56-year-old Monica Kendall launches the shot 43-4-4/5

Milwaukie 56-year-old Monica Kendall continues to make a name for herself in USA Track & Field Masters competition.

Competing in an open meet at the Mac Wilkins Concordia Throws Center earlier this summer, Kendall launched the shot put 43-4-4/5 inches, breaking her own 55-59 American outdoor age-group record. The old record was 42-11-1/2, set by Kendall a year ago. Before last year, the record was 40-5, set by Joanne Grissom of Indiana in 1993.

Competing at an indoor all-comers meet at the University of Portland in February, Kendall also shattered Grissom’s indoor shot put record (38-11-3/4, 1994), launching the iron ball 43-6. Unfortunately the all-comers meet was not a sanctioned meet, so Grissom still holds the indoor mark for the 55-59 age division.

“It’s hard to find an indoor sanctioned meet out here, where on the East Coast they have field houses and they hold them every week,” Kendall observed.

Setting records is nothing new for Kendall, a retired physical education teacher from Milwaukie’s Riverside Elementary School. She holds American Masters outdoor shot put (48-1) and javelin (143-0) records for the 50-54 age division. She also set American outdoor shot put (42-1/2) and javelin (136-4) records when she competed in the 45-49 age division. Her javelin record for that division still stands.

A year ago, Kendall took part in the World Masters Athletic Championships in Sacramento, Calif., and won gold in the 55-59 womens shot put (42-4-3/4), and silver in the javelin (123-8).

A knee injury has limited her participation in the javelin this summer.