Shaq Honored as Rookie of Year

Shaquana McDonough plyed for Gallaudet University soccer team this fall and did an outstanding job. Capital Athletic Conference honored her as Co-Rookie of the Year. Shaquana participated in our 4 x 100m relay team at 2009 Deaflympics - Taipei.

Congratulations!!! See more about her at this link

My Chef Sara

A very nice write up on Chef Sara and the training camp at Austin, Texas with the USA Deaflympics Track and Field Team. Click here for full story.

USADTF Thanks those COACHES!!!

USA Deaf Track and Field wishes to THANK all Coaches for their dedication, hard work and working with our outstanding 2009 USA Deaflympics Track and Field Team.

THANK YOU, COACHES!!!!

Thomas Withrow, Head Coach
Jesse Bailey, Sprint/Relay Coach
Dan Fitzpatrick, Throws Coach
Karen Sanfacon, MD/LD Coach
Chip Stirling, Hurdle/LJ/TJ Coach
Larry Smith, Special Coach
Patrick Southern, PV/HJ Coach

USA Deaflympics T & F Results

USA Deaflympics Track and Field Results
2009 Deaflympics Taipei

GOLD MEDALISTS (5) -
Delvin Furlough, TX - 400m - 48.16
Joanel Lopez, NY - Shot Put - 16.26m ( 53' 4 3/16" )
Josh Hemburough, MI - 110m Hurdle - 14.16 WR GR
Michael Saalfeld, NE - 800m - 1:52.89
Patrick Southern, CO - Pole Vault - 4.80m ( 15' 9" ) GR

SILVER MEDALISTS (2) -
Craig Saalfeld, NE - Decathlon- 6,381 points
4 x 400m Relay - 3:15.25
Furlough, M. Saalfeld, C. Saalfeld, Hembrough

BRONZE MEDALISTS (3) -
Onye Davis, IN – Discus - 47.14 ( 154' 7 7/8" )
Amber Nash, WA - 100m H - 14.76, 400m H - 63.65


NOTABLE FINISHERS
Joylisa Davis, MI - 100m - 13th - 13.30, 400m - 12th - 60.25,
LJ - 7th - 5.39m ( 17' 8 3/16" )
Erin LaFave, MI - 3000m Steeple Chase - 4th - 12:05.6 - Junior WR,
5000m - th - 19.17.87
Hannah Maenius, TX - 800m - 6th - 2:17.46
Riki de la Puente, CA - Shot Put - 10th - 10.54m ( 34' 6 15/16" ) )
Mariah Ransom, GA - 100m H - 5th -15.16, 400m H - 10th - 70.16
Ana Shelton, LA - 100m - 12th - 13.22, 200m - 15th - 27.77

Andrew Cohen, PA – Discus - 7th 40.97m ( 134' 5" )
Roman Drymalski, WI - High Jump - 7th - 1.96m ( 6' 5 3/16" ),
400m Hurdle - 9th - 72.37
Darius Flowers, AL - Triple Jump - 5th - 14.26 ( 46' 9 2/16" )
Delvin Furlough, TX - 100m - 8th - 11.19, 200m - 4th - 22.22
Thomas Guidon, WA - Pole Vault - 5th - 4.15m ( 13' 7 3/8" )
Josh Hemburough, MI - 100m - 7th - 11.03
Joanel Lopez, NY – Hammer -5th - 52.25m ( 171' 5 1/16" )
John Quatroche, CT - 800m - 2:00.04
Craig Saalfeld, NE - High Jump - 5th - 1.99m ( 6' 6 3/8" )
Terrel Sumers, LA – 100m - 11.9, LJ - 9th - 6.44m ( 21' 1 9/16" ),
TJ - 9th - 13.50m ( 44' 3 1/2" )

Women Relay Teams
4 x 100m - 6th - 49.91 4 x 400m - 4th - 3:58.19

Men Relay Team
4 x 100m - DQ

Thomas Olof Berg 1922-2009

Thomas Olof Berg Thomas Olof Berg , 87, died on September 28, 2009 at 7:19 p.m. He was born on February 22, 1922 in Butte, Montana. He was the fourth child of six born to Swedish immigrants Nils Sven Berg and Josephine Maurina Berggren. Tom attended public school in Butte until he contracted spinal meningitis rendered him completely deaf at age 6. He attended the Montana School for the Deaf and later moved with the family to Seattle, Washington where his father, a grocer, owned a grocery during the Great Depression. Tom's father was a pillar in the community and achieved great success. However, the Great Depression would create hard times and Tom's father lost a small fortune when the banks crashed. As a child, Tom was taught the value of hard work and had wonderful role models in his parents. He would deliver groceries for his father on his bicycle and he would help his mother, a consummate seamstress, by helping with housework. This would be necessary as his father died when Tom was only 16. A tragic suicide is never over for any family and his father's passing and the loss devastated his family and Tom, not to mention his progeny. Grief has no expiration date, and Tom would plunge himself into work, school, sports, and the great outdoors. He was an avid fly fisherman. Tom would later attend the Washington School for the Deaf in Vancouver where he graduated with honors in 1939. A very intelligent man, he earned a scholarship to attend Gallaudet University and graduated in 1944 with a B.S. in Chemistry. He would later earn his M.A. in Education from the University of Maryland in 1964, no small feat attending classes without interpreters and relying on the goodwill of classmates to share their notes. Bless them. He was a voracious reader and had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He had a library that was impressive and varied-from Steinbeck, Hemingway to Faulkner. He valued education and instilled this trait in his three children, Frederick, David and Jennifer. Tom would excel in all sports lettering in wrestling and track and field. He met the love of his life while attending college. Betty Hogan, a spirited rancher's daughter, captured his heart and they were married on June 6, 1945 in Southesast Idaho, Betty's home. The first few months of their marriage they lived in Seattle where Tom worked as a chemist in a vitamin plant. He and Betty moved to Frederick, Maryland where they both taught at the Maryland School for the Deaf. A year later, the pull for moving back west was great and they both accepted teaching jobs at the Idaho School for the Deaf. Two sons, Fred and Dave, would be born there in Idaho. Tom's reputation grew within the deaf sport's community. He helped to produced stellar athletes and coached basketball and track. He would later send many athletes to the World Games for the Deaf (the Deaf Olympics). He was very modest and did a lot of "behind the scenes" work. In 1956, fate would take them to Washington, D.C. where Tom accepted a position at his alma mater, Gallaudet University, as the Assistant Dean of Students. His office was always full of students wanting advice, care, and direction. He was sincere and not prone to engage in posturing or politics. He was a rare breed and very deep. He was an amazing man who lived a pretty amazing life, traveling the globe to several Olympics with wife Betty. He was in the pantheon of great athletes and earned Small Coach of the Year award in Newsweek magazine. The Knute Rockne award was also earned and he was most proud of this achievement. A westerner at heart, he often pined for his roots. He would retire from Gallaudet in 1986 and move with Betty back west, settling in Colorado Springs. Dad received an honorary doctorate in 1997 by Gallaudet University for his many contributions to the field of spots education and the deaf. True to form, he never swaggered or used "Dr" in any of his correspondence, but he could have. Because he earned it the hard way. He toiled on an outdated track field at Gallaudet University to improve its conditions so that track athletes could hit peak performance. He believed that students, hearing or deaf, need a healthy outlet of expression other than the classroom alone. He and Betty would be involved in the deaf community of Colorado and enjoyed their retirement. They moved to Texas two years ago to be closer to their daughter, Jennifer. He developed new friendships at the Parkwood Meadows Retirement Home where he lived the last two years. Imagine-the only deaf residents in an entirely "hearing" community. Tom was of prime age to be in the military service during World War II and was often stared at in the streets of Washington, D.C during his college days. He was extremely athletic , but deafness is an invisible disability. He wanted to serve his country, but he did it in other ways. He did not let his deafness get in his way and never took upon himself an entitlement attitude. He was very self-reliant and would instill this trait onto his children. He also believed in helping others and giving someone a leg up. This served him well as an educator of the deaf and he was well respected and well liked. Tom was trustworthy, kind, compassionate, well-read, understated, and he was a legend. He told his wife a month ago "you don't know how much I love you." Their love and commitment to one another is a testament of strength, faith and character to anyone as they were married for 64 years. He did not cut and run when the going got tough. Life threw him some curve balls and he handled them with aplomb. He loved his three kids dearly. Tom is survived by his wife, Betty, children Fred, David, and Jennifer. Also surviving him is daughter-in-law Chris, grandchildren Sarah, Erika, David and Trina and former son-in-law, Mark Howell, and former daughter-in-law Pilar. He is also survived by two brothers, Arthur Hugo and Frederick Sven Berg and a legion of other relatives in the Northwest. Two months prior to this giant's passing, he was able to visit family in Idaho and say his farewells to members on both sides of the family. He endured long rides in the SUV without complaint as his hip bone could be heard from 10 feet away. His body practically worn out, he made a trek that was compelling as it was soulful and spiritual. He was able to sit on his walker seat as his daughter cast a fish line countless times in an Idaho pond and he reeled in 9 beautiful rainbow trout. Those moments thrilled him. The vast beauty of his native West was a sight for sore eyes - - his blue eyes enveloped the scenery with great respect, awe, and wonder. And he was able to appreciate life until the very end. Tom was a private man and had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He believed in the tenets and virtues that are time honored without preaching to anyone. He could be complex -- he was a very serious and good man. Two days after his admission into the hospital his words were "I am sorry." He was apologizing for being sick. That was the way he was-not wanting to worry anyone. His sense of duty and honor was inspirational. Memorial Services will be held on October 1, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at the Beck Funeral Home, Round Rock, Texas, (512)244-3772 Further services will be held at the Bancroft, Idaho Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints on October 3, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. Graveside serive will follow in Chesterfield, Idaho. TIMOTHY 4: 7 I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to either the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy Scouts of America, AAAD/USADF, or Bestfriends.org Special thanks and gratitude to Dr. Cole, Nurse Amy at the Round Rock Medical Center.

Revised: 2009 USA Deaflympics Track and Field Team

Revised edition with outstanding photographs done by two awesome photographers, Michael Samaripa and Paul Rutowski during the 2nd camp.

This will be the final edition. Enjoy!

Head Start Program!

Skyler, son of 2009 USA Deaflympics Track and Field Head Coach, Thomas Withrow, has started the Head Start program in hammer throwing. He plans to compete in 2021 Deaflympics. Way to go!

Sara the Chef Myron and Daughter, Deanna

During our 2nd training camp at Texas School for the Deaf from July 14 to 20, we had a chef flown in from Seattle. Sara Myron and her daughter volunteered to cook meals for our 20 USA Deaflympics Track and Field athletes and 5 coaches. All meals were wonderful and perfect for our rigorous training.

It was quite an experience to have a chef cooking for us. Sara is hopeful to earn a license to be a sports nutritionist one day. Thanks!!!

Visit her website...My Chef Sara

Hope she will cook for us again one day.

2009 USA Deaflympics Track/Field Team

Here is a video covering the entire team members.

USA Team during 1st Training Camp

Top row: Chip Stirling, Larry Smith, Riki de le Puente, Terrell Sumers, Craig Saalfeld, Joanel Lopez, Darius Flowers, Roman Drymalski, Onye Davis, Michael Saalfeld, Delvin Furlough, John Quatroche, Dan Fitzpatrick, Thomas Withrow

Bottom Row: Jesse Bailey, Wes Diaz, Erin LaFave, Ana Shelton, Mariah Ransom, Joylisa Davis, Amber Nash, Karen Sanfacon


16 USA Deaflympics Track/Field members attended the 1st training camp in Austin, Texas at Texas School for the Deaf. They survived a week (23-29 June, under Texas Sun and 100-106 degree days.

On Saturday, the team went to Dallas to participate in an USATF meet. Many came away with very good marks. They are on their way to perform well at Taipei.

The team will return to same site from 14-20 July for another week of training in preparation for Deaflympics.