Football Update and Musings:

Took the teardrop out for a tailgate at my first football Saturday in State College in 4 years. The Nittany Lions looked good in their drubbing of The Coastal Carolina School for Blind, Orphaned Girls. I went for a run through Campus after the first quarter and again saw how many changes have occurred there even since last year. The changes seem to be accelerating at an exponential rate, giving the unsettling feeling of an impersonal collegiate experience. When a group of four coeds walks by, each of them talking on their cell phones to four other people who aren't paying any attention to who they are with either, something is amiss. Remember when we had one phone in the dorm hallway for 4 rooms! Those were the days!

Lavar Arrington's Bar venture on College Avenue has yet to materialize, much like his professional career. The new hybrid Elm Trees planted at the Pattee Mall and near the HUB are doing well, and The Obelisk still stands, demonstrating the friendliness of PSU coeds. Several alums have tickets to exchange for the upcoming football games against real colleges, so look at the top right sidebar for a link to the Ticket Exchange web page, if interested. Ask and ye shall receive. Again, spread the word, and revisit often!

Yanomamo in Happy Valley:

Napoleon Chagnon devoted a significant portion of his life to the study of the Yanomamo of the Amazon Rain Forests of Venezuela and Brazil. Many of us were exposed to their culture in Antropology classes. It can now be revealed that Dr. Chagnon brought several Yanomamo back with him to Happy Valley beginning in 1977.
With their culture in dissarray they naturally gravitated to comfortable settings. YES, that means the Cross-Country and Track teams. Many teammates never realized the origins of the men running next to them. Several of the South American natives actually excelled, even winning Marathons associated with large Relay Carnivals. Some later became Men of God in New England and even Lawyers in Suburban Philadelphia. There were many sightings of naked runners throughout Central Pennsylvania in the late 70's, wearing what appeared to be blue shorts on their heads. "Mud Men" appeared numerous times, a precursor to a war that luckily never materialized. In later years, the Yanomamo appear to have adopted a more peaceful aquatic lifestyle, channeling their origins along the Amazon River. Never mess with a Yanomamo, especially when in their "Mud Men" garb. They aren't called "The Fierce People" for nothing. (The flagship "Yanomamo" actually hosted Coach Groves on at least one occasion.) New photo added, showing starting line of Cross-Country race on the Blue Course, circa 1978. Note the large number of Yanomamo in full "Mud Men" warfare mode. PSU won the meet handily, as the opponents never returned after the first loop.

Anyone else remember the Yanomamo?

FOOTBALL TICKETS

Many of you have, or are looking for, tickets for this fall in Happy Valley.
Fill out the comment section attached to this memo and hopefully you can facilitate some kind of exchange. I know of a few people out there who are looking to dump a few games, so why not post it here...

And don't forget to check out the weather forecast in State College on the sidebar to the right!

Ahoy There Mates!

Ran into Rob Baker last weekend, a 1991 Navy Track and XC alum from Plymouth NY. The only other coach in America who has more tenure and (almost) as many bona fides as Coach Groves is Al Cantello of Navy. A 1960 Olympian, Coach Cantello once held the world record for the javelin despite having less than stellar technique. He would essentially run up to the line, throw, and crumple into a heap, hoping to not cross the line (I'm barely exaggerating!) I attended his and decathlon expert Frank Zarnowski's running camp two straight years (along with Alberto Salazar one year, who had just beaten the Soviets at the Junior USA-USSR meet.) I bet Coach has a few stories he can tell about Coach Cantello at next year's outing. Rob says he still wears his Olympic uniform for practice one day a year!

Rob was a member of the 1991 XC team that lost 5 members in an horrific car accident at training camp in York County. Rob just missed getting to the camp in time to jump in the car for a trip to the grocery. They too have reunions (better attended than ours!) and still invite the parents of the five to attend. His high school times were almost identical to mine. Rob has restored a one-of-a-kind 1958 Airstream 30-footer. A beauty beyond belief! He has just a couple of months until he joins us poor schlubs in the civilian world. I forgot to ask if he golfs. Visit his blog by clicking on this post's title.

Brinker in Beijing!!

As revealed by the wily Clark Haley today, Ken Brinker is "Who Am I ? No. 2". Ken Hopes to make it to next year's golf outing if he can pry himself away from sunny Florida in time. Right now, Ken is in Beijing where he has tickets to the afternoon session of every track and field day! It is hoped that Ken will supply exclusive photos and videos of the action on and off the track. Any one who correctly guessed the answer is eligible for the grand prize of some magnets or decals. Let me know. The rules are the same as a real round of golf, self governed and on the honor system. No winter rules.

Ken is quite a story, a success on and off the track and a generous philanthropist to the Coach Groves Endowment. All in all, an honorary officer of PSU Track and Field Alumni Golf! Can't wait for Clark's next foray into "Who Am I" madness.

Thanks to Rob Whiteside for alerting me to a new photo of Ken.

Walking On:

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to honor Coach Groves for all the things he did for me and the other walk-ons on the team. Probably no other big-time coach in America has coached more walk-ons than he has. We had at least 3 State Champion distance runners walk on my freshman year. Without the ability to walk on at PSU, I would have become a slightly larger fish at a Division III school, something I did not desire. When I walked into coach's office in the summer of 1977, he welcomed me and told me the straight scoop. I never worked harder and although I never became an All-American, I did contribute points to the team on several occasions. How many walk-ons of Coach Groves' ended up being All-American? I can think of several. Name me another Division One University Coach that allowed (virtually) everyone willing to work hard to participate and run for the team? The same scratchy blues and grays, and almost the same amount of time spent with everyone, regardless of their finishing time. If he helped me grow up a little bit, my bet is he helped many others as well. By kicking my ass (only once for real!) on a weekly basis, I learned how to handle being kicked in the ass by life and overcame many obstacles I otherwise wouldn't have. And, my oh my, what stories we can all tell! I have recieved several good "Coach stories" and hope to post some of them in the coming months. If you have any more, send them in! Get in touch with a fellow walk-on that isn't on our email list and let them know about us.

3-Time Olympian Appears??

A web site hit from the beautiful Bahamas may indicate a visit from the 3-time Olympian, and PSU legend, Mike Sands.
There was nothing better than Mike's rendition of "Your Daddy's Not Your Daddy, but Your Daddy Don't Know!" at coaches retirement party in 2006. I actually have it on MPEG 4 but I can't locate it (can anyone else help me out, it would be the best thing ever posted here!).

I wonder if he can golf?

Olympic Videos to Whet the Appetite

A little Pre-Olympic Frivolity is in order. A tasty delicacy to start off; Frank Shorter's 1972 Munich Marathon Victory.




And on a more somber note for our Prefontaine fans (ahem, Prefan!) , the 1972 Munich 5000 meter finish with blood doping proving its worth in the final meters.






We apparently will have some representation at the Beijing Games Track Events, even though it will be from the stands. Alas, it is not me. Hopefully we can get some photos of the action for posting!
Addendum: Apparently both recipients of the polos have been pleased with the "fit and finish" and indicate they would make a fine addition to all PSU Track Alumni Golfer's wardrobes. (Results may vary, no guarantees are implied and these statements are not endorsed by the USDA, USATF or any government entity. No harm was done to any lions or beavers during the making of these shirts.)

WHO AM I # 2

WHO AM I # 2

ALL RIGHT BOY AND GIRLS, HERE'S YOUR SECOND CHANCE TO GUESS WHO WE HAVE IN THE FRYING PAN THIS WEEK. THIS FORMER STUD MUFFIN MAY BE EASY FOR SOME, DIFFICULT FOR OTHERS....
WHO AM I ?!

MY HIGH SCHOOL MASCOT WAS, OF ALL THINGS, A BEAVER...
MY HIGH SCHOOL RECORD STILL STANDS IN THE "BROAD" JUMP (HIGH 22'S)...
IN HIGH SCHOOL I RAN THE 440 IN 51 AND THE HH IN 14.7 (ON CINDERS BOYS!)...
IN HIGH SCHOOL I SET SCHOOL, DISTRICT, AND SECTIONAL RECORDS IN THE 120HH'S,
THE LJ, AND THE 440...
AT THE PIAA'S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS MY SENIOR YEAR, I PLACED 2ND IN THE LJ, AND
4TH IN THE HH'S...
AT PENN STATE, I MAJORED IN ZOOLOGY (NO, THAT DOESN'T MEAN FRAT BROTHER!)...
I WAS A TWO-TIME NATE CARTMELL WINNER, ON THE ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL, AND CO-CAPTAIN
OF THE OF THE TRACK TEAM...
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE RECORD HOLDING 4X100 AND 4X200 RELAY TEAMS...
I HELD THE INDOOR 440 RECORD AT 48.7, RAN THE 120HH'S IN 14.3, THE 220 IN 21.7,
ALSO RAN THE 440IH'S AND LONG JUMPED...
NOW THE AWESOME STUFF:
I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN MANY MASTER CHAMPIONSHIPS AND HAVE ACTUALLY WON THE WORLD CHAMPION MASTER DIVISION FIVE TIMES IN THE HIGH HURDLES...
MASTERS CHAMPION IN THE 200 AND A MEMBER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4X400 MASTERS TEAM...
LED OFF THE MASTERS 4X 400 WORLD RECORD SETTING TEAM WITH A 49.8- AT THE AGE OF 42
THAT SAME YEAR I RAN 22.5 IN THE 200 AND 14.7 IN THE 110 HH'S...
ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORKOUTS WAS SPRINT INTERVALS IN REC HALL!...
LEAST FAVORITE WORKOUT WAS RUNNING DISTANCE WORK OUTS WITH FREDRICKS!...
FAVORITE MEMORY OF COACH: WHEN HE CAME TO FISTICUFFS WITH A, SOON TO BE CANNED
DISTANCE RUNNER, THAT HAD TO BE BROKEN UP BY SHOT PUTTER, MIKE
REID (ALL-AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER). COACH WAS ACTUALLY WINNING
WHEN HE PULLED HIM AWAY!...
I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WIFE NAMED SANDRA AND DAUGHTER NAMED ERICA...
ONE PSU GRAD I'D LIKE TO FIND WOULD BE BOB BEAM WHO ANCHORED OUR RELAY TEAMS...

SO, WHO AM I? (ANSWER WILL BE POSTED 8/15)

MAN, THIS IS GOOD STUFF...!!! I MAY SOON BE CONTACTING YOU FOR YOUR CHANCE TO BE
FEATURED AS THE NEXT CELEBRITY ALUMNI...

THE ANSWER IS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
KEN BRINKER, CLASS OF 1969 (Went to High School in Dubois)
Possible Golfer for 2009 and currently sitting in the stands at the Olympics!

Steeplechasers Unite!

Arthur Lydiard watches Heather Carmichael (foreground) and "His Girls" bounding hills, circa 1978. Heather won the Peachtree Road Race soon after.


I hope to make next year's outing the Year of the Steeplechaser. So far my efforts have been fruitless, but I refuse to give up. I'm looking to get all the best steeplechasers together for next year's golf outing. Let's see if any of them can drain a twenty-footer! My best steeplechase was actually run during high school at a summer all-comers meet in Millersville PA. In attendance was future Penn Stater Heather Carmichael and her coach, Arthur Lydiard. He actually said "good race" afterward. If he had only known that after specific training for it in college, I could never equal that whim of a race! (I know, pitiful.)

Oh you people of little faith, I pity you. This video is not of me running a high school steeplechase. View this in order to know that you should wear spikes when running
a steeplechase. I can't believe no one viewed this yet!


Kid Fails At Steeplechase - Watch more free videos

A belated hello to Kyle Bernhardy, PSU Track alum of the 90's, now living in Costa Rica! One mystery is solved, but others remain. What is the state of Track and Field in Costa Rica? And what about golf in Central America? Let us know what's going on there. How hot is it? Welcome to the world of PSU Track Alumni Golf.

Rec Hall Fever

Does anyone have a Rec Hall story to tell? I have several, of course. Go to the message board and regale us with your version of heaven on earth.

Breaking News: We are moving up the Google listing under the keywords Penn State Track and Field Alumni!!! we are now listed before the official PSU Sports site! Thank you for all your hits and keep them coming. We look forward to being No. 1.

Vacation Ends, Trial Polos Arrive:

The web site was quiet for the past week due to normal maintenance procedures. Not on the server or software, but on me. I took a much needed vacation away from work and even most internet connections. I did however, take the time to visit Boardwalk Embroidery in Ocean City, NJ and mocked up a potential Polo design for next year's reunion. Complimentary copies will be sent out to our two existing biggest benefactors for review, comments and recommendations. A grey t-shirt design is also in the works. (Do they still wear the traditional blues and greys for practice?) The t-shirts will be ideal for all of us that still run! (As if it does me any good!) Only those attending the event will be eligible for this heirloom item. Cost will be approx. $35.00. (You can afford it big guy!) No profit will be made on any shirts sold at the event!