Byrnes vaulting past age

[rainbowgirl28]

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/s ... 19167.html

Byrnes vaulting past age

By SCOTT MARTIN
Staff Writer

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Buster Byrnes knows there will be a time when he can't compete. He just hopes it isn't anytime soon.
An athlete his entire life, Byrnes got back into track and field 20 years ago. A month shy of his 65th birthday, he is still jumping, throwing and vaulting with the same enthusiasm.

"I don't know, something chasing me," said Byrnes, who is preparing to compete in the Maine Games this weekend at Colby College Severns Field. "Eventually, I won't be able to do anything."

The 2004 Maine Games Athlete of the Year Byrnes will be competing in pole vault, javelin, discus, shot put, high jump, long jump, triple jump and the turbo javelin in the 60-69 age group.

Last summer, the Lincolnville native set the record in the pole vault with a vault of 8 feet, 6 inches. He hopes to top nine feet this Saturday. He has won more than 20 medals in Maine Games competitions.

"I did 9-6 last night in practice," Byrnes said Wednesday. "It depends on the wind."

A track and field coach at Hampden Academy, Byrnes attended prep school at Maine Central Institute in the early 1960s.

In his youth, he competed in track and field, skied and played football. He continued to ski, competing in races and coaching ski racers as an adult. He also played some semipro football, but gave up track and field until his 40s.

"One of the ski race guys, who's 88 and still competing, said I should try it out," Byrnes said of the pole vault.

"It's kind of funny, when I was in college and high school I always did seven or eight events. I never stopped. I guess I don't know any better."

At his first meet some 20 years ago, Byrnes competed in the pole vault, despite having no place to practice.

"I was at the end of the runway and the guy says you're up," Byrnes said. "It had been a lot of years. I just booked it and wondered if I was going to get over. I did, by fright I guess."

He's had quite a career since getting back into track and field. Competing across the country in various competitions, Byrnes won national championships in the pole vault, triple jump and high jump in 2003.

He sticks to a strict training program, where he'll train on the track one night, then weight train the next. Tuesday night was a pole vault training night and he vaulted 30 times, which is a normal training day, he said.

"Until they take my pole away," Byrnes said when asked how long he plans to pole vault.

Byrnes will compete in the national masters championship later this summer at the University of Maine. There he'll compete in the 65-70 age group.

"There I'm the young stud," Byrnes said.

[Bubba PV]

I see Buster every summer when I go to Maine for vacation. Not only is he a superb vaulter with a great attitude, but he's one of the funniest guys I've ever met. Bubba

[2-15-46]

I see Buster every summer when I go to Maine for vacation. Not only is he a superb vaulter with a great attitude, but he's one of the funniest guys I've ever met. Bubba

Great guy Bubba.... He told me all about your escapades in Maine this summer...haha..... he gave me a real nice T-shirt. Gave Matti one too!