World & American Records Tumble at Hartshorne

World and American age-group records tumbled, while two loyalists continued to dominate the men's and women's elite invitational races of the 34th annual Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile Jan. 20 at Cornell University.

Three-time Hartshorne Masters Mile champion -- and two-time runner-up -- Tim McMullen, 47, of Churchville, N.Y., decisively won his fourth elite mile title in 4 minutes, 34.20 seconds. McMullen also is a two-time national masters mile champion among men ages 45-49.

Ithaca's Casey Carlstrom, 41, placed second among elite milers in 4:38.43, and Dave Cole, 41, of Liverpool finished third in 4:42.20, nipping Syracuse's Robin Wheeless (4:43.) at the finish.

Designated pace-setter Scott Weeks, Groton High School track and cross country coach, was recruited to steam-roll the men's elite field along to a 2:13 half-mile split. At the gun, McMullen and Weeks immediately gapped the field. The duo passed through the quarter in 1:06.60; the half in 2:13.2, with the second-tier pack about 4 to 6 seconds back.

"I'm pretty fit, and I thought I could get under 4:30 if I really needed it," said McMullen, a tutor in the Rochester City School District. "All my workouts have been geared to that, so I talked with Scott and said let's shoot for that pace. My plan was to get behind him as soon as possible, and try to run that time. After 400 meters, the pressure was off and I could relax and just follow Scott.

"I knew some of those other guys haven't had the chance to get on the track as much as I have, and I've had a couple of good races already this season," said McMullen, running his eighth Hartshorne Invitational. "I've done two track workouts a week -- hard 200s, 400s and 600s, because that's what it takes to run the mile. I'm very proud to have won the Hartshorne Mile again. It's an important race for me -- I key on it, and it's a great win."

The battle for second- and third-place was a tactical eight-lap drama, with changing leads. Early on, that pack included Carlstrom, Wheeless, Binghamton's Bob Nugent and Jim Cuono of Port Carbon, Pa. But Carlstrom escaped from a boxed-in spot and unleashed a untouchable 400-meter final sprint, while Cole moved up the line for a last-second rally.

"During the first quarter, I figured I'd tuck in on the inside lane, but somebody immediately came right in front of me, and another guy came up on the outside of me," said Carlstrom, who works in computer services at Cornell's business school. "I don't know if those guys were ganging up on me or what -- I'm sure they weren't, but I was totally boxed in. Something would have to change.

"I thought the pace was right because I was feeling so good, but I saw that I was already three seconds slower than the pace I wanted to run," said Carlstrom, who hit the first half in 2:20 and the second in 2:16. "So coming around the very next straight-away, I went around those guys and got back on pace. But it was a bad tactic, because I shouldn't have waited as long as I did. Tim was already way ahead of me, and seemed out of reach. With three laps to go, I had so much left I figured I'd better start using it."

Carlstrom accelerated past Wheeless, who had moved into second position by the third lap.

"I thought, 'I'm doing pretty good here. Maybe the mile will be my distance,'" said Wheeless, a 5K to 15K distance specialist. "My splits were even, and at five laps I thought Tim might even come back to me. But when Casey came by me like I was standing still, there was nothing I could do about him.

" At first, I thought I might pick it up and try to stay with him. I tried to go as hard as I could for the last 400 meters to see what I had, but when Dave came by at the very end, there was nothing I could do about it," said Wheeless, a software specialist at Sensis Corporation. "I could have had a rear-view mirror, and people could have told me step-by-step what was coming, but it wouldn't have mattered. That was everything I had to give."

"I came from behind, and pulled up everything I had to nip Robin at the line," added Cole, a Napa Auto Parts manager. "We were battling it out with a bunch of guys, and I had to reach down and give it all I had."

Four-time defending Hartshorne Masters Mile women's champion and meet record holder (5:15.86) Patti Ford, 45, of Lafayette, N.Y., claimed a fifth-straight title in 5:18.10 -- a new American and world record (pending ratification) for women ages 45-49.

Ford currently holds the American record for women ages 40-44 in the 3,000 meters (10:04.93) and the 800 meters (2:22.67) -- and a pending American record for women ages 45-49 in the 3,000 meters (10:23.10).

Carolyn Smith-Hanna, 50, of Pittsford, N.Y. set a pending new American and world record for women ages 50-54 by placing second to Ford in 5:27.33. Smith-Hanna also owns a pending American record in the 1,500 meters (5:05.2), and single-age 49 records in the mile (5:32) and the 5K (18:30).

Suzanne Myette, 43, of Endicott claimed the third masters position in 5:48.40. Myette is a former national masters champion and world bronze medalist in the duathlon, and placed fourth among masters women at the 2000 Philadelphia Marathon in a personal best of 3:05.

In the women's elite mile, sub-veteran runner Becky Heuer, 36, of Forestville, N.Y. (near Buffalo), was enlisted to rabbit the women's field. A three-time Upstate New York Cross Country open champion, Heuer hit the finish line first in 5:16.92 and helped pace Ford and Smith-Hanna to record-breaking runs. Ford had to break 5:19; Smith-Hanna had to dip below 5:40.

"Basically, it's a masters race, so although I was here to run a good time, it was more important for me to help the masters women run what they wanted to run," said Heuer, a health and physical education teacher. "I didn't want to run too slow, and the object was to run 39s (second) per lap. I knew if we did that, Carolyn would be right there with Patti and me. A couple of times I thought we were a hair too slow. So I picked it up a bit and, surged at one point, hoping to pull the women along a bit faster the last three to four laps.

"I was happy to do it," said Heuer, the American record holder among women ages 35-39 in the indoor 800 meters (2:17). "The run was for them, and they're good company."

At the gun, Heuer charged to the front and Smith-Hanna jumped in behind her. In the third position, Ford briefly shadowed the pair, then moved to second, replacing Smith Hanna as masters front runner.

Despite some nagging injuries and a flu-like illness, Ford never lost contact with Heuer, at times even running up on her heels.

"We had a plan, and Becky was always working with me," said Ford, who ran a 5:06 mile at masters indoor nationals in 2000. "A gap opened up between Carolyn and Becky, so I knew I'd better get on it and stay in contact. We were a bit behind (record pace) at the half (2:38), so the next couple of laps I was a bit worried. But at 1,200 meters, I felt strong and had a lot left cardiovascularly.

"I didn't want to go all out today, but I really wanted to run a 5:15. I just couldn't do it," added Ford, who runs for the Syracuse Chargers. "I love the Hartshorne Mile; it's one of my favorite all-time races.

"I'm pretty pleased with her performance, and it's a solid race for Patti," said Vicki Mitchell, University of Buffalo coach who is also coaching Ford. "It's a nice marking point so early in the season. Aside from talent, which is very abundant with her, Patti is very determined -- a great quality. It has hurt her at times, because she'll over train. But she's incredibly mentally tough; she can press through the pain, more so than most can tolerate. I know she can run much faster than she did today, and the goal is the indoor masters championships in Boston."

Although Smith-Hanna, the USA Track & Field F50-54 masters cross country runner of the year and the Upstate New York Cross Country masters co-champion (shared with Myette), didn't have to run Ford's pace, she decided to race aggressively and dip below the F50-54 age-group record as much as possible.

"I tried to relax, hang on and do the best I could do," said Smith Hanna, a physical education teacher in the Penfield school district. "I tried to pick it up at the end, but ran out of a little steam. My coach was reading me my lap (splits), and I was doing that and staying ahead of my (required) pace. I knew I had it, but I kept going hard as I could at the end. The cross country running makes me really strong, especially when I get on the track. But I haven't done much track running , so I'm still adjusting."

In the men's Section II race, Earl Fee of Mississauga, Ontario, set a pending single age 71 world record of 5:39.52, which was also a Canadian national indoor mark for men ages 70-74. Fee also is the world record holder for men ages 70-74 in his specialty -- the 800 meters (2:20.5).

The top three male and female elite milers shared in an equal prize purse of $300, $150 and $50, respectively.

The Wineglass Running Club (Corning, N.Y.), the Ithaca Center for Postgraduate Medical Education, Cornell professor emeritus Bob Babcock, and the Tompkins County Trust Company provided sponsorship for this year's event.

-- Diane Sherrer