Early in the 1979 Cross Country Season an intrepid cast of characters set out in a van for the home of the Charlestown Chiefs. Instead of meeting the Hanson Brothers on the ice, we met a bunch of other runners for the Johnstown 10K.
But we did use the Cambria County War Arena as our dressing room. That's the scene of much of the filming for what Paul Newman called his favorite movie, Slap Shot. We actually dressed in the stands right where goalie Denis Lemieux met player/coach Reggie Dunlop after asking Manager Joe McGrath "Who Own the Chiefs?" Owwwwwns...
Several of us set PRs for the 10K, and everyone knows Johnstown has hills!
Penn State Runners:
5. Gary Black 29:58
7. David Baskwill 30:37
8. Brad Althouse 30:40
11. Mark Hawkins 31:01
12. Marc Dunmire 31:14
14. Don Ziter 31:33
15. Doug Kent 31:54
18. Rich Prann 32:17
19. Ray Krombel 32:20
23. Mark Fordney 32:50
26. Mike Cook 33:07
42. Roger "Gunny" Roll 34:53
I further pissed everyone off after the race by winning a pair of running shoes randomly from a local running store, delaying the return to State College! They ended up giving me an injury...
"We go to Florida and I get the money."
-Denis Lemieaux.