BOSTON – The 2003 USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships concluded Sunday with a flurry of world-beating performances as five new world records were set and several American records fell.

Seven hundred fifty-eight athletes from coast-to-coast competed over the three-day meet at Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center, with at least 14 world records and 38 American records believed to be broken. All records are pending ratification.

“I think particularly during these times, I’m very heartened that everyone decided to come and participate,” said George Mathews, chairman of USA Track & Field’s masters track and field committee. “I think that we all came together and performed so well is a testament to our spirit. Masters track and field is about more than just competition. It’s about camaraderie and the spirit that goes on between athletes.”

Athletes as experienced as the 65-69 age groups and beyond posted performances that would hold up well against strong high school competition, and most athletes on hand for the meet would be the odds-on favorites against athletes half their ages or in collegiate competition.

Leonore McDaniels of Virginia Beach, Va., led a cavalcade of stars in competition Sunday, breaking two world records. In the span of a few hours, the 75-year-old set world marks in the women’s 75-79 group in the high jump (1.12m/3-8) and triple jump (6.47m/21-2.75). Margaret Hinton previously held the high jump record (1.00m/3-3.25), while Gunni Svensson of Sweden had held the triple jump record (6.08m/19-11.5).

Her pair of records on Sunday gave McDaniels a hat trick of world records during the three-day Masters Indoor Championships, including her age group WR in the pole vault on Friday (1.71/5-7.5). A multi-sport athlete who took up track at age 62, McDaniels also competed in the 60m dash and long jump.

Bill Collins stamped his name on the men’s 50-54 record book once again in the 200 meters, running 22.99 for a world record and becoming the first man over 50 to break 23 seconds for the distance. The 52-year-old from Houston shattered his own record of 23.26.

Eighty-one-year-old Edwin Lukens of Skaneateles, N.Y., likewise broke his own record (8.30m/27-2.75) in the men’s 80-84 triple jump with his new mark of 8.65m/28-4.5.

Canadian Sam Morioka set his second men’s 60-64 world record in as many days, running 2:14.42 in the 800 meters Sunday to break the mark previously held by Sidney Howard of the United States (2:14.75). The 60-year-old Surrey, N.Y., resident also broke the WR for 400 meters on Saturday (55.67).

In one the most impressive performances of the day, Polish national Anna Wlodarcyzk, a 52-year-old from Orange, Calif., broke the world record in the women’s 50-54 triple jump with a mark of 10.69m/35-1. “I would recruit that!” commented the women’s coach of one Boston-area college track team.

American records were on the chopping block as well on Sunday. Lesia Batiste broke her third record of the Championships, running 25.61 in the women’s 40-44 200-meter dash. The 41-year-old from Baton Rouge had broken ARs in the 60m (7.96) and 400m (57.40) on Saturday.

Margaret Hinton, a newly minted 80-year-old from Comfort, Texas, responded to losing her W75 world record in the high jump by setting an American record in the event for the 80-84 group with her best height of .92m/3-0.25. “By the time I’m 85, I’m going to have all of THOSE records!” Hinton predicted.

Kathy Bergen, 63 of La Canada, Calif., tied the American record in the women’s 60-64 high jump with her clearance of 1.27m/4-2.

Three American records fell in the 3,000-meter race walk as 70-year-old Jack Bray of Green Brae, Calif., posted a time of 16:07.47 in the men’s 70-74 group, while 76-year-old Edward Gawinski of Wilmington, Delaware, clocked 18:27.14 in the men’s 75-79. On the women’s side, 70-year-old Shirley Dockstader of Mill Valley, Calif., walked 19:08.86 to break the AR in the women’s 70-74.

A trio of records also were broken in the women’s 4x400m relay. Atoms TC broke the 35-39 record with 4:08.12; Bohemia TV ran 4:34.23 in 40-44, and the East Region ran 4:45.72 in 50-54.

Kathryn Martin on Sunday completed a sweep of the distance events in the women’s 50-54 age group. The 51-year-old from Northport, N.Y., won the 800m on Sunday, adding to her mile title from Saturday and 3,000-meter championship Friday. Marie-Louise Michelson, 61, of Stony Brook, N.Y., completed the same triple in the women’s 60-64.

Martin, who narrowly missed her own records due to an abdominal tear that has plagued her this winter, lauded the 2003 edition of the Masters Indoor Championships. “This meet is fabulous,” she said. “It is so well organized, and they do so much for the athletes. The track is amazing. I wish we came here every year.”

For complete results from the Masters Indoor Championships, visit www.usatf.org

CORRECTION: Saturday’s report incorrectly identified Harold Tolson’s performance. Tolson ran an American record 8.05 seconds in the men’s 65-69 60m dash, not a world record in the 60m hurdles.

Records set at the 2003 USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships (all records pending)

WORLD RECORDS

W50 TJ	Anna Wlodarczyk (POL)	10.69m/35-1	3/30
W55 Pentathlon	Phil Raschker	4,822 points	3/28
W55 60mH	Phil Raschker	9.84	3/28
W60 mile	Marie-Louise Michelsohn	6:02.49	3/29
W75 HJ	Leonore McDaniels	1.12m/3-8	3/30
W75 TJ	Leonore McDaniels	6.47m/21-2.75	3/30	
W75 PV	Leonore McDaniels	1.71m/5-7.7	3/28
W65 HJ	Evelyn Wright	1.28m/4-2.25	3/28
M45 HJ	Bruce McBarnette	1.93/6-4	3/29
M50 200m	Bill Collins	22.99	3/30
M60 400m	Harold Morioka (CAN)	55.67	3/29
M60 800m	Harold Morioka (CAN)	2:14.42	3/30
M80 TJ	Edwin Lukens	8.65m/28-4.5	3/30
M85 400m	Bob Matteson	1:38.25	3/29

**W40 60m Lesia Batiste 7.96 3/29**

**Mark beats official masters WR, but Merlene Ottey of Jamaica has run faster

AMERICAN RECORDS

W35 4x400m	Atoms TC	4:08.12	3/30
W40 60m	Lesia Batiste	7.96	3/29
W40 200m	Lesia Batiste	25.61	3/30
W40 400m	Lesia Batiste	57.40	3/29
W40 4x400m 	Bohemia TC	4:34.23	3/30
W40WT	Oneithea Lewis	17.12m/56-2	3/28
W45 3,000m	Joan Benoit Samuelson	10:02.55	3/28
W50 400m	Margaret Curtis	1:03.81	3/29
W50 4x400m	East Region	4:45.72	3/30
W55 Pentathlon	Phil Raschker	4,822 points	3/28
W55 60mH	Phil Raschker	9.84	3/28
W55 HJ	Phil Raschker	1.46/4-9.5	3/28
W60 mile	Marie-Louise Michelsohn	6:02.49	3/29
W60 HJ	Kathy Bergen	1.27m/4-2 (tie)	3/30
W65LJ	Audrey Lary	3.87m/12-7.5	3/29
W65 HJ	Evelyn Wright	1.28m/4-2.25	3/28
W70 3,000m RW	Shirley Dockstader	19:08.86	3/30
W75 HJ	Leonore McDaniels	1.12m/3-8	3/30
W75 TJ	Leonore McDaniels	6.47m/21-2.75	3/30	
W75 PV	Leonore McDaniels	1.71m/5-7.5	3/28
W70WT	Lillian Snaden	8.25m/27-0.75	3/28
W80 HJ	Margaret Hinton	.92m/3-0.25	3/30
W85WT	Betty Jarvis	5.58m/18-3.75	3/28
W85 SP	Katherine Gradick	4.56m/14-11.5	3/29
M30 4x800	Brian Hickey, Kerri Sloan, David Nasn, Christopher Yorges   8:15.86	3/29	
M45 HJ	Bruce McBarnette	1.93/6-4	3/29	
M50 200m	Bill Collins	22.99	3/30
M55 400m	Charles Allie	55.31	3/29
M60 WT	Carl Wallin	18.84m/61-9.75	3/28
M65 60m	Harold Tolson	8.05	3/29
M70 3,000m RW	Jack Bray	16:07.47	3/30
M70 WT	Ray Feick	16.34m/53-7.5 	3/28
M75 400m	Rodney Brown	1:10.09	3/29
M75 3,000m RW	Edward Gawinski	18:27.14	3/30
M75 WT	Val McGann	12.84/42-1.5	3/28
M80 TJ	Edwin Lukens	8.65m/28-4.5	3/30
M85 400	Bob Matteson	1:38.25	3/29
M85 60mH	Alfred Guidet	18.26	3/29
M85 WT	David Schlohauer	10.34m/33-11.25	3/28