Boise, ID - America's top masters athletes crushed world and American records Sunday to conclude the 2005 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at Jacksons Track in Nampa, Idaho.

The W60 division highlighted the 200m finals as Nadine O'Connor set a world record after clocking a 29.51 performance. The 63-year-old O'Connor bettered the previous record of 29.93 set in 1989 by Christel Franzen of the Federal Republic of Germany. O'Connor held off a late surge from runner-up finisher, Kathy Jager of Glendale, Ariz., who clocked 30.26 seconds and also bettered the previous American record time of 30.59 in the W60 age division.

Not surprisingly, Phil Raschker of Marietta, Ga., added another American record to her book as she won the 200m W55 age division. The 58-year-old, Raschker ran 29.07 seconds to better the previous record of 30.00 set in 1997 by Adlin Mair of New York. A 2004 Sullivan's Award finalist, Raschker also added the triple jump crown (W55-8.97m/29-5.25).

Melvin Larsen of Ames, Iowa dazzled the crowd after he set a world record in the M80 age division of the 200m finals. The 80-year-old ran 31.86 seconds bettering Sweden's Gote Linblat's mark of 32.49 set in 2004.

Steve Gallegos of Golden, Colo., set a world record in the M50 age division of the 800m finals. The 50-year-old Gallegos ran 1:59.99 to better the 2:02.20 record set in 2004 by Great Britain's Alastair Dunlop.

Lesley Chaplin-Swann of McDonough, Ga., set an American record in the W45 division of the 800m finals. The 46-year-old Chaplin-Swann ran 2:22.78 to better the previous record of 2:23.33 set in 1996 by DeeDee Grafius of California. In the W50 division, Kathryn Martin of Northport, N.Y., improved her American record in the 800 finals. The 53-year-old ran 2:26.69 to better her 2:28.07 time set in 2004.

Sean Maye of Springville, Utah set an American record in the M35 division of the 200m finals. The 35-year-old Maye ran 22.02 seconds to better the 22.04 set in 1998 by Mitchell Lovett of New York. Runner-up finisher, Robert Thomas of Indianapolis, Ind., (M35-22.44) claimed the second fastest time out of all age groups in the 200m.

Roderick Parker improved his American record in the M85 age division of the 200m. The 86-year-old Amity, Ark., resident ran 35.17 to better his previous record of 35.74 set in 2004. Max Springer of Knoxville, Tenn., improved his American record in the M90 age division of the 200m. The 91-year-old ran 48.24 to better his previous record of 49.32 set in 2004. Runner-up finisher Clarence Trahan of Hemet, Calif., (M90-49.12) also bettered Springer's previous record. Springer also won the 800m finals (M90-5:09.42) earlier in the afternoon.

Several American records were set in today's super weight throw finals. The first one went to Richard Hotchkiss of Grass Valley, Calif., who tossed 7.38m/24-2.5 to win the M65 division. The 66-year-old Hotchkiss bettered the 7.30m/23-11.5 mark set in 2001 by Bob Ward of Texas. Richard Mulkern of St. Petersburg, Fla., tossed 7.40m/24-3.5 to set an American record in the M80 division. The 80-year-old Mulkern bettered Thomas McDermott's mark of 6.31m/20-8.5 set in 1998.

Leland McPhie of San Diego, Calif., set a few American records in today's competition. The 91-year-old improved his American record in the super weight throw M90 age division with a mark of 4.79m/15-8.75. McPhie's previous record mark was 2.70m/8-10.25 set in 2004. McPhie also set an American record in triple jump with a leap of 5.52m/18-1.5 to better the 5.09m/16-8.25 set in 2004 by Max Springer.

Audrey Lary of Frederick, Md., set American records in today's triple jump and super weight throw finals. The 70-year-old leaped 7.90m/25-11 to better the previous mark of 6.80m/22-3.75 set in 1998 by Leonore McDaniels. Lary's second American record of the day was in the W70 super weight throw with a toss of 6.02m/19-9. She bettered the 5.45m/17-10.5 mark set in 2003 by Lillian Snaden. Lary also claimed the W70 division crown in the 200m with a time of 36.90 seconds.

Ralph Maxwell of Alamo, Texas, leaped 6.59m/21-7.5 to set an American record in the M85 age division of the triple jump. The 85-year-old Maxwell bettered the previous mark of 6.31m/20-8.5 set in 2002 by Clarence Trahan.

The other women's triple jump champions were Liz Johnson of Charlotte, N.C., (W45-7.31m/23-11.75), Barbara Jordon of Burlington, Vt., (W60-7.36m/24-1.75) and Johnnye Valien of Los Angeles, Calif., (W70-5.11m/16-9.25).

The M60 division of the super weight throws provided some fireworks as Munich Olympian, Tom Gage of Billings, Mont., and George Mathews of Hayden Lake, Idaho, both tied with a mark of 8.40m/27-6.75. Gage claimed the title because his second best toss (8.36m/27-5.25) was better than Mathews' second best (8.09m/26-6.5). Ironically, both 61-year-olds were born three months apart in the same hospital in Ithaca, N.Y. Other super weight throw winners include James Wetenhall of Sylvania, Ohio (M50-10.43m/34-2.75), Todd Taylor of Portland, Ore., (M55-8.65m/28-4.5), Bob Ward of Dallas, Texas, (M70-9.17m/30-1) and Gerald Wojcik of Eugene, Ore., (M75-6.66m/21-10.25).

The 2005 women's super weight throw champions were Oneithea Lewis of Bayside, N.Y., (W40-9.32m/30-7), Cheryl Mellenthin of Cat Spring, Texas., (W45-4.33m/14-2.5), Joyce Taylor of Portland, Ore., (W50-8.73m/28-7.75), Sharon Raham of Wellington, Colo., (W55-4.57m/14-8), Mary Roman of Norwalk, Conn., (W65-5.35m/17-6.75) and Johnnye Valien of Los Angeles, Calif., (3.30m/10-10).

The women's 200m champions were Marjorie Milligan Jackson of Tacoma, Wash., (W35-28.61), Joy Upshaw-Margerum of Los Altos Hills, Calif., (W40-26.22), Denise McField of St. Louis, Mo., (W45-28.78), Rita Hanscom of San Diego, Calif., (W50-27.86), Barbara Jordan of Burlington, Vt., (W65-34.51), Gerry Davidson of Fallbrook, Calif., (W80-55.25) and Olga Kotelko of Vancouver, Canada (W85-55.75).

Ray Graves of Scottsdale, Ariz., ran 30.74 seconds holding off a late surge by Lowell Bonifield of Lubbock, Texas, (M70-30.92) to win the M70 division of the men's 200m. Other men's 200m champions were George Joachim of Fort Wayne, Ind., (M30-23.17), Kettrell Berry of San Diego, Calif., (M40-22.58), Bennie James of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., (M45-23.27), Bill Collins of Houston, Texas, (M50-24.43), Charles Allie of Pittsburgh, Pa., (M55-24.70), Roger Price of Piscataway, N.J., (M60-25.83), Robert Lida of Wichita, Kan., (M65-26.78) and Harry Brown of Wauconda, Ill., (M75-29.61),

Marcus Battle of Silver Spring, Md., (M45-12.06m/39-7) barely edged runner-up finisher David Quick of Bakersfield, Calif., (M45-12.05m/39-6.5) to win the triple jump. Other men's triple jump champions include James Melton of Willingboro, N.J., (M35-9.69m/31-9.5), Gregory Foster of Lumberton, N.J., (M40-14.02m/46-0), Robert Richardson of Carson, Calif., (M50-11.02m/36-2), Larry Rodenbeck of West Plains, Mo., (M55-11.28m/37-0.25), Frank Struna of Lolo, Mont., (M60-10.89m/35-8.75), Norman MacLeod of Portland, Ore., (M65-9.20m/30-2.25), Robert Hewitt of Portland, Ore., (M70-8.99m/29-6) and James Stookey of Dickerson, Md., (M75-6.53m/21-5.25).

The women's 800m winners were Rebecca Connolly of Wilmington, Mass., (W35-2:36.06), Carrie Sherburne of the So Cal Track Club (W40-2:28.96), Jeanette Groesz of Redmond, Ore., (W55-2:39.24), Marie-Louise Michelsohn of Stony Brook, N.Y., (W60-2:49.71), Jeanne Daprano of Atlanta, Ga., (W65-3:28.85), Suzi Macleod of Bend, Ore., (W70-3:29.77), Helen Schley of Myersville, Md., (W75-4:41.40) and Gerry Davidson of Fallbrook, Calif., (W80-4:57.62).

The M70 division of the 800m came down to the wire as Donald Kane of Portland Ore., finished in 3:05.57 with runner-up finisher, Bruce Marsh of Blounts Creek, N.C., in a close 3:05.59. Other men's 800m champions were Kyle Lanier of Lincoln University, Pa., (M30-2:04.07), Marek Wensel of Storm Lake, Iowa, (M35-2:04.20), Tony Young of Redmond, Wash., (M40-1:56.15), Jeff Lindsay of Tulsa, Okla., (M45-2:05.77), Alston Brown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., (M55-2:12.37), Larry Barnum of Reno, Nev., (M60-2:18.89), Sid Howard of New York, N.Y., (M65-2:28.17), Jack Gray of Fort Worth, Texas, (M75-3:09.74) and Roy Englert of Springfield, Va., (M80-3:48.51).

The women's 3,000m race walk champions were Kelly Murphey-Glenn of Kuna, Idaho (W40-16:02.85), Cathy Henley of Bellingham, Wash., (W45-16:52.48), Lynn Tracy of Racine, Wis., (W50-16:03.07), Yoko Eichel of Woodland Hills, Calif., (W55-17:49.72), Jolene Steigerwalt of San Diego, Calif., (W60-19:01.48), Bev LaVeck of Mazama, Wash., (W65-19:15.30), Sara Lee Warberg of Twin Falls, Idaho (W70-22:45.91) and Katherine Marrs of Milwaukee, Wis., (W75-21:44.20).

The men's 3,000m race walk winners include Michael Blanchard of Castle Rock, Colo., (M40-14:48.65), Chris Rael of Huntington Beach, Calif., (M45-14:40.23), David Friedman of Monroe Township, N.J., (M50-27:43.16), Norman Frable of McKinney, Texas, (M55-15:52.93), James Carmines of Etters, Pa., (M60-16:05.06), Ted Moore of Reno, Nev., (M65-17:05.66), Jack Bray of Greenbrae, Calif., (M70-17:12.27) and Jerard Hargis of Spearfish, S.D., (M75-22:21.04).

Ad Hoc A (W40-49; 4:31.15) claimed the women's 4x400m relay title and So Cal Track Club A (W40-49; 10:31.32) claimed the women's 4x800m relay crown.

The men's 4x400m relay champions were FIBO Track Club (M30-39; 3:41.73), Ad Hoc B, (M40-49; 3:30.83), Ad Hoc H (M50-59; 3:48.77), So Cal Track Club B (M60-69; 4:14.76) and Ad Hoc L (M70-79; 5:35.93).

The men's 4x800m relay champions were FIBO Track Club A (M30-39; 9:01.69), Ad Hoc E (M40-49; 9:24.60), Ad Hoc B (M50-59; 8:32.95), So Cal Track Club A (M60-69; 10:23.92) and Ad Hoc A (M70-79; 13:30.93).

Congratulations to all the masters from SCMT for being such a wonderful inspiration!

For more information on the 2005 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships visit www.usatf.org and www.usatf.org/assoc/sr/masters05/index.htm