Yvonne Aasen of Severna Park says she and her dog, Cooper start each morning with a two-mile jog. On training days, however, she leaves the dog at home.
"The dog's not a serious runner," laughed Aasen, 61.
Aasen, a housewife turned champion long-distance runner, is outrunning a lot of people and animals alike these days. At yesterday's final day at the Maryland Senior Olympics at Towson State University, Aasen won an age-group (60-64) gold medal in the 10K and a silver in the 1,500 to go along with her earlier medals in the 5K and 800.
Over 1,650 seniors, ages 55-95, competed in the three-day competition that featured 55 events, ranging from billiards to pole vaulting.
Although many competitors were lifelong athletes, some like Aasen, turned to sports at an advanced age. Aasen said she took up jogging at age 46 after her husband, Marvin, suffered a heart attack.
"It was something I always wanted to do," said Aasen. "When I started running a few yards at a time, my legs were so weak I felt like I was going to fall down."
But she stuck with it, gradually building her endurance to the point where she can now run up to 10 miles. On Thursday, she was the only woman to participate in the ceremonial torch run, carrying it 1.4 miles as part of the Annapolis-Towson contingent.
In yesterday's 10K, her winning time of 57 minutes, 28 seconds was a 2-minute improvement over last year, and would've beaten some in the men's 55-59 age group.
"I feel wonderful," she said. "I feel better now than when I was 30 . . . because I exercise. It just puts a spring in your step."
Running in her final event, the 1,500, Aasen's spring was quite evident. Though starting in the middle of the pack, she worked her way through the field, looking stronger as the race progressed. With her family, including 2-week old granddaughter Morgan, watching from the stands, she came on to finish second her age group, fifth overall.
Some of the many other multiple winners on the women's side included Helen Boyd (55-59) in the shot put and discus; Dorothy Brill (65-69) in the 100, 400 and 800; Kathleen Morrison (65-69) in the long jump and 1,500; Helen Cunningham (70-74) in the shot put and discus and Angela Witt (80-84) in the long jump and discus.
WOMEN
Basketball
Foul shooting
55-59: 1, Ruth Baxter, 9. 60-64: 1, Frances Haywood, 7. 65-69: 1, Madlyn Gourley, 7. 70-74: 1, Mary Beard, 6. 75-79: 1, Virginia Chappell, 5. 80-84: 1, Angela Witt, 3. Spot shooting -- 55-59: 1, Mary Foley, 12.60-64: 1, Frances Haywood, 10. 65-69:1, Joyce Durbin, 4. 70-74: 1, Marjorie Torrance, 8. 75-79: 1, Laura Ryan, 7.
Aquatics
50-yard backstroke
55-59:1, Nancy Brown, 39.77. 60-64: 1, Loretta Stover, 59.25. 65-69: 1, Barbara Martin, 51.24. 70-74:1, Margaret Brooks, 50.68.75-79: 1, Phoebe Scholl, 1:32.69. 500-yard freestyle -- 60-64:1, Elizabeth Kennedy, 10:45.31. 65-69: 1, Patricia Eakle, 9:42.25. 70-74: 1, Jane Rossell, 9:36.59. 75-79:1, Lee Hartman, 10:59.10; 2, Beatrice Schwartz, 17:03.74; 3, Phoebe Scholl, 17:57.37. 50-yard butterfly -- 60-64: 1, Jill Coleman, 52.22. 65-69: 1, Barbara Martin, 54.50. 70-74: 1, Doris Russell, 47.10. 75-79: 1, Elizabeth Taylor, 1:35.37. 80-84: 1, Elsa Mattila, 1:14.37. 50-yard breaststroke -- 55-59: 1, Roberta Cook, 1:02.68. 60-64: 1, Betty Dernent, 52.82. 65-69:1, Clara Bomhardt, 51.47. 70-74: 1, Elfriede Lange, 57.86. 200-yard individual medley -- 60-64: 1, Jill Coleman, 4:08.58. 65-69: 1, Carol Knepp, 4:37.24. 75-79: 1, Elizabeth Taylor, 6:26.75. 80-84: 1, Elsa Mattila, 5:02.55. 200-yard freestyle -- 60-64: 1, Elizabeth Kennedy, 3:44.32. 65-69: 1, Patricia Eakle, 4:27.47. 70-74: 1, Doris Russel, 3:29.15.; 75-79: 1, Lee Hartman, 4:23.62.
Racquetball
55-59:1, P. Fry. 60-64: 1, S. Hildner. 65-69: 1, L. Ledbetter.
Tennis
Singles -- 55-59: 1, Anne Clemmitt. 60-64: 1, Mary Boswell. 70-74: 1, Blanche McCleary. 75-79: 1, Mario Lockler. 80-84: 1, Elizabeth Dow. Doubles -- 55-59: 1, Mary Boswell and Dottie Carter. 60-64: 1, Jane Gitlin and Joanne Lynn. 65-69: 1, Dotty Clayton and Eva Thompson. 70-74: 1, Blanche McCleary and Joan Heineck.
Track and field
400-meter -- -- 55-59: 1, Mary Graf, 1:26.38. 65-69: 1, Dorothy M. Brill, 1:27.72. 1,500-meter run -- 55-59: 1, Mary Graf, 6:13. 60-64: 1, Rachel Nielsen, 6:45. 65-69: 1, Helen W. Schley, 8:21. 10,000-meter run -- 55-59: 1, Betty Lou Tucker, 49:22. 60-64: 1, Yvonne Aasen, 57:28. 65-69: 1, Kathleen K. Morrison, 1:02:09. High jump -- 55-59: 1, Diane Thomas Perry, 3-0. 60-64: 1, Constance T. Geis, 3-06. 65-69: 1, Wally Dashiell, 3-06. Javelin -- 55-59: 1, Victoria Waidner, 40-0. 60-64: 1, Alma R. McGarvey, 44-04. 70-74: 1, Ruth Korpman, 43-03. 75-79:1, Audrey Walters, 31-11. 80-84: 1, Elizabeth S. Dow, 26-06.
MEN
Basketball
Foul shooting -- 55-59: 1, Colin Church, 13. 60-64: 1, Albert Cluroe, 12. 65-69: 1, Theodore Becker, 14. 70-74: 1, Frank Turano, 11. 75-79: 1, John Nahm, 10. 80-84: 1, George Wipfiled, 6. 85-89: 1, William Brugger, 7. Spot shooting -- 55-59: 1, Paul Dean, 13. 60-64: 1, Marvin Gotz, 13. 65-69: 1, Richard Wegner, 14. 70-74: 1, Henry Shaw, 11. 75-79: 1, Leo Cunningham, 11. 80-84: 1, George Wipfield, 7. 85-89: 1, Carl Kiifner, 7.
Aquatics
50-yard backstroke -- 55-59: 1, Richard Hay, 34.58. 60-64: 1, Lou McComas, 37.08. 65-69: 1, Thomas Lechner, 39.62. 70-74: 1, George Pitts, 45.03. 75-79: 1, William Boykin, 43.80. 80-84: 1, Aaron Smelkinson, 1:19.39. 500-yard freestyle -- 55-59: 1, Raymond Riordan, 7:30.87. 65-69: 1, Jim Bronseth, 7:47.59. 70-74:1, Dale Stayton, 10:55.10. 75-79: 1, Norris Fluke, 7:40.09. 50-yard butterfly -- 55-59: 1, Richard Hay, 32.66. 60-64: 1, Richard Mueller, 41.98. 65-69: 1, Alexander Eremchuk, 38.69. 70-74: 1, Cecil Hull, 42.16. 80-84: 1, Donald Leatherman, 56.59. 90-94: 1, John Honnas, 1:42.69. 50-yard breaststroke -- 55-59: 1, Howard Cohen, 45.42. 60-64: 1, Jacob Peterson, 41.43. 65-69: 1, Alexander Eremchuk, 9.81. 70-74: 1, Beach Schultz, 40.50. 75-79: 1, Leroy Lauber, 52.83. 80-84: 1, Aaron Smelkinson, 1:39.74. 200-yard individual medley -- 55-59: 1, Yu-Jin Lee, 3:03.82. 60-64: 1, Lou McComas, 3:01.35. 65-69: 1, Jim Gronseth, 3:25.22. 70-74: 1, Cecil Hull, 3:32.93. 75-79: 1, Norris Fluke, 3:15.30. 200-yard freestyle -- 55-59: 1, Raymond Riordan, 2:42.97. 75-79: 1, William Boykin, 3:14.10. 80-84:1, Donald Leatherman, 3:59.73.
Racquetball -- 55-59:1, P. Richardson. 60-64: 1, J. Kershner. 65-69: 1, R. Faby. 70-74: 1, D. Rennie. 75-79:1, H. Steinman.
Track and Field
400-meter -- -- 55-59: 1, Lawrence Colbert, 56.85.; 60-64: 1, Joel P. Holman, 1:05.31. 65-69: 1, Bernie Fowler, 1:12.16. 70-74: 1, Charles McGarvey, 1:21.84. 75-79: 1, Earl Wentz, 1:24.66. 1,500-meter run -- 55-59: 1, John Gygax, 5:17. 60-64: 1, Charles Reynolds, 5:17. 65-69: 1, Wilbur M. Morrison, 6:16. 70-74: 1, Frank Luff, 7:14. 75-79: 1, Anthony Matesic, 8:07. 10,000-meter run -- 55-59: 1, Donald Kohler, 42:59. 60-64: 1, Thomas A. Brown, 42:17. T65-69: 1, Wilbur M. Morrison, 45:51. 70-74: 1, Joseph E. Holland, 52:38. High jump -- 55-59: 1, Gerald Barkdoll, 4-10. 60-64: 1, Elmer L. Hall, 4-06. 65-69: 1, Samuel Griffith, 4-06. 70-74:1, Charles W. Irwin, 4-01. Javelin -- 55-59: 1, Herman Blinchikoff, 92-05. 60-64: 1, John David Vachon, 93-09. 65-69:1, Hugh B. Horning, 85-06. 70-74: 1, Charles McGarvey, 102-01. 75-79: 1, Glen Olsen, 62-08. 80-84: 1, Eevald Aarma, 90-11. Pole vault -- 55-59: 1, Ernest Michaelson, 7-0. 60-64: 1, Elmer L. Hall, 9-0. 65-69:1, Samuel Griffith, 8-0