Blog Lives on Through Generous Benefactors. Still Time to Help!

Through the generous contributions of those attending the Reunion and Golf Tourney and several munificent non-attendees, the Blog can live on for another year.  Total contributions to the Blog total $470 this year, which will be used for web site maintenance, next year's wrist bands and other goodies as needed. (Total to-date contributions are $1860 to the blog, with only $4.70 being used personally for a Wendy's Lunch upon explicit directions from one contributor!) A checking account will soon be established in order to become "the most ethical and transparent administration track and field alumni group" Evah!  Director of Corporate Espionage and CFO Gary Black will oversee the funds in his usual rigid manner.

There are still Wrist Bands and cool battery-less flashlights left over for those wishing to contribute.  Any additional funds will be applied toward the goal of having a Car as a Hole-In-One Prize on the 18th Hole next year, our tenth anniversary, (we probably need an additional $300-$400).

On to the NCAA Championships

Bridget Franek winning the Steeplechase. (Photo from Michael Scott.)

Fifteen individuals and 2 Relays qualified for the NCAA Championships in two weeks.  Some of the usual suspects and a couple of great surprises.  Nine women and six men will make the trek to Oregon's fabled Hayward Field.

Because of Bridget Franek's win in the steeplechase, she will toe the line in the event as the favorite.  Three also qualified in the 400 Hurdles with Fawn Dorr, Megan Duncan and Evonne Britton moving on.  The Sprints are also well represented with Aleesha Barber, Shavon Greaves.  Bianca Fung also qualified in the long jump and Karlee McQuillen tossed the javelin to third place booking her ticket to Oregon.

The Men also impressed, placing six individuals into the Championships.  800 U qualified two in the event, with Casimir Loxsom and Ryan Foster two-lapping into the next round. In the distances, Tyler McCandless ran a strong 10000 M to move on.

My emphasis on the track aspects of PSU Track and Field led a few Field Eventers to mildly protest at the Reunion, so here is another headline just for you!

Penn State Field and Track Team Impresses Crowd

In the Shot Put, Joe Kovacs and Blake Eaton both qualified for a trip to the West Coast.  Ryan Fritz also jumped at his chance of moving on and tied for first in the High Jump.

Specialty Awards Delight Crowd

Clark Haley takes his role seriously when awarding the "extra" prizes at the tournament awards ceremony.  This year, several new prizes were awarded.  The complete list:

• Perfect Attendance Award- Nine years in a row!  Clark Haley, Steve Shisler, Mike McCahill, Harry Smith and David Baskwill.  
• Longest Drive- Doug Kent won a Superman head cover. It took me two shots to pass his first one by 5 yards!  He also receives Barney the Golden Divot Tool and a golden tee.  Barney is a Rotating Prize named for Barney Ewell.
• Longest Trip- Dave Masgay came all the way from California and won something to do with Darth Vader (but I missed it).
• The Rob Whiteside "Brotherhood" Award- (for someone coming DESPITE not liking golf) Chris Nirschel, who showed the ultimate altruism by paying for someone else to golf!  He won a Green Jacket from the Masters, which has become a rotating prize, to be returned next year for the next recipient, (dry cleaning extra!).
• Closest to the Pin- Steve Walsh (9' 7").  With an assist from Kay Warfel and Jeri Elder, who displayed counter-espionage tactics when insisting to those behind us that Steve utilized a 6-iron!  Steve is a great golfer and is currently with his Providence team at the NCAA Regional meet in North Carolina. Steve also received Mike the Silver Divot Tool, another rotating prize named for Mike Shine.  In addition, he received a silver tee to keep.
• Longest Putt- Gregg Davis (15' 7") won a Bar-B-Q set and Horace the Golden Putter, the premier rotating prize named for Horace Ashenfelter III.  He also pocketed a golden tee.
• Shot of the Day- (This time actually a good shot) went to Phil Caraher who drove the 350 yd. first green.  Phil received a ball retriever usually given for the "worst" shot.
• Ghost Man Award for someone not seen in a while- John Ziegler who delighted me when he signed up at the last minute.  John won a PSU blue blanket.
• The "Numb Nut" Award- (created when Steve Balkey dumped 100 golf balls because he forgot to put the range ball bucket under the dispenser when he put the token in at the Blue course) Paul Mundy for hitting a house with one of his drives using The Beast.  The sound was heard by the trailing 2 foursomes.
• The John Doe Award- Gary Black won a bucket of tees with this award created by Clark Haley to abuse Gary for something!
• Most Valuable Woman Golfer- Jess Riden for supplying 5 used drives to her foursome in the best-ball format.  Jess wins the first Kathy Award, a beautiful string of blue and white pearls found and purchased by Beth Shisler.  This idiot officer forgot to bring them and they will soon be whisked her way by the USPS.  Her secondary prize of skin care products from Under Your Skin will also be delivered by Beth. 

Final Results of the Ninth Annual Golf Tournament

The biggest tourney yet, with many new golfers including the largest number of Coaches ever, and a shot-gun start greeted the Elks Club Course on Saturday.  Skies were cloudy and after 5 holes, a steady rain welcomed the hardy crew to a tough round of the most frustrating game ever invented.  When the drenched throng finally was done, here were the results:

1. First Place Foursome- Drew Hardyk, Bradd DelMuto, Andrew Jenkins and Nick K.  Each won a $50 gift certificate and their name engraved on the Harry Groves Memorial Cup.
2. Second Place Foursome- Clark Haley, John Gondak, Dave Masgay, Steve Shisler.  They pocketed a $25 gift certificate to Rapid Transit. And an empty bottle of Wild Turkey.
3. Third Place Foursome- Gary Black, Doug Kent, Phil Caraher and Mike Enwright.  They won some golf balls.
4. Fourth Place Foursome- Todd Leggitt, Brian Mount, Harry Smith, Gregg Davis.  They also won slightly better golf balls.
5. Fifth Place Foursome- Jeff Sanden, Ted Lyon, Steve Walsh, David Baskwill.  Golf caps and t-shirts were sent their way.
6. Sixth Place Foursome- Beth Shisler, Paul Mundy, T. J. Crater, Ken Brinker. They won drinking glasses to assuage their frustrations.
7. Seventh Place Foursome- Fritz Spence, Dave Zeiters, Kelly O'Brien, Steve Balkey and Seth Balkey.  They won stuffed bears in a bucket.  
8. Eighth Place Foursome-  Ian Smith, Mike McCahill, Teri Jordan, John Ziegler and Bob Gabel.  They won golf gloves they could have used earlier!
9. Ninth Place Foursome- Holden Smith, Jess Riden, Barry Robinson and Jim Clelland.  They won beautiful golf ties which can be re-gifted to dads and grads!

For those keeping track, that's 9 times 4 = 36 + two foursomes with 5 golfers + Coach Groves = 39 total golfers!

Tomorrow, the specialty awards will be revealed.

NCAA Regionals Begin

I had the pleasure of a half-hour conversation with Coach Groves at the track Saturday while others were out on the First Annual Alumni "Run".  (Don't worry, I ran 1 1/2 miles to keep the streak alive!)  It also gave me the reward of seeing the Women's Team workout and the Men's team warm-up for their practice.  I was impressed with the organization of the whole thing.  They also look quite ready to represent PSU.  The 600 meter time-trial for the 4 (!) PSU mens 800 M qualifiers was incredible to say the least.  I'll not release details, but all four are looking good.  I wished them well in the effort to keep "PSU is 800 U" alive.

Here's Tim Backenstose's video creation of this year's 4 X 800 M Relay at Penn Relays.  PSU was third in the event, which just shows how great this event is.



Coming Tomorrow!  Final Results of the Ninth Annual Harry Groves Golf Tourney .

Are We Getting Younger?

It was a pleasure to see so many younger attendees at the Ninth Annual Harry Groves Golf Tournament and Reunion.  I have worked very hard at attracting those younger than myself and the normal gang.  I even risked identity theft by signing on to Facebook to better communicate with others!  I succeeded in getting 112 members on our Facebook site.  Others are encouraged to sign up also. ( I also made friends with several Ethiopian Princes wishing to share their inheritance with me, "so I got that going for me"!)

New golfing members included Dave Zeiters, Mike Enright, Chris Nirschel, Steve Walsh, Gregg Davis, Jess Riden, John Ziegler, Andrew Jenkins, Bradd DelMuto, Teri Jordan, Holden Smith, Dave Masgay, Phil Caraher, T J Crater, Drew Hardyk, Brian Mount, Fritz Spence, and Ted Lyon.

There was also a big contingent of non-golfing newcomers, who are welcomed with just as much fervor and hoopla!   Kay Warfel and Jeri Elder helped spread disinformation for Steve Walsh on the 10th tee, allowing him to insist he used a 6-iron to reach the green and win "closest to the pin".  Rebecca Donaghue and Artie Gilkes appeared between work-outs and races, no easy task for the two of them!  Tim Backenstose appeared and managed to keep his clothes on the whole time.  Judy Lynn Weaver came and didn't even need to keep times for the Alumni Run.  Teddy Quinn was also there. enlivening the crowd as is his gift.  I've missed a bunch I'm sure, and I apologize in advance.  I hope to see many more reunion members next year!

A Record Weekend

• Nick K. finally graces The Cup!  Well, as soon as Harry Smith (Keeper of the Cup) arranges for the engraving, which will be 2 weeks before next year's debacle.
• The Hall of Honor grew by at least two this weekend.  Phil Caraher and Dave Masgay both golfed with us and, as All-Americans, qualify for induction into our prestigious wing.  If anyone knows of others I missed, let me know.  As an idiot officer, the emphasis is on idiot.
• Harry Smith and Clark Haley report that we raised $4300 (after the matching funds of Harry's employer!). Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone involved. Raising monies to give back to the program is our number two goal, the first being to honor Coach Groves. The months of worrying and anxiety for Clark and Harry gave way to euphoria at the end result.  Their hard work can't be minimized.
• Steve Shisler just missed The Cup again.  But never fear Steve, your time will come.
• Jess Riden won the First Annual Most Valuable Women Golfer Award, named for Kathy (Mills) Parker.  But leave it to this idiot, I forgot her prize at home.  She also won a collection of skin care products from Under Your Skin, which Beth Shisler also forgot to bring!  We'll both be in touch with Jess soon, and thank her and the entire PSU staff for participating with us this year in such spectacular fashion.
• We booked more rooms at the Hampton Inn than ever before, and the staff went out of their way to thank us and invite us for more next year.
• The Climb up Mt. Nittany went without a hitch, and there are many photos I'll share soon.  Greg Fredericks not only hosted the First Annual Alumni "Run" and the climb up Mt. Nittany, but also was The Keeper of the Golden Putter at the 18th green, (standing in the rain!). Greg, golfing would be easier!

More to come...

Some Raffle Winners

And by some, I mean mostly Paul Mundy!  Paul not only received his Hall of Honor certificate on Friday, but also seemed to win every major raffle prize.  And I swear Clark Haley was entirely on the up and up with all the various raffles.  Paul won the Nike Sumo Driver valued at around $300, which will join The Beast and its family in his golf bag soon.  Paul plans on re-shafting it before coming back next year to try for the longest drive again.

Paul also won the Coach Groves signed and matted photo of Beaver Stadium.  (Did you know that PSU is the only college with a football stadium named after a past president of the University and a library named after the football coach!)  And when that wasn't enough, Paul then won the 50/50 raffle for another $130 or so.  Paul then became a Hall of Honor Paragon by donating back the entire loot!  Thank you, Paul.  Paul has been one of our strongest benefactors from day one, and this is one idiot officer that appreciates it immensely.

 First, a photo of Paul before he even won the darn thing!

And here's a great shot of The Beast and the rest of his family.  I have not dreamed up a name for the Sumo that will soon join the clan. Maybe someone else can help.

"Morale is High"

-Coach Harry Groves, commenting on his day spent on the drink cart on the Elks Club Course with Amber.

Saturday night was the night to celebrate Coach Groves' 80th birthday at the Awards dinner.  The great cake was arranged by Nick K. The one-armed hockey player, Steve Balkey arranged for the drink cart escort for Coach.  Turn out was excellent for the ribs and chicken dinner.  Next year, the idiot officers will be organized and make sure to have even more grub available.  We can return to Damon's if they fix their air-conditioning unit!  I'll be reviewing the award winners at some point this week, but now I'm just trying to recover from the whirlwind of activity.

Friday night was a night to honor PSU great Greg Fredericks.  I didn't let that out on the blog like I did for coach, as I realized Greg, unlike Coach, actually knows how to use the "intertubes". I didn't want to spoil the surprise of the great photo supplied from Terry Losch at Rapid Transit.

The photo is from a great collection of running photos at runmoremiles.com, run by a great friend of the group, Walt Chadwick.  Copies of the 11 X 17" posters are available for just $12.95 and $3.00 shipping.  I have a signed copy of each on the wall in my new treadmill room.  There are many vintage pics from the "olden days" available (maybe I should say "golden days"?).  I hope to try for some mid-eighties versions next year (hint, hint,  PSU is 800 U).

"You'd Better Watch Out, I Have a Knife."

-Coach Harry Groves upon the presentation of his birthday cake, 5/22/2010.

When Clark Haley started the tournament in 2002, it was a way for several of us to honor Coach Groves' for his influence in our development as athletes and people.  I was only a tag-along with Gary Black and only knew the rest minimally.  Honoring Coach was the main point of the whole event, and Clark did all of the work for 5 years.

Once he conned Harry Smith into helping out, Clark was able to direct his attention to becoming a 4-time winner of the event, yet our numbers languished to the point where only 11 of us were ready to disband the event for lack of enough interest.  I didn't want that to happen and I started the blog/web site then to generate interest for the next year.  It is only a small thing to do what I am doing, but it has had a big influence on a lot of others, for which I am grateful. The number of contributors to the event is now staggering and delightful, and each little thing is certainly every bit as important as anything I have done.  We have now made the second or third stride at the beginning of a very long marathon.

Thank you to everyone involved in this weekend's festivities.  In the coming days and weeks, I'll try to bring everyone up to date on the goings-on and histrionics of the entire event.  It is a pleasure to be associated with so many good people who share a common bond and celebrate it with such mirth and good will.

Remember, the goals of the group are:

1. Honor Coach Groves. (Again, thank you Coach.)
2. Honor the past, present and future PSU Track and Field and Cross-Country Programs. (Coach Alford-Sullivan's and Assistant Coaches' efforts continue a rich tradition that unites us all.)
3. Contribute to the Track/X-C Scholarships and Friends of PSU Track. (All monies left-over after paying our expenses are donated to the program or used directly for the next year's events.)
4. Become the largest and most active Track and Field Alumni Group in the entire world.  (Anyone reading this tripe I call my blog knows I'm entirely serious in this effort!)

Here's over 75 attendees at the Awards Ceremony serenading Coach, despite being threatened with a knife!

Idiot Officers Scramble for Alternative Activities in Case of Rain

(Readership soared after I posted the naked bike ride protest picture, so I just did it again!  My defense is, that according to Monty Python, I am not showing any naughty bits, so all is fair.  Also in my defense, women track uniforms often show more skin.)

With a 35 % chance of thunderstorms on Saturday, we are scrambling to come up with suitable alternative activities should thunder and lightning thwart our golfing activities. Your crack team of idiot officers have come up with several remedies.

• Positioning Todd Leggett  or someone taller than he on the 5th hole birdhouse, holding aloft a 1-iron.  Even God can't hit a 1-iron! 
• Those golfers older than 21 and younger than 50 will be assigned foursomes for Beer Pong at The Phyrst.  Coach Groves will be referee using the Queensbury Rules as his guide.
• Those golfers older than 50 will participate in the Championship of America 4 X 1 hour napping relay all afternoon at the Hampton Inn, Official Napping Headquarters for PSU Track Alumni Golf.
• Anyone younger than 21 will help out the nappers by bringing beer or soda from Clark Haley's (The Keeper of the Beer) room between relay legs..
• Non-golfers will forego the climb up Mt. Nittany and instead build a model of Beaver Stadium using macaroni in the Hampton Inn Lobby.

Friends Join the Fray, and Good News for Old-Timers!

It's been a while since we have been together, but finally John Ziegler has signed up for the golf outing!  I don't even have a recent photo of him, so I substituted a shot of Calvin instead.

My introduction to the PSU Track and Field World began with John as XC captain.  I quickly learned I wasn't running fast enough and that a fifteen miler in the mountains took 2 1/2 hours at a 6:00/mile pace.  I never would have guessed that.

On the good side, John held the finest Track parties at his apartment across the street from Old Main, above the Lion's Pride.  He even enticed the women's gymnastic team for one of them, a thrill for most of us geeks.

But the coolest thing I ever saw from John was the time he and Gary Black were late to the start of the Arts Festival 10-miler because they were in the bathroom at Rec Hall.  It was more than two minutes before they appeared and wondered where everyone was!  They took off on the first five mile loop and, sure enough, John was in second place and Gary was fifth.  They had passed all the runners (maybe 500 or more).  John went on to second place, just seconds behind a runner who never knew how lucky he was.

And here's good news for us old-timers reaching the age qualifying them for entrance into AARP!

Final Preparations For The Ninth Annual Golf Tournament

Coach Groves passed the milestone of his 80th birthday while on the track at Penn Relays last month, but now he must endure our celebration of it at Damon's Grill on Saturday night!  The Officers are busy finalizing the particulars and some have even practiced golfing, I hear.  Donuts and coffee have made their way from Franklin Field all the way to State College and await the throngs that will show for the First Annual Alumni "Run" on Saturday morning.  There is still time to let us know you are coming, and just a few golfers are needed to fill out the tenth foursome to break our attendance record.

Keep your fingers crossed for the weather.  You can view the forecast here.

Sub-4 Memories!

Only 30 years have passed since Larry Mangan's first (of several!) sub-4 mile efforts.  Enough time for two of his children to be participating in the District 1 Track Championships this weekend, thus eliminating Larry from competition in the Golf Tourney.  We understand, Larry.  His daughter Liv will be a Nittany Lion next year in a Field Event, can you believe it?  Congrats, Larry on another fine anniversary.  Good luck, both of you this weekend.

The 30 years ago memory of Larry also heralds the first sub-4 efforts for two other Nittany Lions, Mike Wyatt and Greg Fredericks!  Mike even gave me a pair of his spikes after this.  I wonder if they were the ones that dipped under 4:00?  All three of them broke the magic barrier at around the same time, and I think I saw all three of the efforts, (Larry and Greg at PSU and Mike at Penn Relays?)

Women Win Third Straight Outdoor Track and Field Championship!

Congrats Women.  A three-peat at the Big-Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indiana.  There were many individual accomplishments, but it was truly another team effort that came down to the last event.  I'm glad the Coaches have strong hearts!

Now let's see if any of them can golf!  Current team members are also invited to our get-togethers on Friday and Saturday night at Damon's.  We'll even wave the attendance fees for you.  Many of us old-timers would like to meet you. 

Practice Round at Freestone Golf Course

Steve Balkey has again arranged for a practice round on Friday afternoon for those who wish to waste any of their allotment of good shots for the weekend early.  The Golf is at Freestone Golf Course, north of State College.  Either 9 holes with cart for $20 or 18 big ones with cart for $35. Directions and other information at the link.  Remember to say "Penn State Track Alumni" and add "Golf" just to confuse them more.

Big Ten Championships Begin

The Big Ten Track and Field Championships are underway in Indiana!  The resurgent Men's Team looks to improve from last year's performance while the Women's team attempts a three-peat.  The Men are ranked 22nd in the NCAA standings while the Women are at No. 6.

Big Ten Results

Bribes Involved in First Annual Alumni "Run"!

A sizable contingent of Alumni Golfers have always gotten together for a morning run on Golf Day.  This year, we are trying to make it an organized event for the first time. Come and "run" with Olympians (well, at least one Olympian anyway).

We will meet  precisely at 9:00AM (yeah, right!) for a group "run" at the Outdoor Track.  I expect everyone to show up for a large group photo which we will use to show our enthusiasm and size in order to impress the Alumni Association into allowing us in as an official, recognized  PSU group.The prestige of membership will enhance our application for TARP, Stimulus or Bailout funds. (Just kidding.)

In order to facilitate enhanced participation, bribes , in the form of donuts and coffee, will be utilized.   Participation will entail running, jogging, walking, rolling, riding or crawling 400 meters with us, although liberal allowances will be made for anyone wishing to do less.  Those wishing to do more will then head out into Happy Valley to thunderous applause. It's all about the photo anyway.  Bring family members, dogs, friends, hobos or cardboard likenesses of JoePA if you like.  No one will be turned away.

Government Priorities: A Franklin Field Perspective

A Congressional Committee is looking into the  inequality of bathroom facilities for women in Federal Buildings around the nation.  While I hope all efforts are diverted into this pressing need instead of their current agenda, I am reminded of the restroom facilities at Franklin Field for men, which should make any woman wince at "equality".

Below is a photo of when they improved the facilities at Franklin Field.  Be careful what you wish for.  But they are still better than any bathroom I encountered in rural China!  (Ask me about that some day!)

Biking With the Yanomamo?

Certain Alumni have asked that others bring bikes with them to the reunion in order to recreate some of our old running routes without the hassle of actually running them!  However, the Yanomamo clan of Central PA adheres to its "clothing required" rules now.  This Argentinian super model would be arrested for this recreation of the ancient Yanomamo ritual, often performed as a protest to something (civilization I suppose).  I'm expecting this picture to become the most clicked on photo in quite a while! Don't disappoint me now.

Is President Obama This Year's Special Guest?

The answer is no.  But the wrist band seen in the photo looks remarkably like one of our very own Track Alumni versions.  And we certainly know he likes to golf.   I think he may even be checking out our blog on his Crackberry !

It turns out another attempt at a special guest has fizzled out on me.  I'm used to failure, so I'll recover.  I'll be back next year trying again to lure a celebrity or a famous sort to thrash and pound the little white ball for 4 or 5 hours with us.  We'll have to settle for Gary Black again this year as our special guest.  Treat him with all the respect and prestige due to any esteemed alum.

Last Minute Golf Advice

Actual, real certified golf  tips appear on the blog three times weekly, if you haven't noticed.  I also put my own golf tips for poor golfers on occasionally (to help you stay poor!).  But people still ask me constantly to help them with their golf game so they can join us in defoliating Central PA once yearly in May.  And I'm glad to help anyone with their game.  My advice has been instrumental in several engravings on the Memorial Cup.  My advice has always been to not worry how awful your game is; there is always someone next to you who is worse.  Embrace the suckiness of your game!  Remember, the worse you are, the lower the green fees are per shot.

But for those of you who really desire to improve your game, here's some golf tips from Clark Haley and Harry Smith.  I'm not sure which witch is which, (a Scooby Doo Reference on the blog for only the second time!).

Get Those Cobwebs Off Your Clubs!

Time is really running out on that practice round you promised yourself you would do prior to the Ninth Annual Coach Harry Groves Golf Tournament and Reunion.  Give it up, you know you never keep your promises anyway!  But you could make sure they are still there behind the rakes and shovels in your garage.  And there will be plenty of cobwebs and bugs to clean off, so you ought to get to work on that.

There is still time to join the fun if you've been reluctant  because your golf game isn't up to par.  Very few of us are actually decent golfers, and we ridicule them just as much anyway.  I once started a round with 2 pars and a birdie (can you imagine!) and still failed to attain my best round ever (104). Gary and Zeb can attest to that one!  There are at least three names on The Cup who had never golfed before that day!  And everyone can chip, putt and bitch like Coach does, so give it a go.  Besides, you get to drive a car WHILE drinking, and no one will say a word.  Help the rest of us have something more to make fun of you for by joining in the fray. Your hairline is barely receding and your paunch barely shows, so help us out. Really errant shots are usually rewarded with a great prize anyway.

But if you are still not golfing, no matter what, you can still join in most of the fun with us and even partake in the non-golfing activities we have arranged.  Climb Mount Nittany, visit The Creamery, run, jog, walk, or crawl with all of us at the First Annual Alumni Run(Jog, Walk or Crawl).  Donuts and coffee will be available. Celebrations will be held on both Friday and Saturday nights at Damon's, culminating with Coach Groves' 80th Birthday Party on Saturday night.  A small fee of $10 (to keep our group solvent!) gets you in. Be sure to bring your very own Coach Groves story for everyone.

And here's a great video of Janeane Garafalo and her beloved pets.  I think at least one of them listens to Rush Limbaugh!

May the Fourth Be With You

I missed the May 4th Star Wars celebration because I had no clue about it.  Apparently, all real geeks (I thought I belonged!) know that May 4th is the most "specialist" holiday ever.  I really need to keep up with my pop culture references.

Anyway, here's two videos for just about everyone to help celebrate the day, even though it's a little late.  First, there's a great ASCII version of the original Star Wars for all you retro-geeks.  Then there's a Lego version of all 6 episodes in 2 minutes!

The great Lego version of Jabba the Hutt's Palace is on Ebay right now for only $354, but bidding may drive that price even higher!  I'm definitely in the wrong profession.

Time Travel is Possible

Maybe not with a hot tub, but possible none-the-less.  And I'm using a reliable source for back-up on this one.  None other than Stephen Hawking himself.

When I think of Hawking I'm always reminded of his days as an English boarding school student being tormented by his peers, including National Lampoon's Tony Hendra for his math homework.  Only English Boarding Schools could prepare someone for a life trapped in a wheelchair with a voice synthesizer!

Apparently, Professor Hawking always thought time travel was possible, but refused to discuss it because he was afraid of the abuse he would take.  Now, he says he no longer cares what others think of him and he has let loose with many of his conjectures.  He postulates that only one-way time travel is possible.  Which means you can travel ahead in time and take a run with your great granddaughter or great grandson but not back in time to run with your great grandfather.

Another Reason I Love Philadelphia!

Cheesesteaks, Ben Franklin, soft pretzels, Tasty Kakes and The Penn Relays are some good reasons to love the City of Brotherly Love.  But cops tazering field jumpers brings a smile to my lips.  Some say it is a bit overboard, but I say they could have kicked him too.  Citizens Bank Park is becoming more and more like Veterans Stadium every day!  Don't Taze Me Bro!

Back in the Saddle Again

Following the third place finish in the 4 X 800 at Penn Relays, the 800 U boys jumped right back up on the horse and thrilled spectators at the Payton Jordan Invitational on Saturday.  Cas Loxsom excelled and posted the top NCAA 800 M time so far this year with a 1:46.74 effort!  Ryan Foster also did not disappoint with a 1:47.78.  Lionel Williams rounded out the PSU performances with a 1:49.33 in the event.


Bridgit Franek again threatened the record book with her 15:46.8 in the 5000 M,  off the record of Kathy Mills from 1978 by 13 seconds. Sam Borchers is also rounding into shape,  posting a 3:46.67 in the 1500 M. 

The sprinters traveled to Ohio State where Fawn Dorr and Shavon Greaves both won 2 events apiece.  Dorr demolished the field in the 400 M and the 400 M hurdles while Greaves bested all in the 100 M and 200 M. Additionally, Karlee McQuillen won the javelin for the second week in a row.

The Nittany Lions have a home meet next week in preparation for the Big Ten Championships the following week.

Sometimes it takes more than one attempt to get it right.  This guy had to get back on the horse twice after failing to do a back-flip on a mega-ramp with a Big Wheel! Keep up the hard work and good things will happen.

Unprecedented Practice Round in the Shadow of Three Mile Island!

Or at least the radioactive penumbra!

Jeff Sanden, Gary Black, Mark Haywood and yours truly (three officers in one foursome) braved the perils of Central Pennsylvania in our quest to better our chances of putting our names on The Cup.   Here's a great photo of the three of them with the Three Mile Island Cooling Towers in the Background.

The round went well, as we simulated tournament conditions to the letter (hitting the drink cart girl up twice in the first 9, fudging a shot or two, cursing, scratching and making fun of each other...) with the incredible result of a tournament-best 6-under par!  I smell a berth on the Hall of Honor waiting in the wings.

Here's a recap of the disaster at TMI some of you were not even around for.