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Neringa Jakstiene, who came to the U.S. from Lithuania, competing in the high jump Thursday morning as part of the Women's 60-64 Pentathlon at the USATF Masters Indoors Championships in Chicago. Jakstiene has set three world records so far at the meet, including the pentathlon. Photo by Rob Jerome.
By Ray Glier
Neringa Jakstiene, 60, had a sore Achilles tendon in her right leg in the five weeks leading up to the USA Track & Field Masters Indoors Championships in Chicago this weekend. It is her takeoff leg. She showed up for the national meet anyway, of course.
Neringa, who turned 60 in October, 2023, is the youngest in her age bracket (W60-64). It is time to make hay, as they say, if you want to break records. She also understands nagging soreness is part of competing at 60.
That competitiveness behind obvious physical abilities is how she came to Chicago and set world records for W60-64 indoors pentathlon (4787) and indoors long jump (4.74 meters) and 60-meter hurdles (9.66 seconds).
"I couldn't practice with spikes," Neringa said in a phone interview with Geezer Jock. "I put on spikes just yesterday (Thursday). I feel great. I feel very strong, like I'm getting younger and younger."
Jakstiene is an immigrant from Lithuania who lives in Memphis. Here is a good story on her from The Commercial Appeal newspaper.
Jakstiene set a world record in the pentathlon in December, 2023. Sue McDonald broke her record a month ago. Neringa snatched it back from McDonald by 152 points on Thursday.
As part of the pentathlon was the 4.74 meters long jump, which bested her own world mark of 4.70 set February 11 in Gainesville, Fla.
"I was very happy yesterday, I gave up all myself," Neringa said of Thursday's pentathlon.
Friday brought the 4.73 meters (15 feet, 6 1/4 inches) in the individual long jump and another national win.
(Thank you to Bob Weiner, Masters Track & Field Championships Media Director and competitor, for setting up this long distance interview).
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There is another star Iowans can be proud of, Kristy Matthews, of late San Diego State University and the San Diego Track Club. Move over Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark.
On Friday in Chicago, Matthews ran 60 seconds in the 400 to set an American and World Record in the women's 50-54 age group.
You could see her coming in the Iowa Senior Games in 2023 when she won 100m, 200m, and 400m races. Kristy was the first in state history to set three meet records in a single day.
Here is a link to a nice little story on Kristy.
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Myrle Mensey of St. Louis set a world record in the weight throw for women 75-79 and an American record for women 75-79 in the super weight throw.
This is the Geezer Jock story on Mensey from 2023. Her community work is spectacular.
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