Your Cart is Empty
By Ray Glier
The smoke was so thick in Geneva, Ohio, last weekend it set off the fire alarm in Nonie Hudnall’s hotel when someone held the door open too long to bring in bags.
Nonie, 76, was entered in nine events, plus the pentathlon, at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships. She ran the 5000 meter race Thursday at 8 a.m. and it looked like that was all she would run.
“By 9:30 that morning, the meet stopped because of the air,” Hudnall said. “I was thinking, well, at least I got one event in.”
Smoke from the wildfires in Canada and U.S. Midwest swathed the town on the shores of Lake Erie in a gray fogginess. Thursday’s events were cancelled. Friday’s events were cancelled.
Finally, the air quality was deemed safe and the meet resumed Saturday.
Nonie went back to work.
Hudnall, who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., and competes with the Atlanta Track Club, ended up competing in nine events, eight in two days (Saturday and Sunday). Nonie took home four gold medals, three silver medals, and a bronze (she did not get a mark in the pole vault).
Hudnall is ranked in the top 10 in the world in seven events and No. 1 in the 2000 steeplechase.
Nonie embodied the irrepressible and spontaneous disposition of many of the athletes last weekend. Like Hudnall, the Geezer Jocks stayed ready and rolled with delays and anxiousness…some with more patience than others.
“We all have a little more life experience and you get a little philosophical about these kinds of things,” Hudnall said. “I was thinking we’re all in the same boat and this could be worse.”
It wasn’t bad for Nonie
In the 5000, she stayed just under a 9-minute pace and finished in 27 minutes, 19.71 seconds. That’s 12½ laps, or 3.1 miles for a 76-year old woman. Be impressed.
“I could smell the smoke,” Hudnall said, “but it didn’t bother me. At least not yet.”
Nonie also won the 2000-meter steeplechase, and was on gold medal relay teams in the 4x400 and 4x800. She took silvers in the 1500, 80 hurdles, and 200 hurdles, and bronze in the triple jump. The pentathlon was cancelled.
After Hudnall’s first attempt of four in the triple jump runners were called to the line for the 2000 steeplechase in the modified, hurry-up schedule. She had to get outside.
“I was ok with one jump, at least I got one,” Nonie said. “It’s amazing they got in as many events as they did.”
Comments will be approved before showing up.
