The USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships were held on Tuesday, Apri 21st, hosted by the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines IA. A beautiful, warm evening for racing produced some amazing competition!
OVERALL WOMEN
Dana Hayden held the lead at the halfway point, with Susie Duke and Jessica Ponds on her heels. Duke passed in the next 300 meters and pulled away, winning by nine seconds in 5:24. Hayden held on for 2nd, finishing in 535, two seconds ahead of Ponds. MEN Justin Fiske and Nicholas Kipruto enjoyed a dandy duel! At the three-hundred-meter mark, the two were a good ten eters ahead of the field. At the halfway mark, the two were locked together, leading the rest by 40 meters. Fiske forged a twenty-meter lead in the third quarter of the race, holding the lead to the tape, winning in 4:30. Kipruto was second in 4:34, with Adrian Massie third in 4:43.
AGE GRADING
Age grading indicates the best performance, adjusted for age, across all age divisions; the higher the score the better. MEN Gary Patton, 80, edged Gary Ostwald,80, for the M80 win with a lean at the line. Both were given the same 6:28 time! They, therefore, are tied at 97.01% for the highest age grade. Kevin Ostenberg, 65, winner of this division at the Fifth Avenue Mile, stormed to M65 victory, winning by over seventy meters in 5:11, earning an age grade of 96.62. WOMEN The W65 podium enjoyed the top three age grades. Nancy Simmons, 66, the winner, earned a 92.25 rating from her 6:09. Lesley Hinz, 68, ran 6:29 for an 89.85. Julie Hayden, 66, took the age grading bronze with 87.73% from her 6:28 effort.
AGE DIVISION
In addition to Duke and Simmons, among the Women, and Fiske, Patton and Ostenberg, for the Men, National champions were crowned: MEN 45-49 Adrian Massie 4:43 50-54 Lee Klarich 4:49 55-59 Jason Newport 5:18 60-64 David Matherne 5:14 70-74 Jack Pottle 5:41 75-79 Donald Morrison 6:35 85-89 Roland Cormier 7:17 90-94 Sid Davis 14:40 WOMEN 45-49 Jessica Ponds 5:37 50-54 Laura Scholz 7:32 55-59 Julie King 6:36 60-64 Michelle Allen 6:46 70-74 Tracey Bernett 7:23 75-79 Barbara Sauer 9:57 80-84 Catherine Radle 11:24 85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite 18:11.
Team results were not available at press time.
It was a great time in Des Moines! The Masters National Grand Prix resumes this coming Sunday, April 26th with the USATF Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA, outside of Boston.
Submitted by Paul Carlin