This is the second of two reports on the Masters Track & Field Committee’s meetings at the recently concluded USATF Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. This report covers important announcements made at the Annual Meeting regarding future plans for MTF.
In addition to the formal actions taken by the MTF Committee during the Annual Meeting, there were reports from the LOCs for the 2022 Indoor and Outdoor Championships in New York and Lexington, Kentucky respectively. Most subcommittees and task forces also made reports. The written officer, subcommittee, task force, and other reports and important documents are all available for viewing in the USATF Annual Meeting Document Library.
WMA Travel Grant Program
As previously announced in the monthly Masters Newsletter, USATF Masters and the USATF Foundation are launching a partnership to support a Travel Grant Program to help increase the Team USATF Masters medal count at future WMA Championships. Modeled in part on the very successful World #1 Program, the WMA Travel Grant Program will offer support to athletes with a high likelihood of medaling who might otherwise not be able to afford to travel to the meets. It will also pay stipends to medal winners. Roughly 1/3 of the funds available will be allocated for travel support prior to the meets, with 2/3 going to medal stipends. Applications will be available in January 2022 for the 2022 WMA Championships in Tampere, Finland.
A full description of the Program can be viewed at usatfmasters.org.
December Donations to the WMA Travel Grant Program Matched
All donations made to the WMA Travel Grant Program before the end of 2021 will be matched dollar for dollar, so your gift, at any level, will be doubled!
The WMA Travel Grant Program is administered by the USATF Foundation, which is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations are tax deductible and may be made on the USATF Foundation website. Click here and then click on the Donate Now button. Make sure to designate MASTERS when making your donation.
MTF 2020-21 Awards Announced
At the Joint Meeting of MTF and MLDR, MTF Awards Subcommittee Chair Rachel Guest announced the winners of the MTF 2020-21 Athletes of the Year as well as the Age Group and Event Group Athletes of the Year. A full listing is available on usatfmasters.org. At the Annual Night of Legends Ceremony on Saturday evening, Masters Athlete of the Year Kathy Bergen (W81, La Cañada, CA) was honored along with such stars as Sydney McLaughlin and Ryan Crouser.
During the MTF Committee meeting on Friday, December 3, MTF Chair Jerry Bookin-Weiner announced that in the future there will be separate MTF and MLDR Athletes of the Year recognized at the Night of Legends (up to this year MTF and MLDR have alternated years).
MTF Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Announced
Also at the Joint Meeting of MTF and MLDR, MTF Hall of Fame Subcommittee Chair John Seto announced the MTF Hall of Fame Class of 2021. The announcement can be viewed on usatfmasters.org.
The members of the MTF Hall of Fame Class of 2021 are:
Jerry Bookin-Weiner – Administrator
Michael Brown, M45 – M65, Athlete, Events: Javelin
Kay Glynn, W50 – W65, Athlete, Events: Combined Events, 200m, Hurdles, Jumps, Weight Throw
John Goldhammer, M55 – M65, Athlete, Events: Throws
Rachel Guest, W30 – W45, Athlete / Administrator, Events: Combined Events, 100m, 200m, Sprint Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump
Lesley Hinz, W45 – W60, Athlete, Events: 200m through 3000m
Don Isett, M70 – M80, Athlete, Events: Pole Vault, High Jump and Long Jump
Masters Exhibition Events at Indoor and Outdoor
USATF Championships and the Drake Relays
In 2022 there will be Masters Exhibition Events at the Indoor and Outdoor USATF Championships and at the Drake Relays.
At the Indoor Championships at The Podium – the new indoor facility in Spokane, Washington – there will be Masters Exhibition 200m races for both men and women. Precise details regarding age groups and qualifying times will be announced by mid-December.
At the Outdoor Championships (location TBD) there will be Masters Exhibition 800m races for both men and women. Precise details of age groups and qualifying times will be announced early in 2022.
At the Drake Relays, the Rex Harvey Memorial Masters Exhibition event will be the shot put. It will be age graded, so applications will be accepted from both men and women in all age groups. The field will consist of four men and four women. Full details will be available in December.
Rules Changes
There were two significant changes to the Rules of Competition coming out of the Annual Meeting, both of them to bring USATF Rules into compliance with World Athletics and WMA Rules.
- In throwing and horizontal jumping events, for events with eight or more competitors, an athlete must have a valid and measured attempt during the first three rounds to progress to the final three rounds. This is a change in that previously it was not required to have a legal attempt in the first three rounds to move on to the finals.
- In all races run in lanes, athletes can now touch the left line on the curve one time without disqualification – the second time, whether in the same race or subsequent round of that event, will result in disqualification. In races not run in lanes, athletes can step once on or over the line or curb marking the curve without disqualification, the second time will result in disqualification (second time means same race or subsequent round of that event)
These rule changes are effective as of January 1, 2022 and will be enforced at USATF Masters meets beginning in January 2022.
