All in the Family: A Great Performance

Len Black may not have run for PSU, but he built the foundation for several other PSU Track Alums. After winning the PA State High School Mile in 1949, Len attended The University of Penn on scholarship and quickly became their best runner under Head Coach Ken Doherty and Assistant Coach Boo Morcom. He also won the first Gil Dodds Boardwalk Mile on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Len never finished at Penn and following a stint in the Navy, graduated from Dear Old State in 1957. His reminisces of training in those days make his times and accomplishments seem extraordinary. His training consisted mainly of walking to and from the train and school. Also note the bizarre surface of the Penn track in the photo on the bottom! I'll get the blog laureate working on that.

When Gary Black won the PA State High School Mile in 1978, he may have completed the first father/son combo to have done so. Barb Black and Steve Black also competed for the Nittany Lions. Len's Great Performance was for not throttling me when I announced Barb's and my engagement while in State College staying at the Autoport for a Winter Sports weekend in 1987!

Addendum: Brian Boyer, the Bridge between all decades has officially entered the Golf Tourney in his bid to become Official Physicist of PSU Track Alumni Golf! Ron Moore is still in the running to become Co-Official Physicist if he dares the trip from the Fermi Lab!