Striders women set American records

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: August 10, 2024

2024 IN THE COMMUNITY

From staff and wire reports

SACRAMENTO – The women’s masters track team of the Southern California Striders captured the overall West Region team title at the 2024 USA Masters Outdoor Championships to qualify for the national finals.

The event was held at American River College on July 18-21, 2024.

The Striders established a pair of American age-group records in scoring a whooping 385 points, nearly 100 points more than runner-up Southern California Track Club (297).

The Striders feature an assortment of athgletes from throughout the Southland, including many from the East County. Perhaps the best-known is Linn Dunton (throwing events), the current director of athletics at Liberty Charter High School in Alpine.

Coiming in the W70 division, the records included:

— Linda Cohn, Kathy Bergen, Jeanne Bowman, and Tina Bowman ran an electric 1:12.24 in the 4×100, besting the American record by nearly six seconds.

— Joy Flynn, Brenda Steele Matthews, Carole Jackson, and Rita Hanscom were the other quartet that delivered a striking performance three seconds below the American record.

Meanwhile, the Striders men placed sixth, giving the club a combined second-place finish in the ioverall standings. READ MORE HERE

Notes

Florence Meiler (Unattached) was the first woman in the W90 division to complete an outdoor pentathlon, therefore establishing a world record in the division./

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Men: Willie Banks

If Bob Beamon was the face of USA trackj in the 1960s with his world record long jump at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, then Bruce (now Caitlin) Jenner was America’s spotlight performer with decathlon gold and a world record at the 1976 Montreal Games, then Willie Banks was one of the main American fixtures in the 1980s in triple jump.

Banks, still competing at 68, continues to establish American records.

In the M65 triple jump, Willie Banks (unattached) jumped 10.98m, surpassing the American age-grou[ record by .14m.

Banks’ background

On June 16, 1985. Banks, a three-time Olympian, set a world record of 17.97 meters (58 feet 11.5 inches) at the national championships in Indianapolis.

The Oceanside High graduate also captured a silver medal at the 1983 1987 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.

Banks was awarded the Track & Field News and United States Olympic Committee Athlete of the Year in 1985 and won the Jesse Owens Award as the Outstanding Athlete in Track and Field.

READ Banks’ accomplishments HERE: