State champions Wendy Dickson and Andy Pitas competed in track and field at the Utah Summer Games in Cedar City this June.
Dickson won four gold medals in javelin, shot put, discus and 100 meters while competing in the women’s age 70 to 74 category. She set four Utah Summer Games records in the process. Her current U.S. ranking is No. 2 in javelin, No. 5 in discus and shot put and No. 6 in the 100 meters for Masters Track and Field.
Pitas won the gold medal in the long jump and silver in the 100 meters race. He had twisted his knee while mowing his lawn two days before the meet, which limited his running ability. It was the first time Pitas had not placed first in the 100 meter race in fifteen years of competing in the Utah Summer Games.
“Be careful on your lawn,” Pitas advised.
He was able to recover enough to anchor the 4 x 100 meter relay in the men’s ag3 65 to 69 category, and helped his team set a new Summer Games’ record.
Between the two, Dickson and Pitas set five records this year. They have now set a total of 40 Utah Summer Games records.
The two begin training three days a week in March at the Grand County High School field. Dickson alternates between throwing the javelin, discus and shot put. Pitas does long jump run ups and several hundred meters of double-legged hops each workout. The two do wind sprints together. Two days a week they will lift weights for about an hour.
On their day off, they’ll try to climb a small mountain.
