Article originally at USATF Colorado.
The 2025 USATF Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships wrapped up on Sunday, February 23, in Gainesville, FL. A total of 22 members from USATF Colorado competed in 50 events during the four-day competition, which began on Thursday.
USATF Colorado athletes claimed 14 national titles and earned 30 podium finishes, securing top-three placements in their respective events.
Two Coloradans, Dan King (65) from Boulder and Christel Donley (90) from Colorado Springs, each set new American records.
Competing in his first indoor meet since 1980, Dan King (Athletics Boulder) set two M65 records as he won both the 1500m and 3000m events. On the first day of competition, he claimed gold in the 3000m with a time of 10:22.51, surpassing the previous record of 10:29.75 set in 2008 by Douglas Goodhue. Two days later, King returned to the track to capture the 1500m title, running 4:52.84, breaking the American record set by David Westenberg in 2022 by 1.34 seconds.
Prior to this winter, it’s been 45 years since I last ran indoor track. I remember the “Miracle on Ice” hockey game happened during our team’s road trip to Lincoln for the Big 8 conference championship, my last indoors meet. It’s been an absolute hoot to reintroduce indoors to my plate at 65. I doubt this will become a regular thing because I like skiing way too much and enjoy using the winter as a break from competition. But I’m very much looking forward to returning to Gainesville at the end of March for World Masters Indoors!
Dan King
Last month, Christel Donley celebrated her 90th birthday and moved into the 90-94 division. In Gainesville, she marked the occasion by winning four gold medals and setting a new American record in the triple jump with a leap of 3.91m (12-10), surpassing the previous record of 3.75m set by Mary Norckauer in 2015. Donley’s other victories came in the high jump, long jump, and shot put. In the high jump, her winning height of 0.86m was just 0.01m shy of the American record she had set two weeks earlier at the USATF Mid-American Championships.
Along with King and Donley, Marianne Martino (High Altitude Racewalk), Carol Wilkinson (High Altitude Racewalk), and Joanne Marriott also earned multiple titles. Martino, competing in the W70-74 division, and Wilkinson, in the W75-79 division, each claimed victories in both the 1500m and 3000m race walk events. Marriott, in the W85-89 division, triumphed in the weight throw and superweight throw and also finished third in the shot put.
Morgan Ehtessabian (W35 High Jump), Samantha Bauer W30 3000m), and the Boulder Road Runners (M45 4x800m relay) all earned gold medals for their victories.
Other athletes with multiple visits to the award podium for their top three placings were: Robbie Genzel Jr. (M50 – 2nd 3000m, 3rd 1500m), Neil McDonagh (M40 – 3rd 800m, 3rd 1500m), John Prineas (M55 – 2nd 800m, 3rd 1500m), and Thomas Ten Eyck Jr. (M75 – 2nd weight throw, 2nd superweight throw),
Dan King (M65 3000m, 10:22.51) and Neil McDonagh (M40 1500m, 4:01.57) each recorded a score of 91.32 on the age-graded tables, the highest among the Coloradans. Scores over 90 are classified as world-class performances, while scores in the 80-89 range are considered national-class performances. The top age-graded score among Colorado women was posted by Marianne Martino, whose 20:09.36 in the 3000m Race Walk converted to an age-graded score of 86.61.
Athletes scoring over 80.00 on the age grading tables were:
- Daniel King (M65 3000m, 10:22.51) – 91.32
- Neil McDonagh (M40 1500m, 4:01.57) – 91.32
- Daniel King (M65 1500m, 4:52.84) – 90.02
- Neil McDonagh (M40 800m, 2:00.13) – 89.80
- Jeffrey Eggleston (M40 1500m, 4:01.22) – 89.59
- John Prineas (M55 800m, 2:15.43) – 88.49
- Todd Straka (M55 800m, 2:17.58) – 87.82
- Todd Straka (M55 1500m, 4:40.60) – 87.53
- Marianne Martino (W70 3000m Race Walk, 20:09.36) – 86.61
- John Prineas (M55 1500m, 4:42.42) – 86.25
- Robbie Genzel Jr. (M50 1500m, 4:33.44) – 85.58
- Robbie Genzel Jr. (M50 3000m, 9:43.65) – 85.54
- Bryan Kelly (M45 400m, 55.67) – 85.04
- Bryan Kelly (M45 800m, 2:12.76) – 83.90
- Dan Spale (M65 800m, 2:37.97) – 83.84
- John Borthwick (M60 800m, 2:28.53) – 83.39
- John Prineas (M55 400m, 1:00.46) – 83.15
- Roland Kafuuma (M50 60m, 8.22) – 83.09
- Timothy Kearley (M75 60m, 9.60) – 83.09
- John Borthwick (M60 1500m, 5:09.54) – 81.42
- Dan Spale (M65 3000m, 12:06.34) – 80.72
- Tracey Bernett (W65 1500m, 6:32.09) – 80.63
- Tracey Bernett (W65 3000m, 14:11.45) – 80.40
- Morgan Ehtessabian (W35 High Jump, 1.65m) – 80.38
- Tracey Bernett (W65 800m, 3:13.60) – 80.29
The complete USATF Colorado Results Scoreboard can be found here.