April 1, 2023
Toruń, Poland
On the final day of the 9th World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships Team USATF added 40 medals to its total, the most in a single day. Included were 16 gold, 13 silver, and 11 bronze. The final total stands at 151. Team USATF Masters finished in third place on the medal table (determined by total gold medals), with Great Britain and Northern Ireland close behind. Host Poland and neighboring Germany led in first and second place.
Team USATF Masters Gold Medalists today were:
Michelle Rohl (Mansfield, PA) – W55 1500m
April Lund (Bismarck, ND) – W40 Half Marathon
Christine Kennedy (Burlingame, CA) – W65 Half Marathon
Rita Hanscom (San Diego, CA) – W65 Pole Vault
Mark Husted (Golden, CO) – M35 1500m
Charles Novak (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) – M55 1500m
W40 Half Marathon Team
W65 Half Marathon Team
W35 4x200m Relay
W40 4x200m Relay
W55 4x200m Relay
W75 4x200m Relay
M40 4x200m Relay
Mixed 55 4x200m Relay
Mixed 60 4x200m Relay
Mixed 75 4x200m Relay
Silver Medalists were:
Lorraine Jasper (Birchrunville, PA) – W60 1500m
Tracey Bernett (Niwot, CO) – W65 1500m
Jeanette Groesz (Redmond, OR) – W70 Half Marathon
Jennifer Hedges (Magnolia, TX) – W55 Pole Vault
Gary Patton (Rock Rapids, IA) – M75 1500m
M35 4x200m Relay
M45 4x200m Relay
M60 4x200m Relay
M70 4x200m Relay
W65 4x200m Relay
Mixed 40 4x200m Relay
Mixed 45 4x200m Relay
Mixed 65 4x200m Relay
Bronze medalists were:
Sue McDonald (Santa Barbara, CA) – W55 1500m
Rachel Guest (Surprise, AZ) – W45 60m Hurdles
Andrea Collier (Orlando, FL) – W55 60m Hurdles
Barbara Warren (Charleston, WV) – W75 60m Hurdles
Robert Qualls (Reno, NV) – M70 1500m
Suzanne Ray (Jacksonville, OR) – W70 Half Marathon
M65 Half Marathon Team
M65 4x200m Relay
W45 4x200m Relay
W70 4x200m Relay
Mixed 50 4x200m Relay
On this final day the highlights for Team USATF Masters were Sue McDonald’s (W60, but running in the W55 race because her birthday was during the Championships) world age group record in the 1500m. In the same race, Michelle Rohl won gold and broke the existing W55 American record in the event. In the M75 1500m, Gary Patton also set a new American standard in the event. And finally, in the half marathon, Christine Kennedy’s time of 1:31:38 set a new WMA Championship W65 record.
Other US gold medalists today were April Lund (W40) in the half marathon (she won the cross country race earlier in the meet; Rita Hanscom (W65) won the pole vault; and Mark Husted (M35) and Charles Novak (M55) both won the 1500m in their age groups.
Finally, in the much-anticipated relays, Team USATF Masters ensembles in the 4xz200m broke the American records in the W55 (while winning gold) and W65 (while bringing home the silver). The W55 team consisted of Roxanne Brockner, Andrea Collier, India Bridgette, and Colleen Barney, and Susan Loyd, Rita Hanscom, Tracey Bernett, and Leandra Funk made up the W65 team. Overall, Team USATF Masters won medals in 20 relays (out of 30 relays contested). The Men’s 55 4x200m team broke the world age group record but was disqualified for lane violation. Only three other American teams failed to medal.
