EUGENE, Oregon – Trish Porter set a high jump world record in the women’s 40-44 age-group on the final day of the 2003 USA National Masters Championships Sunday at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene. Over a four-day span more than 1,200 athletes competed for national titles in age groups 30 and over at the 36th edition of this event.

An Olympian in 1988, Porter won the W40 high jumpSunday with a clearance of 1.75 meters/5 feet, 8.75, bettering her own world record from earlier this season of 1.74m/5-8.50.

A mother of two (six-year-old son Connor and two-year-old daughter Shannon), Porter had not jumped for 11 years before making her return to the sport this year and improving her world age-group record Sunday at her first ever USA Masters Championship. “This is great,” she said. “I’m in awe of everybody here. There are so many people competing in so many events, and everybody is here because they love it. I was talking earlier to Willie Banks (former men’s triple jump world record holder, current M45 world record holder and National Track & Field Hall of Famer) and we agreed that we need to get more former elite athletes in to this. It’s fun.”

A resident of Albuquerque, N.M., Porter competed for the University of Oregon as a collegian, where she never jumped as high as she did on Sunday. She is married to eight-time U.S. men’s cross cross country champion and two-time10,000m Olympian Pat Porter.

In men’s action today, all-time masters great Bill Collins won the M50 200m title in 23.00 seconds, after winning the 100m in that age-group Saturday in 11.40. The reigning world champion in both events, Collins has been battling a sore hamstring that bothered him little in Sunday’s race. “I just took it as easy as I could to still win,” said Collins. “I was under control and ran about what I expected to run. It wasn’t fast, but it was a good race.” Collins owns 11 world titles, more than 75 U.S. crowns and is the holder of 11 world masters records.

Other men’s 200m winners today were Jeff Culpepper (M30-21.97), Rex Brown (M35-22.50), Kettrell Berry (M40-22.25), Val Barnwell (M45-23.42), Charles Allie (M55-23.79), Paul Edens (M60-25.38), Harold Tolson (M65-25.86), Harry Brown (M70-28.65), Bill Melville (M75-29.80), Jim Manno (M80-36.48) and Max Springer (M85-45.83).

Women’s 100m winners were Anita Howard (W30-25.42), Venus Jewett (W35-26.57), Joy Upshaw-Margerum (W40-25.94), Cindy Steenbergen (W45-26.84), Jacqueline Board (W50-27.17), Phil Raschker (W55-29.06), Kathy Jager (W60-29.93), Jeanne Daprano (W65-30.72) and Patricia Peterson (W75-38.79).

Women’s 1500m national champions were Sarah Leonard (W30-4:52.21), Sheri Wright (W35-5:03.94), Mary Thane (W40-4:46.36), Marcella Teran (W45-5:11.83), Carolyn Smith-Hanna (W50-5:10.42), Joni Shirley (W55-5:46.71), Suzi MacLeod (W65-6:37.17), Joyce Bahler (W70-8:51.09) and Helen Schley (W75-8:54.46).

Charles Rose headlined the men’s 1,500m competition with his winning M70 American record time of 5:12.40, bettering the previous standard of 5:14.97 by James Lytjen in 1991. Other men’s 1,500m winners were Chad Newton (M30-4:08.86), David Nash (M35-4:04.42), Tony Young (M40-3:54.52), Tony Rodiez (M45-4:18.85), Edmund Spinney (M50-4:34.60), Dale Gaide (M55-4:49.75), Sidney Howard (M60-4:57.97), Mack Stewart (M65-5:21.35), Jim Selby (M75-5:53.90), Archie Messenger (M80-6:59.21) and Max Springer (M85-10:02.95).

Women’s 300m hurdle champions were Tina Bowman (W50-55.08), Becky Sisley (W60-1:07.22) and Barbara Jordan (W65-1:03.62). Men’s 300m hurdles winners were Terry Rowan (M60-50.54), Ronald Kirkpatrick (M65-49.78) and James Stookey (M70-54.92).

Women’s 400m hurdles national champions were Caryl Senn (W40-1:09.16) and Liz Johnson (W47-1:35.93). Men’s 400m hurdles national champs are Don Drummond (M30-54.29), James Smith (M35-1:00.04), David Ashford (M40-56.59), Michael Pannell (M45-1:01.45), Steve Kemp (1:02.04) and Courtland Gray (M55-1:06.49).

Women’s 8000m winners were Lauriea Blume (W35-40:02.00), Caren Ware (W40-36:28), Janet Martin (W45-34:06), Susan Block (W50-48:12), Mary Orr (W55-42:23.00), Josie Chalmers (W60-42:22.00) and Jane Dods (W67-47:35).

Men’s 8000m winners were Ted Poulos (M40-29:27), Robert Peattie (M45-29:37), Rick Russell (M50-31:39), Dan Alarid (M60-34:33) and Geoffrey Howard (M65-36:25).

Women’s winners in the 10,000m race walk were Penny Vale (W35-1:07:07), Kelly Murphy-Glenn (W40-56:11), Lynette Heinlein (W45-1:02:06), Mary Snyder (W50-57:20), Donna Cunningham (W55-59:18), Hansi Rigney (W60-1:05:23), Joanne Elliott (W65-1:07:54), Shirley Docikstader (W70-1:07:37), Miriam Gordon (W75-1:18:35), Jane Dana (W80-1:18.35) and Fan Benno-Caris (W85-1:33:40).

Jack Bray set an American record in the M70 race walk with his victory in 58:56, bettering the former record of 59:21 by Bill Flick. Other men’s 10,000m race walk winners were Joseph Nieroski (M40-50:13), Pedro Santoni (M45-54:58), Michael Wiggins (M50-50:01), Max Walker (M55-53:48), George Opsahl (M60-59:11), Paul R. Johnson (M65-56:30), Jack Starr (M75-1:05:10) and John Levinsohn (M80-1:27:11).

Carol Finsrud set an American record in the W45 hammer throw with a winning toss of 43.62m/143-1, bettering her own previous record of 41.90m/137-5 set in 2002. Other women’s hammer throw national champions were Jacqueline Nasca (W30-37.65m/123-6), Laurie Jinkins (W35-33.51m/109-11), Mary Hartzler (W50-39.76m/130-5), Georgia Cutler (W60-36.04m/118-3) and JoAnn Grissom (W65-24.92m/81-9.25).

Joseph Greenberg set an American record in the M50 javelin with his throw of 60.21m/197-6, bettering the previous record of Richard Sander of 57.88m/189-11 in 2000. Other men’s javelin throw winners today were Daniel Scott (M35-43.56m/142-11), Jason Bender (M40-59.29m/194-6), Michael Janusey (M45-52.40m/171-11), Drew Stevick (M55-47.49m/155-9), Doug Appel (M60-47.35m/155-4) and Wayne A. Morris (40.59m/133-2).

Women’s high jump winners were Leslie Martin (W30-1.45m/4-9), Del Schneider (W35-1.30m/4-3.25), Eleanor Gipson (W50-1.30m/4-3.25), Phil Raschker (W55-1.40m/4-7), Kathy Bergen (W601.30m/4-3.25), Christel Donley (W65-1.15m/3-9.25) and Leonore McDaniels (W75-1.13m/4-3.50).

In the women’s hammer throw, national champions were Judy Fetherston (W70-23.90m/78-5), Patricia Osmon (17.85m/58-6.75), Melanie Reske (W80-11.08m/36-4.25), and Betty Jarvis (W85-12.56m/41-2.50). Men’s hammer throw national champions were Robert Ward (M70-51.69m/169-7), Phillip Brusca (M75-31.30m/102-8), Robert Horsley (M80-24.69m/81-0 and David Schlothauer (M85-24.25m/79-6.75).

4x100m relay winning teams were Western Region-F (W30-39, 52:54), Midwest Region-A (W40-49, 1:00.52), Western Region-I (M30-39, 43.92), Western Region-B (M40-49, 43.73), Georgia South Ca (M50-59, 53.30), Great Western USA (M60-69, 49.16) and World Champions (M70-79, 59.45).

4x400m relay winning teams were Mighty Micros (W30-39, 4:21.68), Fleet Feet Sacramento (W40-49, 4:39.80), Fast & Loose (W60-69, 5:07.47), Fibo Track Club (M30-39, 3:23.82), Western Region-J (M40-49, 3:36.63), Western Region-G (M50-59, 3:58.85), Hawaii Masters T (M60-69, 4:45.94), Southern California Striders (M70-79, 6:11.16).

Men’s 4x800m relay team winners were Fleet Feet Racing (M40-49, 10.19.72), Southeast Region-B (M30-39, 8:52.22), Southwest Region-B (M40-49, 8:12.61), Western Region-A (M50-59, 10:00.80), Eastern Region (M60-69, 11:52.74) and Southern California Striders (M70-79, 14:48.73).

For more information on the 2003 USA National Masters Championships, including the complete results, visit www.usatf.org.