Potomac Valley Track Club Hosts 2009 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships March 20-22 at PGSLC with Olympians and World Champions, Bringing Nationals to DC Area for Athletes 30 & Over, Theme of Lifetime Fitness

The country's top masters athletes compete with others in a unique meet open to all, the 2009 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at Prince George's Sports and Learning Center in Landover MD, Friday-Sunday, March 20-22, 2009.

Nearly 1000 are expected to compete including two-time Sullivan Award Finalist Philippa Raschker (62) of Marietta, Georgia, who twice in the last five years made the short list of the top five for America's top amateur athlete of any age (with swimmer Michael Phelps, skater Apolo Ohno, basketball star Lebron James, and football quarterback Tim Tebow.) Raschker last year won ten gold medals at the outdoor World Masters Championships in Italy and was voted the outstanding competitor.This year she won USATF's Outstanding Masters Athlete award.

The MD-DC-VA area is home to an unusually large number of masters athletes. Among local national stars in the meet are five-time Olympic trials participant contender Alisa Harvey (41) of Manassas, VA; 1976 Olympian Jim Barrineau (53) of Burke, VA, in the high jump; lifetime 20-world titles holder Larry Colbert (71) of Bowie, MD, Coach of the Glenarden Track Club; and U.S. high jump record holder Bruce McBarnette (51) of Sterling, VA.

Potomac Valley Track Club (PVTC), who won the bid for this year's nationals, is directing the meet, with support from USA Track & Field's Potomac Valley Association (PVA). Other stars already entered: Kathryn Martin (57) of Northport, NY, Bengay's Outstanding Masters Athlete; USATF 2008 age group masters track & field athletes of the year Christel Donley (74) of Colorado Springs, CO, and Oneithea Lewis (48) of Oakland Gardens NY.

The meet will have an international flavor as well with top competitors from Brazil, Great Britain, and Mexico already entered.

The meet is open to all athletes 30 and up, once as old as 101 - - the late shot putt thrower and sprinter Everett Hosack. Past participants included world record holders and Olympians Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter and Joan Benoit Samuelson. Oldest competitor entered so far: Leland McPhie (95) of San Diego, in seven events: 60M, high jump, long jump, shot, weight, super weight, and triple jump. Oldest DC area competitor entered to date is Charles Boyle (85) of Annapolis in the 3000 Meter racewalk.

The meet is open to any athlete 30 and over. The national championship meet was held in Boston 11 of the past 12 years. PVTC President Craig Chasse is Meet Director. Peter Taylor is Meet Announcer. Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex is next to FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. The host hotels are the Radisson and Holiday Inn Express in Largo MD.

For detailed information on entrants and schedule, USATF's meet home page is: 2009 USA Masters Indoor T/F Championships .
See the PVTC site for still more meet detail.