Carolinas Track and Field Club

May your times, distances, heights, and scores be high, and may your injuries be few and minor, in 2008!

The Carolinas Track &Field Club, along with the Charlotte Department of Parks and Recreation, will host the 7^th Annual Carolinas Masters Invitational on April 19, 2008 at the Irwin Belk Track facility at the Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte North Carolina. This meet is open to USATF members age 30 and older, will be sanctioned by USATF, and will include FAT timing. Medals will be awarded in each age division for all events. There is no cost for 2008 CFT&FC members, and the cost for non-members is $20. The meet registration form (attached below) will be posted on the CT&FC website in the near future. Anthony James will be the meet director. The meet will be advertised as soon as the registration form is available on the website. Your assistance is spreading the word and inviting your masters track and field friends to our meet will be appreciated. We regret that the JCSU venue cannot accommodate the hammer throw event as has been requested by some members.

The Board of Directors has set the Club membership dues for 2008 at $20 per family. Membership is restricted to age 21 or older and resident in the U. S. Note that the cost of joining the Club offsets the cost of participating in the April 19 2008 meet at JCSU. Checks made out to CT&FC can be mailed to Ken Bender at 1104 Bellegrove Place, Charlotte, NC 28270

The CT&FC Board of Directors met on 12/11/2007 at the UNCC track meeting room. In attendance were Todd Haire (President), Gregg Swindlehurst (Secretary), Ken Bender (Treasurer), Sam Hall, and Anthony Searles. The Board of Directors for 2008 will include the above plus Rob Jackson (Coach) and Barbara Turkdamar (Vice-President). The Board discussed and voted on proposed revisions to the bylaws. A report on the Club finances was provided. The April 19 date for the JCSU meet was firmed up. Todd Haire presented a plaque to Coach Robert Olesen of the UNCC Track Team for his contributions to the Club. A gift card will also be given to Coach Olesen. Decisions were made on the Club providing transportation (van, bus, mileage reimbursement) for member travel to meets. Promoting volunteering at the UNCC meet on March 20-22 and the Youth Nationals in June was discussed. A suggestion to advocate drug testing in masters track & field was discussed. The schedule for 2008 was discussed.

The Club membership at this time consists of 45 athletes, with about ten prospective new members. New members can join through the Club website www.carolinastrackandfield.org.

Seventeen Club members were ranked in the top ten in the USATF 2007 national outdoor final rankings. Ranked first were Jim Russ in the decathlon, Tom Steed in the shot put, and Bill Gramley in the superweight throw. Bill Halverson and Vince Struble were both ranked second in the pole vault. Anthony Searles (200m), Bob Rockwell (triple jump), Stefan Waltermann (decathlon), Chris Sarsony (pentathlon), and Jameson Wells (pentathlon) were all ranked third. We have some truly elite athletes in our Club! The complete rankings are as follows (with my apology if I missed anyone – let me know).

Name	Event	Mark	Rank
Jim Russ M50	Decathlon	7268	1
Tom Steed M65	SP	13.9	1
Bill Gramley M70	SW	7.68	1
Bill Halverson M50	PV	4.45	2
Vince Struble M55	PV	3.8	2
Anthony Searles M50	100m	11.77	3
Bob Rockwell M55	TJ	11.06	3
Stefan Waltermann M55	Decathalon	5015	3
Chris Sarsony M40	Pentathalon	2701	3
Jameson Wells M50	Pentathalon	2658	3
Gregg Swindlehurst M50	400mH	1.06.8	4
Bob Rockwell M55	LJ	5.25	4
Kevin Rumble M50	Pentathalon	2314	4
Stefan Waltermann M55	Pentathalon	2676	4
Bill Gramley M70	Wt-Pent	3481	4
Chris Sarsony M35	3000mSC	13.42	4
Bob Rockwell M55	3000mSC	17.33.00	4
Tom Steed M65	WT	15.33	5
Mike DeMarte M35	DT	47.89	5
Paul Kinny M50	Mile	4.56	7
Bill Gramley M70	DT	39.9	7
Jim Russ M50	100mH	15.65	5
Anthony Searles M50	200m	24.76	6
Lem Clayton M60	SW	7.23	6
Tom Steed M65	DT	42.64	6
Paul Kinny M50	1500m	4.31.03	9
Bill Gramley M70	HT	35.62	9
Tom Steed M65	HT	34.19	9
Liz Johnson W50	HJ	1.1	9
Bill Gramley M70	W	14	10
Terry Martin M60	Wt-Pent	3105	10

The schedule for events is starting to shape up for 2008. This will be revised as more meets are announced. The Board of Directors strongly encourages members to volunteer at the two meets at the UNCC track. More information on those meets will be provided at a later date.

June 28 South Carolina Masters Track and Field Championships (Tentatively at Rock Hill SC)

The Club is on the winter practice schedule of 10:00-12:00 on Saturdays at the UNCC track. Several members are also practicing at UNCC on some weekday evenings from 4:00-7:00. Come join us!

The Club website www.carolinastrackandfield.org is currently being updated for the 2008 season. We really need to add some pictures of members in action. Please send your photos in reply to this e-mail.