Simply Masterful
The Independence Invitational, the final stop of the Empire State Liberty Tour, is open to athletes of all ages, but is also the host to the Adirondack Master’s Championships. There are many reasons for the creation of the Liberty Tour Track & Field Series, but one of the main goals is to provide an atmosphere for the youth athletes to learn from the more seasoned and experienced Masters athletes. The Masters Divisions begin at the ripe young age of 30, and are categorized in five (5) year increments (30-34, 35-39, 40-44, etc).
One of the most challenging disciplines in life is to remain in a competitive state for many years. It is truly a combination of mental, emotional, and physical stamina that allows an athlete to continue to grow and develop. Most will assure you that it is the physical aspect (staying healthy and injury free) that is the most difficult. As the Executive Producer of the Liberty Tour, I am always impressed by the many wonderful performances from so many Masters athletes over the first three years. There is not enough space to list everyone, but we thought you would like to get just a glimpse of some of them.
Pictured Above: Scott Hannay prepares to throw the Men’s 2K Discus. He is currently the Empire State Liberty Tour record holder in that event for his age group with a throw of 37.32m. Scott also holds the record in the Shot Put (12.43m) and the Javelin (56.27m). To prove he is not just one dimensional (only a thrower), Scott is the Liberty Tour record holder in the Master’s Men Pentathlon with a total of 2,146 pts.
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- Zach Gobel provides another solid performance in the 800m Run, of which he is the current Liberty Tour record holder with a time of 2:05.19. In addition, Zach holds the Open Men’s Record for the 200m (25.61), the 400m (54.65), and the 1500m (4:37.10).
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- Once upon a time a very capable athlete, Mike Gainor was sidelined with knee injuries. We wanted to show you that even those nagging injuries don’t keep this Master from his Official duties.
