Hoosiers are golden at USATF Masters Indoor Championships in New York

Indiana Results Scoreboard

On Sunday (20-Mar) the 2022 USATF Masters Indoor Championships concluded in New York. USATF Indiana was represented by eight (8) athletes who competed in 12 events.  948 athletes from 46 states competed during the three days of competition held at The Armory Track & Field complex.

Indiana members won six (6) national titles and a total of nine (9) championship medals (for finishing in the top three in an event final).
 
The highlights for the Indiana members were the six gold medals won by Brenda Babits (Vault High Athletics) of Fort Wayne, Paul Babits (Vault High Athletics) of Fort Wayne, Gary Hunter of Fort Wayne, Grace Liang of West Lafayette, and Antonio Palacios of Bloomington.  All six victories came in the jumping events; three in the pole vault.  Palacios won two gold medals as he won the Long Jump and Triple Jump.

THE VAULTERS SOAR

The soaring Babits husband-and-wife tandem swept the 60-64 division titles as Paul, 61, won the men's competition with a clearance of 3.50m (11-5¾) and Brenda, 61, won the women's title; clearing 2.20m (7'-2½). It was Paul's 32nd national title and Brenda's 16th.

Gary Hunter, 66,  claimed the men's 65-69 pole vault title clearing 3.35m (10-11¾).  It was Hunter's 49th career USATF masters title.  His first title was in 1999 when he won the 40-44 division.

PALACIOS WINS 20th CAREER TITLE; LIANG WINS FIRST 

Antonio Palacios, 55, won the men's 55-59 Triple Jump and Long Jump to earn his 19th and 20th career USATF masters title.  His winning jump in the Triple Jump (12.67m / 41-7) scored 90.12 on the age grading tables (scores over 90 are considered world-class performances). It was the best age-graded score turned in by the Indiana athletes. Palacios' winning mark in the Long Jump was 5.56m (18-3).

Winning her first national title was Grace Liang, 35, of West Lafayette.  She won the 35-39 Long Jump title with a leap of 5.04m (16-6½).  She also finished third in the 200m (27.72) and fourth in the 60m (8.23).

MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE AWARDS PODIUM....

Also earning trips to the awards podium Nick Blakey, 30 of Indianapolis and Karen Rieger, 58, of Indianapolis for their top-3 finishes.  Blakey finished second in the 30-34 200m running 23.48. Rieger finished third in the women's 55-59 Pole Vault clearing 1.65m (5-5).

Tanja Grant, 50, of Indianapolis placed fourth in the women's 50-54 200m and 400m.
 

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Click here for the complete Indiana results scoreboard

The USATF Masters Outdoor Championships will be held July 28-31 in Lexington, KY

Next year's indoor championships will be held March 10-12 in Louisville, KY