Shaheed, Harada lead record-breakers at Masters Indoors

BOSTON - Jazz trumpeter Nolan Shaheed kept up an allegro tempo on the track Saturday, breaking the world record the men's 55-59 mile during the second day of competition at the 2006 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Shaheed's record was one of no fewer than six pending world records and 17 pending American records set on the day, including one by local star Mary Harada of West Newton, Mass.

Wonderful World Marks

A resident of Pasadena, Calif., former trumpeter for Count Basie, and a member of the National Masters Track & Field Hall of Fame, Shaheed added the M55 indoor mile WR in his new age group, having previously inserted his name throughout the M50 record book. Shaheed's time of 4:42.89 on Saturday easily surpassed the previous WR of 4:49.33 set by Alston Brown of Jamaica in 2004.

Mary Harada added local flavor with her world record in the W70 mile. The 70-year-old clocking a time of 7:12.59 to break the world mark of 7:19.44, set by American Toshiko D'Elia in 2001.

The sprints also saw their share of world marks as Kathy Bergen of La Canada, Calif, broke the W65 world record. Her time of 9.27 snuck under the listed mark of 9.29 by Gertrude Reichart of Germany, set in 2004. Robert Whilden of Houston, Texas, broke the M70 world record in the M70 dash, his time of 8.20 besting German Bruno Kimmel's time of 8.22 from 2004.

Karl Smith of Silver Spring, Md., posted an impressive WR in the M45 60-meter hurdles. Already the record holder in the 40 age group, Smith ran 8.18 on Saturday to break the WR of 8.36, set by Colin Williams of the United States in 2002.

The Merrimack Valley Striders set a pending WR in the W30-39 4x800m relay with their time of 10:00.68, but the Athena Track Club ran even faster in the W40-49 relay, their time of 9:55.86 setting a pending American record. An ad-hoc team in the women's 50-59 relay ran 10:36.50 for another AR.

Living the American (Record) Dream

American records fell like the consumer confidence index during a recession, led by Paul Heitzman of Eudora, Kan., who claimed his second American record of the meet, this time in the M75 mile (6:23.95). Other records on the track included Aaron Thigpen of Brentwood, Calif., in the M40 60-meter dash (6.90); and Lesley Chaplin-Swann of McDonough, Ga., in the M45 mile (5:08.81). David Buysse of Carmel, Ind., also bettered the listed American record in the M35 mile with his time of 4:35.71.

Records in the field were posted by Bruce McBarnette of Sterling, Va., in the M45 high jump (1.95m/6-4.75); Tom Lagenfeld of Edina, Minn., in the M70 high jump (1.41m); Gary Hunter of Fort Wayne, Ind., in the M50 pole vault (4.40m/14-5.25); George Joachim of Fort Wayne, Ind., in the M35 long jump (6.55m/21-6); and Mary Roman, 70, of Norwalk, Ct., in the W70 shot put (8.01m/26-3.5);

400m drama

The 400 meters provided some fierce competition, including a rematch of the M60 gold and silver bronze medalists from the 2006 World Masters Athletics Championship Indoor, held one week ago in Linz, Austria. Roger Pierce of Essex, Mass., led throughout the race in Boston, setting a torrid pace. But the tall and lanky gold medalist, Peter Crombie of Australia, surged ahead in the final straight to win in a thrilling finish in 57.62. Pierce crossed the line in 58.12. In the 60m dash, Pierce (8.07) got the best of Crombie (8.12), but they both finished behind winner Stan Whitley (7.86) of Alta Loma, Calif.

Former NCAA 1,500m champion Alisa Harvey of Manassas, Va., sought to add another record to her growing list of masters marks. Already owning the world indoor marks at 800 meters and the mile, Harvey's lightning fast first 200 meters might have caught up with her. Beginning to slow a bit in the final stretch, she finished in 57.81, just off of Lesia Batiste's world and American record of 57.40.

The 400 also saw the elder statesman of masters track & field, 92-year-old Max Springer of Knoxville, Tenn., run 2:14.91.

More records

In competition late Friday night, Franklin "Bud" Held of Del Mar, Calif., broke the WR in the M75 pole vault with a clearance of 2.90m/9-6.25, breaking American Carol Johnston's mark of 2.82m/9-3 that had stood since 1988. 42-year-old Pamela Swan of Bowdoin, Maine, did the same in the W40 pole vault (2.82m/9-3). William Garrahan, 76, of Narragansett, R.I., added an American record in the M75 weight throw Friday night with a mark of 13.23m/43-5.

For complete results, visit www.usatf.org