NEWS!
Rain Aside, 28 State Records Fall
Despite a lower turnout in a non-qualifying year and absences by many of the athletes who performed in the National Senior Games earlier in the summer, the 2011 Maryland Senior Olympics track and field meet Aug. 20-21 at Howard Community College still had 16 record-setting performances, including another eye-popping meet by runner Alison Suckling of Arnold.
 |
||
| Alison Suckling's 1:12.42 in the 400-meter dash broke the women's 55-59 record that had been standing since 1994. |
||
Ms. Suckling, who broke three MSO records in 2010 that had been on the books a combined 58 years, trimmed her 800-meter run mark by just over five seconds to 2:50.02. She then took aim on the 1:15.50 in the 400, set by Elly McComas in 1994. Ms. Suckling ran a brisk 1:12.42 for the new state record.
Outside Ms. Suckling, no other running record fell, but MSO veteran Earl Wentz, 95, of Accident, made an appearance to set the benchmark in the 100-meter dash. Saying his training had consisted mostly of watching TV, Mr. Wentz chugged along in 26.59 seconds, giving him the age-group record in the 100, just as he did entering age 90 in 2005.
Vincent Volrath of Glen Burnie had perhaps the best overall meet. Moving up to the 90-94 age group, he won seven gold medals and set new marks in the discus, weight throw and javelin, where his throw of 43-08 smashed Robert Walker’s 1999 record of 25-02. Interestingly, Mr. Volrath held none of those records in the 85-89 age group he exited.
Another 1999 record fell in the men’s 80-84, where James Stookey, 81, of Dickersonville beat Charlie Irwin’s triple jump of 21-01.50 with a 21-05.25. The best single performance from the field events was Shawn Robinson, 50, of Ellicott City, blasting Peter Collins’ 2006 distance of 107-10 in the hammer throw with a towering heave of 128-06.
James Pearce, 66, of Columbia, improved his own hammer throw record by just under 6 feet to 110-05, but he broke Adolph Kuegler’s 2006 weight throw mark of 38-08.25 by 2 feet even. Darrell Dempster, 82, of Annapolis, upped his hammer record set last year to 77-03.
In women’s 85-89 shot put, Veronica Clark of Baltimore improved her 2010 heave of 14-10 by .75 of an inch. Likewise, Robert Paulen of Silver Spring improved his 70-74 age group 1-mile recreational walk record by just over a whopping 17 minutes to 10:27.16.
And then there was James Kenney of White Plains, who entered the 70-74 age group and set three marks, including a softball throw of 201-01.25 that would have made Roberto Clemente proud. That throw broke Charles McGarvey’s 177-08 from 1993, the oldest record to fall in this year’s meet. Mr. Kenney also set a new javelin record with a 135-11, more than 32 feet longer than the previous record, and set the football throw with a 137-06.25, over 20 feet improved over the old standard.
Obviously Mr. Kenney likes to throw things, so if you have any hay bales to be tossed, he’s your guy.
* Complete 2011 MSO Track and Field Results.
2011 Track and Field Records
New Maryland Senior Olympic records set at this year's meet:
Men’s
M50 Hammer Throw—Shawn Robinson, 50, Ellicott City, 128-06. Old record: Peter Collins, 107-10, 2006.
M65 Hammer Throw—James Pearce, 66, Columbia, 110-05. Old record: Pearce, 104-11, 2010.
M65 Weight Throw—James Pearce, 66, Columbia, 40-08.25. Old record: Adolph Kuegler, 38-08.25, 2006.
M70 Javelin—James Kenney, 70, White Plains, 135-11.00. Old record: James Eyer, 103-07.00, 2002.
M70 Softball Throw—James Kenney, 70, White Plains, 201-01.25. Old record: Charles McGarvey, 177-08.00, 1993.
M70 Football Throw—James Kenney, 70, White Plains, 137-06.25. Old record: Robert Beaton, 117-00.00, 2006.M70 Recreational Walk 1-Mile—Robert Paulen, 74, Silver Spring, 10:27.16. Old record: Paulen, 10:44.80, 2008.
M80 Triple Jump—James Stookey, 81, Dickersonville, 21-05.25. Old record: Charlie Irwin, 21-01.50, 1999.
M65 Hammer Throw—Darrell dempster, 82, Annapolis, 77-03. Old record: Dempster, 70-10, 2010.
M90 Javelin—Vincent Volrath, 90, Glen Burnie, 43-08.00. Old record: Robert Walker, 25-02.00, 1999.
M90 Discus—Vincent Volrath, 90, Glen Burnie, 41-05.00. Old record: Frank Herrelko, 37-01.00, 2003.
M90 Weight Throw—Vincent Volrath, 90, Glen Burnie, 26-08.50 (new standard).
M95 100-Meter Dash—Earl Wentz, 95, Accident, 26.59 (new standard).
Women’s
W55 400-Meter Dash—Alison Suckling, 56, Arnold, 1:12.42. Old record: Elly McComas, 1:15.50, 1994.
W85 Shot Put—Veronica Clark, 86, Baltimore, 14-10.75. Old record: Clark, 14-10.00, 2010.
Fallen, but StandingThe following out-of-state competitors broke MSO records, but because they are not current or former Maryland residents and competiting to qualify for the National Senior Games, the existing state records remain standing:
* M55 Weight Throw—Gary Sutton, 57, Richmond, 41-08.00. Old record: Adolph Kuegler, 38-08.25, 2006.
* M50 Standing Long Jump—Charles Lemon, 51, Beaver Falls, Pa., 9--04.25. Standing record: Chuckie Arons, 8-08, 2003.
* M60 Weight Throw—Ken Moss, 64, Leesburg, Va., 60-01.75. Standing record: Jerry Bookin-Weiner, 50-08.53, 2008.
