Held sets age-group record in pole vault

As a younger man, Franklin “Bud” Held was renowned as a javelin thrower.

Make way for Franklin “Bud” Held, champion pole vaulter.

Held, 80, set an age-group world record in the pole vault Thursday in the first of four days of the USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships at Spokane Falls Community College.

In the javelin, Held won four national collegiate titles, six U.S. national crowns and claimed the U.S. record on six occasions. He was on the Olympic team in 1952.

But Held also dabbled in the pole vault as a high schooler in 1942. Twenty years ago, as a masters athlete, he returned to the event.

Competing in the 80-84 age group at SFCC with temperatures in the 90s, Held cleared 8 feet, 8 1/4 inches.

“I haven’t been practicing much lately because my legs have been weak,” Held said. “On my last attempt at the record I placed my left hand a little higher on the pole and it worked for me.”

In other events, Kathy Martin, the national masters athlete of the year in 2004, won the women’s 55-59 5,000-meter run in 19 minutes, 9.20 seconds.

Martin, of Northport, N.Y., has set more than 20 world and American records during her masters career.

“I run because that’s what I love to do,” Martin said. “If I were to get caught up in the numbers of records and championships, that would take the fun out of it.”

Nolan Shaheed of Pasadena, Calif., the former musical director for Marvin Gaye, won the men’s 55-59 5,000 in 17:00.60.

Winners from Washington included David Cannon, Seattle, men’s 50-54 5,000, 17:16.67; Susan Empey, Mercer Island, women’s 40-44 5,000, 18:17.47; Lisa Taylor, Puyallup, women’s 45-49 5,000, 19:44.06; Tim Shannon, Seattle, men’s 35-39 shot put, 45-11 3/4; and Christian Salas, Seattle, men’s 35-39 shot put, 41-8.