Many of the world's best masters track and field athletes return to Boston this weekend for the USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships, held Friday, March 24 through Sunday, March 25 at the Reggie Lewis Center. U.S. athletes will include at least one Olympic gold medalist and six new world champions from the just 2006 World Masters Athletics Championships (WMA) Indoor in Linz, Austria, which were held March 15-20.

The 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the men's triple jump, Al Joyner, will make his debut at national-level masters competition. In addition, six newly crowned world champions will arrive in Boston fresh off of their gold-medal performances in Austria: Lesley Chaplin-Swann (McDonough, Ga., W45 800m), Bill Collins (Houston, Texas M55 60m and 200m), Dexter McCloud, (Norcross, Ga., M45 60m hurdles), Sid Howard (Plainfield, N.J., M65 800m), and Bruce McBarnette (Sterling, Va., M45 high jump). Local star Roger Pierce, age 61 of Essex, Mass., won a silver medal in the 400m and also won a gold medal on the U.S. M60 4x200 relay at WMAs.

Alisa Harvey, who set pending women's world masters records in the mile and 800 meters last month, could break world or American records for every race in which she competes.

Nolan Shaheed, who played lead trumpet with the Count Basie Orchestra, was musical director for Marvin Gaye, and has worked with Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Phil Collins, and Anita Baker, is a member of the Masters Hall of Fame and will run in M55 800m and mile. From Pasadena, Calif., he has world outdoor marks in the M50 mile (4:27.9) and M50 800m (1:58.65).

"The track is recognized as lightning-fast and top quality, conducive to world and national records," said Steve Vaitones, meet director and managing director of USA Track & Field-New England. "This meet, showing masters running, jumping, and throwing so well, sends a message of competitive fitness for an entire lifetime."

Promoting the message of lifelong fitness are the eldest competitors, whom spectators always enjoy watching. Betty Jarvis of Aberdeen, N.C., the oldest woman athlete at 91, will compete in the shot put and weight throw. The two oldest men at 92 are Leland McPhie of San Diego, Calif. (60m, high jump, triple jump, shot put, weight throw, superweight throw) and Max Springer of Knoxville, Tenn. (200m, 400m, 800m).

At the 2005 USA Masters Indoor Championships in Boise, Idaho, more than 40 World and American records were broken, and 2006 should yield similar results.

Final events begin Friday, March 24 at 4 p.m. with the 3,000 meter championship races. Finals continue at 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 am. on Sunday, including sprints, middle distances, field events and relays. Admission is free.

ATHLETES TO WATCH

Lesley Chaplin-Swann, McDonough, GA, won the W45 800 at the 2006 World Masters Athletics Championships Indoor in Linz, Austria in American record time (2:20.99). This 48-year-old ex-Brit has been on a rampage over the last nine months, beginning with a triple victory at the 2005 USA Masters Outdoor Championships last August, where she won the 400, 800, and 1500. This winter she has gone under the listed American indoor marks (45-49 group) in the 800, 1500 and mile. Lesley will be a heavy favorite at Boston in the 800 and mile.

Bill Collins, Houston, TX, was under the listed world indoor marks (m55) in 60 (7.34) and 200 (23.36) in winning both at WMA Indoors. With his "pure diamond" sprinting form, Collins has dazzled athletes and grateful spectators for decades. In 1977 he teamed with Steve Riddick, Steve Williams, and Cliff Wiley to scorch a 38.03 world record in the 4x100 relay, and he hasn't gotten a great deal slower over the years. The holder of the 50-54 world mark in the 100 at an unthinkable 10.95 seconds, Bill will be a heavy favorite in the 60 and 200 (men 55-59) at Boston but will be pushed to the limit by the brilliant New York-area resident Alston Brown, who originally hails from Jamaica.

Alisa Harvey. An all-time great at the University of Tennessee, where she was 1986 NCAA champion in the 1500, Harvey (Manassas, Va.) still competes at the elite level but will be competing in the 40-44 age group at Boston. Possessing a velvet stride, Harvey is scheduled to run the 400 and 800. On February 18 she set a pending world masters mile record of 4:50.95 and has also this winter ran an otherworldly 2:07.23 in the 800 (the American indoor record for 40-44 by Rose Monday is 2:16.01). Harvey could conceivably better the listed American mark in every race in which she competes and has announced her intention to go after the 400m masters world record of 57.40.

Al Joyner, out of Lincoln HS in East St. Louis, Ill., and Arkansas State University, 1988 Olympic triple jump gold medalist, will headline the jumpers at Boston this weekend. In 1984, Al became the first American in 80 years to win the Olympic triple jump, taking off for a brilliant 56 feet, 7 1/2 inches. Joyner will be going for Milan Tiff's world indoor mark (men 45-49) of 14.82 meters/48 feet, 7.46 inches.

Dexter McCloud, Norcross, GA (M45) set a world indoor mark at the WMAs last weekend in the 60m hurdles heats (8.35), then won the final in a brilliant new WR of 8.22 seconds, far under the listed mark of 8.36 by Colin Williams.

Bruce McBarnette, Sterling, VA also won at WMAs (m45 high jump). McBarnett is out of Princeton University and NYU School of Law.

Sid Howard, Plainfield, NJ, WMAs winner in 800, M65.

Roger Pierce, age 61 of Essex, MA, won a silver medal in the 400m at WMAs, finishing 0.15 behind long-time rival Peter Crombie of Australia. He also won a gold medal on the U.S. M60 4x200m relay. Earlier in the meet, Pierce finished fourth in the finals of both the 60m and 200m. Pierce is scheduled to compete in Boston in the 60, 200 & 400.

Marie Kay (New South Wales, Australia). This Australian hotshot was first in the heptathlon and second in the 400 dash at the 2005 WMAs (her heptathlon score is a pending world mark for women 45-49). In the 2003 WMAs, Kay stormed to victory in the 200 dash (26.09) and the 400 (56.18). Watch for her in the 200 and 400 at Boston.

Onithea (Nini) Lewis. Competing for the Shore Athletic Club of New Jersey, Lewis is regarded as a lock for future induction in the Masters Hall of Fame. Her performance in the weight pentathlon last year was considered the best individual American masters female performance of 2005. Lewis is stylish, quick, and explosive and will be a prohibitive favorite at Boston in the shot, superweight throw and weight throw, where she is the masters world indoor record holder.

Kathy Martin. The effortless Martin (Northport, NY) was the first USATF Masters T&F athlete of the year (2004). Holder of the American indoor marks in the 800, 1500, mile, and 3000 for women 50-54, Martin will be the pick at Boston in the 800 and mile but may be pushed by Marge Bellisle in the 3000.

Nadine O'Connor. Termed an "emerging superstar" before the 2005 USA Masters Outdoor Championships last year, O'Connor (Del Mar, Calif.) can now be called an established superstar. Holder of the world indoor marks for women 60-64 in the pole vault (3m/9-10) and 200 dash (an astonishing 29.51 seconds), O'Connor will thrill her many fans as she takes on all comers in the 60 dash, 60 hurdles, 200, and pole vault at Boston. She was named the outstanding female masters track athlete in the United States in 2005.

Emil Pawlik. A walk-on at Texas A&M University many years ago, this oil company executive (Jackson, Mississippi) took a break from competition for many years but then came back with a vengeance. The 2005 USATF Masters Athlete of the Year, Pawlikl is the reigning world champion (ages 65-69) in the decathlon. He is close to unbeatable in multi-events and will be a heavy favorite in the pentathlon at Boston. Pawlik is also very strong in the long jump, high jump, and 60 hurdles and will compete in all three during the meet.

Ted Poulos (44, McLean, VA). The most prolific runner to compete in history with 300 races 1500m + a year, with his record 337 races in 2003.

David Ashford. He has the physique, speed, and style of an elite college hurdler, he ran a world age group record of 13.73 seconds in the 110 hurdles in 2003, even though the Californian is actually in the 40-44 age group. In 1981, he was California state high school champ (West Covina HS) in 13.67. Watch him run the 60 hurdles at Boston.

Aaron Thigpen. A member of 11 United States national teams, Thigpen dominated the 100 dash (40-44 age group) at 2005 USA Masters Outdoors last summer, winning in 10.80 seconds, an American record for the division. The only real question about Thigpen at Boston is whether he can break the 16-year-old American mark in the 60m by the great Eddie Hart, of 6.97 seconds. Thigpen, who has lifetime marks of 10.02 (wind-aided) and 10.18 (unaided) in the 100, will also go for gold in the 200.

Bobby Whilden (Texas). Whilden, who will compete in the 70-74 group at Boston, was one of an elite group of sprinters who came out of Texas in the 1950s that included Olympic gold medalist Bobby Morrow. An All- American at the University of Texas and later a prominent attorney in the state, Whilden shocked the masters world last summer when he crushed the world 100 mark (ages 70-74) of the legendary Payton Jordan, with a time of 12.77 seconds. He will be an overwhelming favorite at Boston in the 60.

Jim Stookey (Dickerson, Md.). Dr. Jim Stookey can talk to you about mad cow disease (he's a veterinary pathologist out of Auburn University), or he can talk to you about masters track and field, as he has been the male masters track and field athlete of the year in the U.S. on three separate occasions. The Hall of Famer holds the world indoor mark in the 60 hurdles (9.89 seconds, 70-74 group) and will compete in that event as wellas the 60 dash, 200 dash, high jump, long jump, and triple jump (Jim is now in 75-79 age group).

PERSONALITIES:

Nolan Shaheed, who played lead trumpet with Count Basie Orchestra, was musical director for Marvin Gaye, and has worked with Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Phil Collins, and Anita Baker (he is best described as a jazz trumpeter), is member of Masters Hall of Fame and will run in M55 middle distances. He is from Pasadena, Calif. He holds world outdoor mark in M50 mile of 4:27.9 and M50 800 of 1:58.65.

OF NOTE:

George Mathews, National Masters T&F Chair, 62, from Hayden Lake, Idaho (near Coeur d'Alene), won the outdoor Masters World Championship this summer in San Sebastian, Spain in the M60 weight throw and was second in the weight pentathlon, 4th in the hammer, and 5th in the shot put. He was third in the hammer throw at last week's WMAs in Austria and fifth in the shot put. He is #1 ranked in the U.S. for the weight throw, superweight, hammer, and weight pentathlon. He will be competing in weight throw, superweight, and shot put in Boston.

OLDEST COMPETITORS:

Leland McPhie (San Diego, CA) age 92, holds the Men's 90-94 world records in the high jump, triple jump, shot put, weight throw, and superweight throw. He will compete in all those events in Boston.

Max Springer (Knoxville, TN): Age 92, holds the Men's 90-94 worldrecords in the 200m, 400m, 800m, Mile, and long jump. He is competing in 200m, 400m, 800m in Boston.

Frank Levine (Norristown, PA) Age 91, holds the Men's 90-94 world record in the 3000m. He is competing in the 800m, mile, and 3,000m in Boston.

Betty Jarvis (Aberdeen, NC): Age 91, is the oldest woman set to compete in Boston. She will compete in the shot put and weight throw. A Masters Hall of Fame member, Jarvis holds women's 80-84 world records in the discus and hammer throws (3 kg) , women's 85-59 WRs in the hammer throw and weight pentathlon, and women's 90-94 WRs in the hammer throw and weight throw

CREDITING NOTE: Pete Taylor, Ken Stone, Harry Brooks, and John Oleski, contributed to this release.