Eighty One participants will take part in this weekend’s Masters Track and Field Championship Open Competition at Georgia Southern.
The meet serves as the Georgia Championship for athletes 30-and-older, but a non-championship meet for those ages 19-29 will also be held. This is the first time the Masters Championship has been held in Statesboro with the previous 11 meets conducted at Savannah State University.
The event begins tonight at 7:15 p.m. with the mile and 10,000 meter races. It resumes on Saturday at 9 a.m. with field events.
“I’ve always wanted to have it in Statesboro,” said Jim Hite, who along with his wife, Joyce, helped to coordinate the event. “But you have to have a certain caliber of track... and it wasn’t until a few years ago when Georgia Southern built there track that we could finally think about having it (here). We just wanted to have a track meet in the area and try and get some runners from other parts of the state.”
Hite not only got athletes from Georgia, but competitors from Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Michigan and Kentucky for the meet. Participants are divided into age groups in intervals of five, starting at age 30.
“It’s a full track meet — but it’s a championship for men and women over the age of 30 and it’s a sanctioned meet,” Hite explained.
The championship setting creates plenty of drama and high-stakes competition. Hite expects nothing less this weekend out on the campus of GSU.
“Well, we always want more (competitors),” Hite laughed. “But 81 is a good number. It’ll be an eye-opener. It’s quite an experience — it really is.”
Here’s a listing of who’s-who for this weekend’s event from outside the county: Charles Ross (meet’s oldest competitor at 86); Bill Daprano (2008 USATF national champion in the pentathlon, pentathlon winner at NCCWMA (North America/Central America/Caribbean World Masters Athletics) championship, honored by Governor Sonny Perdue last Fall for his athletic performance; Jean Daprano (set US record for the indoor 800m at the USATF National Indoor Championships in Landover, Md., in March [3:08], first woman over 70 to break seven minutes for the mile, Athlete of Year for Masters Athlete magazine 2008); Ozzie Binion (300H 49.60); Paul Brown (200m 23.75).
Dr. Vince Martin of Martin Chiropractic Clinic will provide a $100 award to the Bulloch County athlete with the best age-graded performance. USA Track and Field Georgia Association Masters already provides the same amount to the best age-graded performance by both male and female athletes from Georgia.
The Statesboro track and field team and the Bulloch County Track Club will provide volunteers for the event.
Some participants of note from Bulloch County include: Samose Mays (coach of Sprint South in the 400H) and several members of the Statesboro Pacers track and field team.
Here’s a listing of who’s-who for this weekend’s event from outside the county: Charles Ross (meet’s oldest competitor at 86); Bill Daprano (2008 USATF national champion in the pentathlon, pentathlon winner at NCCWMA (North America/Central America/Caribbean World Masters Athletics) championship, honored by Governor Sonny Perdue last Fall for his athletic performance; Jean Daprano (set US record for the indoor 800m at the USATF National Indoor Championships in Landover, MD, in March [3:08], first woman over 70 to break seven minutes for the mile, Athlete of Year for Masters Athlete magazine 2008); Ozzie Binion (300H 49.60); Paul Brown (200m 23.75); Ewar Guardilo (a leading middle distance runner in Georgia)
Chad Bishop can be reached at (912) 489-9408.
