The night’s competition wrapped up with the men’s 3,000m where Blake Wood of Los Alamos, N.M. ran a blazing 9:46.50 to win the M50 championship. The fastest time of all age-groups was turned in by Andrew Duncan of Las Vegas, Nev. for the M40 title in 9:29.71.
