Masters Throwers’ Proudest Moments

Introduction

QuickStart

For those who just want to sample the website, click on the "HIGHLIGHTS" section.  Because of the type size, these pages are best viewed on a computer monitor.

About this Project

I discovered Masters Track and Field competitions in 2003 at the age of 62 and have been enjoying the sport as as discus thrower ever since. In 2014 I started these pages in order to tell some of the the athlete’s stories.   The project concentrates on Masters Throwers, but as the years have gone by, I have included some younger throwers as well.

Proudest Athletic Moments

In my earliest conversations with my fellow throwers, I asked them to tell me about their Proudest Moment as an athlete, hense the title of this project. I soon realized that was not the right question. Rather, I changed to ask them about their most Meaningful Moment as an athlete, a moment that holds some strong personal significance.

In addition to the stories, I include a photo of the athlete, plus another photo of me standing next to them in order to provide a sense of scale—-I am 6’ 3”.

Organization and Navigation

These stories are in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent Track and Field season. You can search for an individual athlete using the The Index by Name section.  You may navigate through the pages by clicking on the current page or by using the right and left arrow keys.

Abbreviations

For some athletes, abbreviations appear after their name to indicate notable accomplishments made at some point in their career.  Usually only the highest ranking achievement is indicated.

        Oly.--Olympian

        m.w.r.—Masters World Record

        m.w.c.—Masters World Champion

        m.a.r.—Masters American Record

        m.n.c.—Masters National Champion

What do we throw?

“The Throws” typically consist of five events: the shot put, discus, hammer, javelin and weight throw.  Many Masters throwers compete in multiple events; others, like me, specialize in just one.  (There are some specialty events in addition to the standard five, including the 300 pound weight throw!.)

USA Track & Field Championships

The governing body for track and field in the country, USATF, has a Masters division for athletes age 30 and above.  Masters athletes compete against one another in five-year age-groups.   USATF championships are held by state, region and nationally.  World championships organized by World Masters Athletics are held every other year.  Other track and field competitions are organized by the Senior Games Association and by local track and field clubs.