LEXINGTON, Ky. – Day two of USATF Masters Championships has concluded with three records at the UK Track & Field Complex.
Seventy-seven gold medalists were crowned on day two.
The Atlanta Track Club remains in first in combined points with 340.5 points, while also topping both the men’s and women’s rankings. Potomac Valley Track Club is second in combined points (283) while So Cal Track Club is in third (223).
The first record-breaker of the day was Carol Finsrud in the women’s 65-69 discus throw. Competing for the Texas Throwers Club, Finsrud broke the previous American age group record by over three meters with a mark of 35.15-meters/115-4 to defend her discus title. It was her third time breaking the previous record of 32.78m/123-5 in the past month.
On day one, Finsrud won the women’s 65-69 hammer throw and weight throw with the shot put and javelin still to come. She came into this championship as the reigning shot put, hammer throw, weight throw and javelin champion in the 65-69 age range.
A new American age group record was established in the women’s 50-54 400m by Toccata Murphy of Charlotte Track Club with a time of 59.59 after running 59.64 on July 17 at the Georgia State Games. She broke the former ratified record of 1:01.02 by nearly a second and a half.
Robert Paulen of Potomac Valley Track Club set a new American age group record in the men’s 85-89 80m hurdles with a time of 19.54. The previous record was 20.00.
Also in the hurdles, 2022 WMA Championships gold medalists Thaddeus Wilson Sr. (80m, 70-74), Dave McNair (100m, 65-69), and Damon Blakemore Sr. (100m, 60-64) all won their age groups in the hurdles here in Lexington.
Gloria Krug of Philadelphia Masters continued her success in the throws after winning Thursday’s 90-94 weight throw with a win and excellent mark in discus on Friday morning (11.07m/36-4) for another event win. Krug is coming off an astounding eight medal wins, six of them being gold.
Angee Henry-Nott took first in the women’s 45-49 400m (57.06), which is .24 off her own American age group record of 56.82.
Sue McDonald won the women’s 55-59 400m with a time of 1:03.95. The American age group record for 55-59 is 1:03.43. At last year’s championship, McDonald won the javelin for her age group, and earned silver in the 300m hurdles and bronze in the pole vault and high jump.
Glenn Irion of Greater Philadelphia Track Club defended his 2021 titles in the men’s 65-69 triple jump and high jump with a mark of 10.24m/33-7.25 in the triple jump and 1.55m/5-1 in the high jump.
Chattanooga Track Club’s Dean Thompson repeated as the 55-59 men’s 3,000m steeplechase champion with an impressive time of 11:12.03.
Florence Meiler successfully defended her women’s 85-89 80 hurdles title from 2021 with a time of 27.65, the same event she currently holds the world record in.
Durann Dunn, 40, also known as “The Freeze” of the Atlanta Braves, won the men’s 40-45 400m with a time of 51.94. Dunn recently medaled in the 100m and 200m at this year’s WMA Championships and will be offering two Freeze Bobbleheads and an Atlanta Braves 2021 replica World Series ring in a raffle with the proceeds going to the USATF WMA Travel Grant Program. Tickets are being sold at the National Masters News table for $10 a ticket
Allen Tissenbaum ran only .02 slower than the men’s 60-64 100m American age group record with a time of 11.85 in prelims.
Daniel Tutskey impressed in the men’s 40-44 100m dash with a 10.82 run for the top time in his age group going into finals.
On Saturday, three-time Olympian and the 1984 Olympics flag bearer for Team USA, Ed Burke, is set to compete in the 80-84 hammer throw at 8:15 a.m. ET and the weight throw at 10 a.m.
Events continue Saturday beginning at 7:00 a.m. and Sunday beginning at 8:00 a.m. The full schedule can be found here. Results may be found here.
Media and spectators are welcome. For Media athlete interviews or information on-site, contact Bob Weiner at weinerpublic@comcast.net or 202-306-1200 and Sandy Triolo at MTFCommChair@gmail.com.
The 2022 USATF Masters Outdoor Championships will be broadcast live from Lexington, Kentucky Thursday through Sunday, July 28-31. The USATF.TV broadcast will require a RunnerSpace +PLUS
