Roger Vergin and Carol Bichon Jackson shine at West Sound Senior Games
Two young-at-heart athletes, Roger Vergin and Carol Bichon Jackson, came not only to compete, but also to win events at the 2009 West Sound Senior Games in Bremerton, WA.
Vergin (competing in the 70-74 age group) won gold medals in the long jump, triple jump, high jump, 50-meter sprint, 100, 200, and 400. His 27-09 (27-foot-9-in ) in the Triple Jump was the best jump of the day among all the competitors of all ages, and all his tests were contested.
Carol Bichon Jackson (60-64) took home 5 gold medals in the discus, shot put, 50, 100 and 200, and was runner-up in the 400.
Bob Sheedy (65-69) was the only athlete of the day to make a clean sweep in all 5 field events, winning gold in shot put, discus, long jump, triple jump and high jump. His high jump 4-07 was the best mark of the day. It was also contested in all 5 events.
John Lax (50-54) won the most gold medals: 8 in shot put, discus, high jump, 50, 100, 200, 800 and 1500, but only 3 of his 8 wins were contested.
Ruggles Larson (75-79) earned an Iron Man Award after winning the Shot Put, Discus, Long Jump and Triple Jump, finishing runner-up in the 50 and 100, and finishing 3rd in the High Jump and 200. He played 6 of his 8 events.
Among the other top performances of the day for the men are Christopher Penoyar (55-59) in the shot put (43-07) and discus (106-07), Rick Tomlinson (50-54) in the long jump (13- 09), Steven Joyner (55-59) at 50 (6.9) and 100 (12.4), Michael LaPointe (55-59) at 200 (29.2), and Daryl Schruhl (55-59) at 400 (70.2) ) ), 800 (2:48) and 1500 (5:54.2).
For Schruhl, it was a clean sweep of distance in the 400, 800 and 1500, with all the wins being the best performances of the day.
Among the other top performances of the day for women are Jennifer Hogan (50-54) in the discus (65.11) and shot put (27-09.5), Susan Hesselgrave (50-54) in the 800 (3:38.5) and 1,500 (7:37.3), Fran Melzer (70-74) in Long Jump (9-04), and Debbie Dohrmann (55-59) in 100 (17.7).
Melzer also won the discus and shot put, and participated in all events. Dohrmann won gold in discus, shot put and 50 but was unopposed in all 4 events.
One of the hottest events of the day was the 800 that Hesselgrave took in 3:38.5. Carol Mus was runner-up to Hesselgrave in 3:38.7, just two tenths of a second, which is a close finish in the 800.
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley