At 75, Hinton Discovers New Heights To Conquer

Setting world records is becoming old hat for Marge Hinton.

The sprightly 75-year-old from Bayton, Tex. high jumped 3-3-3/4 to claim the age group mark at the USATF National Masters Meet, a day after she set the long jump world mark.

She narrowly missed three tries at 3-4-1/8.

Hinton cleared 3-4 last week for a 70-over record in Victoria, B.C. Five days later her birthday moved her into a new category.

“I always played games at home,” Hinton said. “As you grew older girls were told to cross their ankles, keep their dress below their knees, sit and be happy.”

She began participating in masters competition in 1989 at the Senior Olympics in Houston, Tex.

Hinton asked her son-in-law how far 100 meters was.

“He told me ‘around a baseball field and back to first base.’ I said ‘I can do that,”’ Hinton explained.

She’s been running and jumping ever since.

For the record: Other high jumpers excelled at Saturday’s session.

Kathy Bergen, La Canada, Calif., moved the women’s 55 national record up to 4-3-1/4. Vince Sempronio set the men’s 70 record of 4-9.

Spokane’s June Machala added a second distance record, running 10,000 meters in 45 minutes, 42.98 seconds. Texan Betty Jarvis made it three throws, three records with a 44-3 discus toss that beat the women’s 80 record by nearly 24 feet.

Jane Arnold ran a record 2:32.33 in the women’s 55 800. In the 300 hurdles, 35-year-old Joy Upshaw-Margerum of Kamuela, HI., lowered her record to 1:04.4.

Milton Silverstein, of Tucson, AZ. went 13-5-1/2 for the men’s 75 long jump mark and Jim Sutton of Reading, PA. ran 2:24.79 for the men’s 65 800 meter mark.

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