Carolinas Track and Field Club

The Carolinas Track & Field Club, headquartered in Charlotte North Carolina, has membership across North and South Carolina and competes under USA Track & Field at the masters level. Masters track & field is for ages 30 and up, with competition in five-year brackets (30-34, 35-39, 40-44, etc.). The Club has members competing in age groups from 30-34 to 70-74, with recent membership consisting of 9 women and 64 men. The full schedule of track and field events recognized by USATF are included in the competition. Event distances, hurdle heights and spacing, and implement weights vary by age bracket according to USATF specifications. The Club membership fee for 2009 is $20 per family. The membership includes all skill levels from beginner to elite. Many members are returning to the sport after a long absence. Some members are in serious training programs for national competition, and some are just out for fun and to enjoy the fellowship and fresh air.

In August 2006 the Club hosted the 2006 USATF National Outdoor Masters Track and Field Championship at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte track. Gordon Edwards, former Club President and Coach, served as Meet Director. A large number of the Club members participated in the championships, winning 14 individual and 3 relay gold medals, 10 individual and 2 relay silver medals, and 15 individual and 2 relay bronze medals. 39 Club members placed in the top six in at least one event. The Club place 4th overall with a total of 327 points, with the women placing 2nd with 138 points, and the men placing 3rd with 189 points.

The Club practices at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte track on Saturdays from 9-12 a.m. Some members also train at the track on weekday evenings. Many members train individually and attend the meets that we host.

The Club hosts one or two USATF sanctioned masters track and field competitions annually. These are held at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte track or the Johnson C. Smith University track, both in Charlotte, North Carolina. Many members travel to USATF meets in the southeast as well as to the USATF indoor and outdoor national masters championships. Refer to the "Calendar of Events" for upcoming meets and other events.

If you have questions, contact Sam Hall, (704) 707-5566 / ssh200meterman@ctc.net)or Jeff Paddyfote (704-968-9754 / Jeffery.paddyfote@libertyagency.com).

Results of 8th Annual Carolina Masters Invitational T&F Meet – April 18 2009 at UNCC

CT&FC hosted the 8^th Annual Carolina Masters Invitational T&F Meet at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Belk Track on April 18, 2009. The 90 masters athletes that competed enjoyed excellent weather and great competition. The full results are attached (CTFC 4_18_2009 Results.doc) and will be submitted to National Masters News, www.mastersrankings.com, and the Club website www.carolinastrackandfield.org later this week. A total of 32 All-American Standards were exceeded in 13 different events! Individual highlights (there are too many to include them all) included the following excellent performances:

Daniel Alonzo (M40) with a monster javelin throw of 59.69 meters (195.83 feet)! (He threw it well past the middle of the soccer field!)

Derrick Archie (M35) with a blazing 100m time of 10.71! (Derrick is the fastest man in masters track!)

Marcella Hale-Hall (W55) with a very fast 400m time of 1:14.34! (Her first competition in many years)

Alfred Deans (M70) with an excellent 200m time of 30.81! (His first competition in many years)

Gerald Vaughn (M70) with a powerful shot put of 13.33m! (Gerald is the world record holder!)

Richard Bergenback (M80) with a tremendous hammer toss of 21.03m! (Richard, age 82 was our oldest competitor)

Bill Halverson (M50) with an outstanding pole vault of 13 feet 6 inches! (Bill is the second best M50 pole vaulter in the world!)

Chris Sarsony (M40) competed in all five pentathlon events! (Chris is the national pentathlon champion)

The Board of Directors would like to thank the many volunteers that helped with this meet (too many to name individually). Many were distracted from their events while officiating and the Club sincerely appreciates their contributions. We hope to see everyone again next year!

CT&FC Member Results at USATF Masters Indoor T&F Championships in Landover MD March 20-22, 2009

Seven members of CT&FC competed at the USATF Masters Indoor Championships in Landover MD on March 20-22. We have several national champions and some excellent performances to recognize!

Congratulations to Liz Johnson (W50) for her two national champion gold medal performances in the long jump (10 feet 3 inches) and triple jump (19 feet 6.75 inches) events, and for her silver medal in the high jump (3 feet 5.25 inches)!

Congratulations to new member Mark Williamson (M50) for his national championship gold medal in the high jump with an awesome height of 1.90m (that’s 6 feet 2.75 inches)! Mark also won the bronze medal in the 60m hurdle event with a very speedy 9.40 seconds.

Congratulations to Glenn Sasser (M65) for his national championship gold medal in the shot put with a huge toss of 44 feet 11.50 inches! Glenn added this national championship to his outdoor championship from last summer.

Congratulations to Barbara Turkdamar (W45) for her silver medal in the 60m with an excellent time of 8.73 seconds, and for her bronze medal in the 200m with a fine time of 29.69 seconds.

Congratulations to Jim Russ (M50) for his bronze medal in the pole vault with a nice height of 11 feet 5.75 inches!

Also competing were Tony Searles (M55) and Adrian Harrison (M45).

CT&FC was represented at the 2008 USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Spokane by Bill Halverson, Jamieson Wells, Stefan Waltermann, Glenn Sasser and Chris Sarsony. We have two national champions and one silver medalist! In the team standings CT&FC finished in a tie for 60th place out of 124 teams with 14 points. Chris Sarsony (M40) defended his 2007 national championship in the pentathlon with a score of 2658 points! Chris placed first in the 200m, the 1500m, and the discus on his way to victory. Chris also finished 12th in the discus event. Chris lives in Apex. Glenn Sasser (M65) won the shot put with a throw of 13.55m (44-05.50 feet)! Glenn recently joined CT&FC to start competing in masters track & field and all he did was to go out and win the national championship. He lives in Wrightsville Beach. Bill Halverson (M50) won the silver medal in the pole vault with a mark of 4.25m! Bill is a nationally recognized elite vaulter and posts excellent marks year in and year out. Bill lives in Charlotte. Jamie Wells (M50) placed fourth in the pentathlon with a score of 2655 points. Jamie lives in Charlotte. Stefan Walterman (M55) placed fifth in the pentathlon with a score of 2656 points. Stefan also finished 6th in the discus and 8th in the javelin. Stefan lives in Hickory.