1. USATF Foundation, FINRA team up
2. Jesse Owens Hall of Fame Banquet Saturday evening
3. Five inducted into USA Track & Field Officials Hall of Fame
4. Masters Long Distance Running Committee gives awards

USATF Foundation, FINRA team up
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the USA Track & Field Foundation (USATF Foundation) are working together to help track and field athletes spot and avoid investment fraud and make informed financial decisions.

The FINRA Foundation is presenting its Outsmarting Investment Fraud (OIF) curriculum at the 2011 USA Track & Field Annual Meeting in St. Louis through Sunday. At the sessions, track athletes are learning how to check the background of financial professionals and spot an investment that is too good to be true. The FINRA and USATF foundations will work together to identify additional opportunities to provide financial education to track and field athletes.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is the largest foundation in the United States dedicated to investor education. Its mission is to provide investors with high-quality, easily accessible information and tools to better understand the markets and the basic principles of saving and investing.

The USATF Foundation provides a means to attract and guide funds to new and innovative track and field programs with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth athletes, emerging elite athletes, distance training centers and anti-doping education. 

For more information on the FINRA program at the USATF Annual Meeting, visithttp://usatffoundation.org/news/2011-12-2.asp

Jesse Owens Hall of Fame Banquet
As part of the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting, the Jesse Owens Hall of Fame Banquet is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday.

The banquet annually creates a platform to honor winners of various awards from USA Track & Field and the induction of the 2011 Hall of Fame class. Specifically, being honored Saturday are Jesse Williams and Carmelita Jeter for winning the Jesse Owens Award as Athletes of the Year; Bryan Clay will be named Visa Humanitarian of the Year and Rana Reider Nike Coach of the Year; Ajee’ Wilson will be named Youth Athlete of the Year and Christine Kennedy Masters Athlete of the Year.

The Hall of Fame class includes modern athletes Gail Devers, Maurice Greene and Craig Virgin. The veteran athletes are represented by Vince Matthews and Clarence Demar, and Bob Timmons is being inducted on behalf of the coaches.

Five inducted into USA Track & Field Officials Hall of Fame
Friday also saw the names of five individuals being inducted into the USA Track & Field Officials Hall of Fame. In a banquet to conclude Friday’s events at the Annual Meeting, the following people received recognition:

John C. D. Drolla Jr. (South Texas Association)
Linda M. Melzer (Ohio Association)
Richard P. Moss (Georgia Association)
Lawrie G. Robertson (Pacific Northwest Association)
Billy R. Walters (Southwestern Association)

Masters Long Distance Running Committee gives awards
The Masters Long Distance Running Committee also gave out its annual awards during the Annual Meeting.

Winning the Otto Essig Award was Norm Green. Winning the women's LDR Athlete of the Year were co-winners Christine Kennedy and Kathryn Martin. Mbarak Hussein won the men's Athlete of the Year award.

Masters LDR also award Athletes of the Year for each age group. Women's winners included: Chris Kimbrough (F40-44); Colleen DeReuck (F45-49); Linda Somers Smith (F50-54); Christine Kennedy (F55-59); Kathryn Martin (F60-64); Rae Baymiller (F65-69); Libby James (F70-75); Libby James (F75-79); Lois Ann Gilmore (F80-84); Betty Lindberg (F85-89); Evelyn Tripp (F90+).

Men's winners include: Mark Andrews (M40-44); Mbarak Hussein (M45-49); Joe Sheeran (M50-54); Brian Pilcher (M55-59); Terry McCluskey (M60-64); Doug Goodhue (M65-69); Joseph Burgasser (M70-74); Charles Rose (M75-79); Jerry Johncock (M80-84); Lou Lodovico (M85-89); Bill Tribou (M90+).  

For information of the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting continue to see www.usatf.org.