It Really Isn't Our Fault, and Minimalism Squared

A 90 sq. ft. home may be just what the doctor ordered in these difficult economic times, or any time for that matter.  No wasted space and a severe reduction in "stuff" is probably something all of us need.  Take a tour of these unique homes:

Second Act - Jay Shafer's Tiny Home @ Yahoo! Video

And maybe you thought you were the only person going around in circles, but it turns out we all do it naturally.  Nobody knows why.

Ten Questions: Howard Triebold

1. What song immediately brings back memories of Penn State?
2. Who was the biggest team clown during your track years?
3. What was your best PSU Track or XC performance?
4. What is your best Coach Groves memory?
5. What was your favorite haunt/watering hole in State College back in the day.
6. What was your least favorite workout?
7. What was the best place you lived while at Penn State?
8. Who from the team do you wish you could get in contact with?
9. What exercising do you currently do?
10. What was your best non-running or track related story from a track or XC meet?

1. Hmmm, This will sound corny, but I'd have to say any of the PSU "Fight Songs."
2. Without a doubt, Paul Stemmer
3. Best perfomance - I'd guess the 1:50. I ran indoors at MSG in the 2 mile relay at National AAUs. Otherwise mediocre
4. Having him chew out Hugh Hamill and I for circling back to pick him up on a 10 mile run - then a couple days later, chewing us out because we didn't.
5. The Phyrst on Saturday night
6. "Bit*h Hill"
7. Since I was a "townee," SC can't count - so when Mike Shine, Steve Hackman & I lived in Harrisburg while student teaching (the fall after Mike took the Silver)
8. A guy that left before he graduated - Steve Groom
9. Exercising - let's see, I jump through hoops, swim upstream, run around in circles, and even run amok. With all that I don't have time for much else.
10. Best non-track story - it started out non-, but ended on the track. In Dec 1975 we went to the Atlanta Peach Bowl Marathon (which George Christopher won and Carl Bechdel was maybe 8th - I just ran the half) and then went to the Sugar Bowl - I think the first year of the Superdome . I got the "snot beat out of me" after the game by some, I assume Bama fans. Later that winter we ran against them on the boards of MSG and I smacked the Bama runner with the baton and almost ran him off the high boards (with the help of the other "board familiar runners" inthe race. Felt good at the time. . .

Happy Thanksgiving and a Perusal of the NCAA XC Archives

Happy Thanksgiving!  Here's Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving Song.  (Mild Content warning, but nothing as bad as what happens when your entire family gets together for one whole meal!)


And here's a compilation of PSU's Men's team standing and their first finisher for every NCAA XC Championship meet ever held!  Surprises abound.  Many PSU Track Alumni Golfers in the mix.  (I undoubtedly have made errors, so don't hesitate to make fun of me or correct me sternly, it will be just like home!)

1938: William J. Smith 5th
1940: William J. Smith 7th
1941: Norman Gordon 11th PSU: 2nd
1942: Norman Gordon 4th PSU: Co-Champions!
1946: Curtis Stone 2nd PSU: 3rd
1947: Horace Ashenfelter 2nd PSU: Champions!
1948: Donald Longanecker 24th PSU: 4th
1949: Donald Ashenfelter 13th PSU: 4th
1950: William Ashenfelter 8th PSU: Champions!
1951: William Ashenfelter 4th PSU: 4th
1952: Robert Hollen 7th PSU: Tie for 4th
1953: Robert Hollen 6th PSU: 4th
1954: Douglas Moorhead 20th PSU: 5th
1956: Fred Kerr 23rd PSU: 7th
1957: Fred Kerr 13th PSU: 9th
1959: Richard Engelbrink 7th PSU: 10th
1960: Gerald Norman 6th PSU: 4th
1961: Gerald Norman 26th PSU: 8th
1962: Howard Deardorff 8th PSU: 12th
1968: Michael Schurko 38th PSU: 14th
1969: Greg Fredericks 45th PSU: 10th
1970: Greg Fredericks 4th PSU: 13th
1971: Greg Fredericks 20th PSU: 8th
1972: Charles Maguire 38th PSU: 12th
1973: Charles Maguire 23rd PSU: 10th
1974: George Malley 39th PSU: 10th
1975: Paul Stemmer 5th PSU: 4th
1976: George Malley 20th PSU: 13th
1977: Roberet Snyder 34th PSU: 12th
1978: Robert Snyder 9th PSU: 4th
1979: Alan Scharsu 19th PSU: 3rd
1980: Alan Scharsu 7th PSU: 3rd
1981: Alan Scharsu 6th PSU: 14th
1982: Jeff Adkins 134th no team score
1984: Clark Haley 57th PSU: 21st
1985: Eric Carter 9th no team score
1986: Eric Carter 35th PSU: 17th
1987: Eric Carter 4th PSU: 12th
1988: Brian Laird 13th PSU: 15th
1989: Steve Brown 20th PSU: 13th
1991: Mark Wimmer 26th PSU: 10th
1992: Mark Wimmer 64th no team score
1993: Jake Bartholomy 29th PSU: 14th
1994: Tom McGlynn 48th PSU: 8th
1996: Austin Drager 114th no team score
2006: Dan Mazzocco 31st no team score
2008: Kyle Dawson 81st PSU: 25th
2009: Vince McNally 134th no team score
2010: Kyle Dawson 52nd PSU: 30th

PSU Men Second at NCAAs: Vince McNally Takes Overall Title!

In the "Stachies at Nashies" competition by FloTrack.org to bring awareness of Prostate Cancer.

If you ever want a laugh, ask Rob Whiteside about my "full beard" when he first met me.  An entire summer of not shaving led to an incomplete Fu Manchu I probably still couldn't complete.Another thing I'm not very good at...


Here's FloTrack's award to the Penn State Team as well as Vince McNally's T-Shirt award for the overall best mustache at NCAAs.

"The Beast" is Usurped as the Official Golf Club of PSU Track Alumni Golf!

"You must do something about the cheating."

-Coach Groves,  2009 Tournament.

Paul Mundy's Beast has been the official golf club of our group for years.  I really hate to see it go, but after watching this video, I have no choice!  Maybe Paul can turn that "extra" driver he has into a workable club with beverage dispenser?  Or satellite radio?  Or Spycam?

2010 NCAA Results Including Alumni Coaches

The PSU Men finished in 30th place, with Kyle Dawson and Vince McNally placing 52nd and 77th overall.  I still put special emphasis on the contribution from the middle distance guys this year.  I'm sure the 10 K distance took its toll in this race.  I'm looking forward to great 800 M and 1500 M races this year from all of them.  Overall, a good year for the team, setting themselves up for even better things in the future.

The Lady Lions placed 26th as a team, with Brooklynne Ridder placing 82nd overall.  A solid year with a great young group, with great things coming in the upcoming years.

Steve Walsh's William and Mary crew placed 19th as a team in his first year as Coach.  Let's hope his golf game won't suffer following the move to Virginia.

Kate Curran's St. Lawrence Men's team placed third overall in the Div III Championships, with Steve Kiplagat's third place pacing them.  Her Women's squad placed 23rd also.  I'm surprised she ever had the time to fill out the Ten Questions I posed to her!

NCAA Archive and 800 M Reunion of Reunions!

Alberto Juantorena, Sebastian Coe, Wilson Kipketer and David Rudisha met in Monaco recently.  The last 4 World Record Holders in the 800 M delighted in meeting each other and provided an excellent discussion.


And here's Track and Field News' new compilation of results from every NCAA XC Championships, spanning 1938 to 2009.  The 2010 version is tomorrow in Terre Haute with both PSU teams fully represented. Go State.  Penn State ranks 5th in number of appearances at the Big Dance, or whatever cliche is used for XC.

Just in Time for Thanksgiving!

Here's a picture of my brand new Bacon Wallet, which goes well with the bacon air-freshener in my car. This baby garners stares from everyone.

But neither of those are nearly as great as the new soda from the great people at Jones Soda Co.  Their two new flavors are Pizza and Bacon. 

Bacon, not just for breakfast anymore. Maybe we can get some for the tourney this year to go with the Heinekens.


And if Kobayashi had just tried the soda, he could still be competing.

Steve Walsh Named Southeast Region Coach of the Year

Congrats to PSU Track Alumni Golfer, (and Closest to the Pin Winner 2010!) Steve Walsh.  He led his new William and Mary team to a first place finish in the region, garnering Coach of the Year Honors in the process. 

FORE!!!

Our intrepid Roaming Correspondent Rob Whiteside brings us this great item which should send shivers up the spine of most of us that pretend to golf several times a year.  With friends like these, who needs enemies?  (Reminds me of the classic joke from Finding Nemo:  Seahorse says to a starfish, "With friends fronds like this, who needs anemone?")

Kelly O'Brien and Judy Lynn Weaver need to take special note!

Ten Questions: Kate Curran, Head Coach St. Lawrence University

1. What song immediately brings back memories of Penn State? Zombie Nation. Can’t say I have ever been a big techno fan but it was always good to hear this played at football games. I also worked summers for Gatorade out of Beaver Stadium for 6 years, and heard more than a few sound checks with this one.
2. Who was the biggest team clown during your track years? It always seemed like Shawn Cavanaugh could get everyone laughing pretty good.
3. What was your best PSU Track or XC performance? 10:49 Steeple, it’s not an impressive mark, but it did just barely get me into the NCAA Regional Championships. Jess Riden also informed me this spring that I’m just barely hanging on to a top ten mark with that one.
4. What is your best Coach Groves memory? I keep a book with important quotes - Coach Groves has his own section. I run into him at a few meets every year and always make some great additions to the book. My all time favorite memory comes down to seeing him retrieve a Koi fish out of the steeple pit with a bucket (shirtless) or the time he showed me his red boxer briefs, absolutely priceless.
5. What was your favorite haunt/watering hole in State College back in the day. I went to Sports Café on my 21st birthday, does that count?
6. What was your least favorite workout? Repeat K’s on the indoor track.
7. What was the best place you lived while at Penn State? 328 West Nittany Ave with Matt Lincoln, Adam Voll, Molly Landreth, Colleen Connell, and Jenny Stevens…In my 5th year Erinn Otterson, Dan Ernie and a few others from the team moved in as well.
8. Who from the team do you wish you could get in contact with? Facebook has changed things, I still am able to keep in pretty good contact with most of my teammates. (Facebook is also the only way (so far) we know each other.  She may have to rethink the merits of it!)
9. What exercising do you currently do? I am very fortunate to be able to run with the teams I coach at St. Lawrence University. I usually run anywhere between 25-40 miles per week.
10. What was the actual ratio of Morning workouts/runs reported vs. those actually done? 1/1

Minions Cover My Back

I was unable to make it to the NCAA Regional Cross-Country Meet at PSU this week.  But the long arm of Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golf is never far away from the action!  My minions are always ready to cover any of my absences as both Tim Backenstose and Steve Shisler gave me reports and photos from the event. Steve recently became the distance coach at State College High School, joining fellow Track Alumni Dave Felice (Cross Country Coach).  Tim is still recovering from the "Day on the Bay" with all the landlubbers, including me.  It all seems so long ago already.....

I have included a new slide show of their photos on the right, above mine from the Penn State National last month.  It's easy to see who has photography talent comparing the two.

The Third Photo Caption Contest is Here By Popular Demand!

As we wait for the next Ten Questions, (and you know who you are!), this one should offend no one (or everyone equally anyway!).  Remember the rules:  Enter a caption in the comments section below.  Please refrain from out-right indecency, but think along the lines of the censors for "Two and a Half Men".  I reserve the right to banish anyone playing outside the rules!  Enter as many times as you wish.  The Prize will be the largest one yet.  A Free Dinner at Next Year's Awards Ceremony (Shisler's Shindig!).  Spread the word to your friends and enemies alike.  The top 5 choices will be entered in the final vote on the left side-bar in the next 2 weeks.  Pre-invasion Iraqi voting will be in force for this one.  (That means I expect more than 100% turn-out for the best caption!)

Both Men and Women's Teams Advance to NCAA's

A second place finish by Kyle Dawson and a third place by Vince McNally paced the Lions. The  Men's and Women's teams finished fourth and third respectively at the Regionals. Both teams move on to The Big Dance.

Here's an interview with Coach Sullivan following the race.

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

A Winner and More Foolishness!

"Two hineys are better than one."

-Anonymous

Anonymous has won the second photo caption contest.  I think I know who it is, but I do hope he/she confirms it with an email.  It's all so very hard to keep track of all this stuff!  We had a big turn-out of voters, or at least a few voters and some sock-puppets.  Regardless, Anonymous has won a gift certificate to The Creamery for a half gallon of deliciousness (or two cones).

Addendum:  It was Bill Malchano's entry, and I spelled his name correctly this time.  Congrats to a PSU Track And Field Alumni Golf Pioneer! 

The third photo caption contest is coming very soon, and will take us out of the Universe of PSU Track and Field Alumni, just for a change.  Everyone is eligible.  I'm hoping for another great prize in the same relative price range.  Anyone out there up for a donation?  

And now for some foolishness, which happens to be my best topic.  Certainly better than golfing or even running for sure.

1.  The Hadron Collider has moved past the attempt to make the "God Particle" and is now concentrating on creating "A Little Bang".
2. Actual, real scientists (well, Archeologists anyway!) have determined that Beer was one of the most determining factors in the creation of Civilization!  Some have told me that Fox News is the anti-beer, and will cause the collapse of civilization.  We'll see.  We'll see.
3. And here's my hero, and the smartest man I have ever heard about, Richard Feynman, explaining why UFO's are "most-likely" a creation of irrational terrestrial beings.  Have I ever told you I once saw a UFO at the Pennsylvania/New York border?  It was even documented in the New York Times the next day.  No one ever explained the high altitude glowing ball many of us saw that afternoon.  I never argued I wasn't an irrational terrestrial being.

Interview With Steve Walsh, Head Coach William and Mary

"...if he says it’s the place to be, it’s the place to be"
-Steve Walsh on taking career advice from Coach Groves.

Here's a link to the William and Mary Track Alumni web site and an interview with Steve Walsh, former PSU stand-out and new Head Cross-Country and Track Coach.  Steve is an excellent golfer, at least until the rain starts, but that's another story.  Our foursome's inept score had nothing at all to do with Steve. Some holes were strictly him playing for the other three of us. You all know how much I contribute!

Interview with Coach Steve Walsh by Ken Halla, William and Mary Track Alum.

Amazing Physics and More McRib Goodness!

 While waiting for this week's NCAA Regional Meet at State College, we have a few diversions to keep us occupied.  First, we'll confound the Physicists among us with this seemingly impossible experiment.  Can a wind powered vehicle actually go straight downwind faster than the actual wind speed?  It turns out it can!

And what is former President Bill Clinton's take on the return of the McRib sandwich (six weeks only people, so don't dilly dally!) 

There is Hope For This World: And Running Helps

I realize I have spent a lot of time discussing Edison Pena already, but a little more won't hurt anything.  His weekend achievement astounds me, and I think it gives hope to a world that seems directionless at the moment.  A better 5:40 marathon probably has never been run.

Edison ran the New York City Marathon only weeks after being rescued from the Chilean Mine disaster and months since thinking his life was over.  He hurt his knee after starting out much too fast (who among our ranks can't commiserate?), yet never, ever contemplated not finishing.  His inclusion as a Hall of Honor member of our group is sealed.  I will be sending him a sampling of our wrist bands, including the original "Harry's Boys" version.  I have a feeling that Edison and Coach Groves would get along quite well.

And check out his rendition of an Elvis Presley classic at the end of this clip!

Election Results Even as Voting Continues

There is still a couple of days left in the vote for the best caption to the photo of Clark Haley holding two Heinekens aloft.  The Second Photo Caption Contest has a prize of a half gallon of Creamery ice cream (or 2 cones!) for the lucky writer.  The third installment in the series will be upcoming, and we'll be sure to avoid embarrassing references to adult beverages this time.  (In Clark Haley's defense, he was just stocking the cooler at a reunion evening, he wasn't double-fisting Heinekens!)

And the most important election result last week was the City Supervisor's prohibition of Happy Meals in San Francisco. First they came for the toys, then they came for your beer!  "When Happy Meals are outlawed, only Outlaws will have Happy Meals."

Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golfers) Excel at Procreation!

From the newly ordained Assistant to the Laureate (and Chief Laundry and Morale Officer) Larry Mangan, comes these great tidbits attesting to the great genetics of our members.

• Chris Rapp helped his Tennessee Volunteer teammates to their fourth place SEC position with his 26th place at the Conference Championships.  Chris is the son of  Tom Rapp ('81) and Mary (Rawe) Rapp ('81), two of the finest people you could ever meet.  Both were All-Americans for PSU "in the good ole days", and Tom's name appears on the Harry Groves Memorial Cup!
• Heather Ziegler, daughter of All-American John Ziegler helped her Meadville High School team to a first place finish of District 10 in PA.  Larry also told me a great story about his recruiting visit to PSU, when John took him out on his first ever morning run.  In typical John Ziegler fashion, the "5-miler" was 6 miles at 6 minute pace and very little talking from Larry for once!  Hard to believe Larry still decided to come to PSU after that!
• And Michael Mangan helped his Lower Moreland team to its first place finish in District One (?) advancing to States this weekend.  Larry will be there, as well as Jeff Sanden and Mark Haywood.  I hope they can give me reports if I can't make it.

Your Vote is Important!

Our theme for the second Photo Caption Contest  is Suffrage, and who better to promote our vote than Susan B. Anthony.  I also picked this photo because she looks as if she needs a shave as much as Clark did in the photo!  (Just kidding.) 

Needless to say, everyone can vote, including women.  But only once this time.  Chicago voting has been turned off for this episode.  Vote on the Left Sidebar.  To see the photo again, go HERE.