You Have The Officers Alarmed!

It is time to let us know you are coming to the 17th Annual Reunion and/or the Coach Groves Golf Tournament!  The golf isn't required, but highly recommended for everyone.

You can sign up the old-fashioned way, or via the wonders of PayPal.  

One Person options:

Entire Package $205.00 USD    Friday and Saturday $135.00 USD    Friday Reception $45.00 USD    Saturday Reception $105.00 USD    Golf and Saturday Reception Dinner $155.00 USD

For additional family members, add up permutations in post and use snail mail to:
 Harry Smith
            508 Washington Avenue
            Elyria, OH  44035

17th Annual Harry Groves Golf Outing / Track and Field          Alumni  Gathering
                                   (MAY 18 – 19, 2018)
FRIDAY’S (MAY 18th) EVENTS:                                                                                                                                                                                                               
7:00pm – 11:00pm   Meet and Greet (cash bar - with the exception of kegged beer with hors d ‘oeuvres)                                                                                                                                  
Days Inn (240 South Pugh Street).  This is where both receptions will take place -
We have blocks of rooms reserved here for $109 / night (held until April 18, 2018) - Use group code CGTFAL (814) 238-8454.

                                                                                               
Ramada (1450 S. Atherton St) also has a small block for us at $76 / night (held until May 1, 2018) – use code CG16HA (814) 238-3001.

Picking of the foursomes, 50-50, Putting contest, other craziness will also take place
Mad Mex is located right next to the reception hall making it convenient for Margarita nightcaps.

SATURDAY (MAY 19th) EVENTS:
9:00am – 10:30am   The Alumni "run" will take place starting at the outdoor track for anyone interested in a short jog or a loop around campus (accompanied by coffee and donuts for those who don’t run!).
12:00pm – 5:30pm   The Golf outing will be held at the Mountain View Country Club (old Elks Club) again this year with the putting contest taking place at 11:15. If you need clubs, there are always folks bringing extra sets so you don’t have to worry about renting (be sure to let us know when you register so we can plan to have them there).

1:00pm – 3:00pm   Activities for those not golfing.  Depending upon weather and volunteers, we usually have a group gathering to hike Mt. Nittany or take a campus tour (either to the Creamery or the Sports Museum (may be an additional cost).  Meeting spot(s) and tour guide(s) to be announced – leaving from the hotel lobby.

Some of the present team members will be in town and possibly at the morning run at the track.  Some may join us at the evening reception (awaiting confirmation from the Coaches)

7:00pm – 11pm   Dinner reception and awards ceremony for golf outing

Will the change of venue and its proximity to campus, the fees had to increase this year to $200 for those attending the outing and both receptions – add a significant other (or another family member) $300 (if not planning to golf $250).  More Immediate family members than that, add $100 if golfing, $50 if not (children $25).  Friday and Saturday receptions without golf $130, add significant other $175, add additional $50 for each additional immediate family member ($25 for children).    Friday night reception only - $40 add significant other $75 – add $25 for additional immediate family members.  Saturday only reception $100 add significant other $150 – any additional immediate family member $50.  Saturday reception with golf included $150 – add a significant other $250 if golfing ($200 if not) – additional immediate family members $75 if golfing, $50 if not.  If you have graduated in the past three years, dump 20% of the tab. (Who knew so much math was required?)

This event is open to men, women, and friends of PSU alumni - the more the merrier!  This is all about the laughs and brother/sisterhood, not scores, and you’ll have three other hackers on your team to laugh at so don’t worry about how bad your game may be!

Please send checks or money orders to:
            Harry Smith
            508 Washington Avenue
            Elyria, OH  44035

PayPal and credit card options this year on the Blog or Facebook page as a matter of convenience.
(I know, about time, right!) – if utilizing PayPal  another $5 will be added to your total to defer the charge.
If you should have any other questions or comments, please let me know – Hope to see you this year! 

A New Dog Joins Our Group

 

Ron Moore with Barkley.

"Say hello to Barkley! Barkley was one of 5 pups abandoned in Frozen Head State Park two weeks ago. Fortunately, a couple of runners found them huddled together before a night forecast to drop below freezing. Park rangers helped get the pups to safety. When I read the story, I just had to get one. After 2 weeks spent in quarantine and getting fixed, etc., they were ready for their forever homes this morning - quite appropriately the start of this year’s Barkley Marathons."

-Ron Moore

If you didn't know, the Barkley Marathons are going on right now in rugged Tennessee.  And if you don't know, they are the most ridiculous races you could ever dream up.  We have featured them before, but be sure to marvel at the beasts who attempt to finish.  So far in 30 years or so, 15 people have managed to finish.

And, of course, Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golf) is there.  Our Endowed Erwin Shrodinger Chair for Advanced Physics Ron Moore is on a ground team for one of the "runners".

That's how he found himself in the center of world-wide news when a couple of puppies were found on the course.   Being the kind of guy we all know our alums always are, Ron adopted one of the pups and now has him safe and sound at home.  Barkley adds to his already credible collection of four-legged friends. Ron is my hero in more ways than one.

The Brotherhood Loses Another

Ted's attire at this year's St. Pat's solo concert.

We lost another brother yesterday.  Ted Lyon was truly a remarkable individual.  With intellect and incredibly varied talents, he was truly one of a kind.  Exactly the way I describe the generic Penn State Track Alumni (Golfer).

I first got word via  Paul Souza and Facebook.  My reaction was eerily similar to my reaction after the passing of Steve Black, my brother-in-law, last year. The empty feeling in my chest, and yet the rapid and fluttering heart rate indicated to me that all of us in the PSU Track Alumni Family are truly brothers. (That includes all you women too, damn it to the new-fangled gender gobblety-gook we have to deal with! We are all a family, no matter what other differences we may have.)

Ted had incredible talents.  His running resume brought him to Penn State to follow Ricky Garcia, both from the famed high school of Remember the Titans fame, TC Williams.  While at PSU, his guitar talents united him with Paul Souza.  They teamed on several bands in State College, including The Trend and The UP. (Incredibly, Steve Black played rhythym guitar with Paul and Ted at one time also!)

Ricky Garcia Lane 1 and Ted Lyon, lane 2 for TC Williams.

Paul Souza, left with Ted Lyon, right.

Following graduation, Ted and Paul both hightailed it to Boston to form a band called Beat Surrender. For 7 years they led off for bands like Santana, Cheap Trick, Bruce Hornsby and the Range and Natalie Merchant.

When the band finally broke up, Ted moved to Williamsport and started another phase in his eclectic life.  He was recently married and has 2 kids from a previous marriage.  My condolences to everyone.

I am deeply heartened that I had the opportunity to golf with Ted in a recent Coach Groves Golf Tournament and we had a ball, as we both were there more for the comaradarie than the actual golf.  We reconnected after many years apart, but still started right where we had left off.  Make sure to make it to our Track Alumni Reunion this year.  You could be missing out on something you won't have a second chance to enjoy.

Ted warming up behind me and my dad, 1979.

Let it be said that Ted was still a better golfer than I.  (But then so are you!) RIP,  friend.

Broken Brackets

This year's version of Ken Cooper's Bracket Challenge is exactly that, quite a Challenge.  With 3  2 of the #1 seeds vanquished, there will be much volatility ahead.

Right now, our Chief Laundry and Morale Officer is leading the pack with 2 others, including Zeb Stewart's wife.  She is at the top when he is near the bottom! Both have golfed with us in the Coach Groves Golf Tourney.

Dead Man Walking.  That would be Larry Mangan, 1980 Penn State distance ace and #4 1500m runner in PSU history.  He leads the pool with 7^th grader Gavin Rupe and Missie Stewart (St. Joe’s 1992).  However, Larry has Virginia and Gavin has Cincy.  Missie with Rock Chalk Jayhawk is in the driver seat.

Another prognosticator with prescient tendencies is Spott Moskowitz in the Dog/Animal Division.  He is currently only 1 point behind in the race for the four-legged title, and like Missy Stewart, he has one of the only remaining #1 seeds to win it all!*

Thanks to Larry for pointing out that 2 #1 seeds still remain.

Here's the top 50 so far:

Current		Total
Place	Name	Points
1	Mangan, Larry	44
2	Rupe, Gavin	44
3	Stewart, Missie	44
4	Watson, Luke	43
5	Mangan, Larry 2	43
6	Hall, Dorian	43
7	Radzwich, Sophia	43
8	Dewberry, Amelia	43
9	Rupe, Nicole	43
10	Hall, Ricardo	42
11	Heitzmann, Colin	42
12	Stoffel, Todd	42
13	Crash	41
14	Balkey, Steve	41
15	Clelland, Jim	41
16	Cooper, Elliot	41
17	Pruitt, Chris	41
18	Pruitt, Cody	41
19	Coach Mike Morse	41
20	Morse, Halbert	41
21	Roth, Courtney	41
22	Stewart, Reaghan	41
23	Radzwich, Claudia	41
24	Johnson, Keyshawn	41
25	Radzwich, Maddi	40
26	Ancharski, Frank	40
27	Walter, Owen	40
28	Sailer, Aaron	40
29	Caldwell, Ryan	40
30	Lilienthal, Michelle	40
31	Cole, Carter	40
32	Thompson, Nicholas	40
33	O'Reilly, Aidan	40
34	McGlynn, Olivia	40
35	Cooper, Kyle	40
36	Quinn, Teddy	40
37	McGlynn, Cori	40
38	Barbella, Lucy	40
39	Morse, Faither	40
40	Dewberry, Jennifer	40
41	Pritchard, Lucy	40
42	Salargo, Ron	40
43	Stewart, Kerrighan	40
44	Jones, Darryl	40
45	Gross, Mike	40
46	Walter, Anne	40
47	Greenberg, Mike	40
48	Moskowitz, Spott	39
49	Venne, Lisa Anne	39
50	Ancharski, Buddy	39

RIP Stephen Hawking

News has filtered out that Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76. It is quite a miracle that he survived as long as he did. A testament to those who looked after him.  Quite a life, indeed.

Stephen was our original Official Physicist on the blog. (Everyone should have an Official Physicist, after all.)  He has been supplanted by Nuclear Engineer Brian Boyer following his golfing with us AND WINNING TWICE! (A lesson to other non-golfers out there.)  We also have Ron Moore, Erwin Shroedinger Endowed Chair For Advanced Physics.

Stephen Hawking on The Simpsons:



Stephen Hawking introducing the Big Bang Theory panel at Comic Con:

Brackets, Brackets, Brackets

Time to get your brackets filled out for Ken Cooper's 24th Annual Challenge!

Welcome to the 24^th Annual Penn State XC/T&F and Friends March Madness Pool. 

Tough one for the Nittany Lions.  I can’t believe Oklahoma, Syracuse, UCLA and Texas got in with limited debate.  Oklahoma was 4-11 in their last 15.  But I digress.  The brackets are set and with 14 teams who could win it all, this looks like an awesome tourney on paper.

See info below, including division listing at the end.

       MAIN POOL - Everyone is in the Main Pool.  It is free and pride only.  Last year we had 159 people.  This is great for kids.  Last year, we had 32 kids in 8^th grade or under and they had 5 of the top 15 overall placers.  You are encouraged to include kids and pass along to other friends.  You are more encouraged to mock them when their picks suck.

OTHER INFORMATION AND LINK:

Picks due by tip off of first Thursday game.

http://www.turbotourney.com/2018.html?t=1&p=0&c=14958

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ***

If your email program has wrapped the link to multiple lines, make absolutely sure that you enter the entire link EXACTLY as shown above or your picks may not be registered correctly.

Multiple brackets are fine.  Please distinguish – Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3, etc.

You get all play-in games right.  You can take any team as far as you want.

DIVISIONS

Please designate your division:

1.       Kid – 8^th Grade and Under (include the grade of the kid)

2.       Kid – HS/College (include grade if high school or name of college)

3.       Penn State Grad (Hoops Team)

4.       Penn State Grad (non XC/T & F) (include year graduated)

5.       PSU T & F (Distance) (include year graduated)

6.       PSU T & F (Field/Multi) (include year graduated)

7.       PSU T & F (Mid-Dist) (include year graduated)

8.       PSU T & F (Sprint)  (include year graduated)

9.       Spouse/Sig Other of Penn State XC/T & F (include year graduated)

10.   Non PSU (XC/T & F) (include year graduated and name of college)

11.   Open - Non PSU (Non-XC or T&F) - (include year graduated and name of college)

12.   Dog/Animal

Good luck.

Coop

And join us at the Reunion and Golf Tourney May 18, 19.

One Person options:

Entire Package $205.00 USD    Friday and Saturday $135.00 USD    Friday Reception $45.00 USD    Saturday Reception $105.00 USD    Golf and Saturday Reception Dinner $155.00 USD

For additional family members, add up permutations in post and use snail mail to:
 Harry Smith
            508 Washington Avenue
            Elyria, OH  44035

800U Adds Two More All-Americans

“Saruni’s just a talented runner, there’s no hiding that, everyone knows that now. He went, I tried to go with him, and he just had a little bit more. But I’m proud of my effort, I gave it my all out there.”

-Isaiah Harris.

Both Danae Rivers and Isaiah Harris brought home All-American honors from the NCAA Indoor Championships.

7th

Danae RIVERS

SO

Penn State

2:04.20

2nd

Isaiah HARRIS

JR

Penn State

1:46.08

From LetsRun.com:

Harris ran an indoor PR of 1:46.08 today to take second and he can hang his head high in defeat. He was the only guy to hang with Michael Saruni once the UTEP star made his winning move and hung on for a clear second place.

We feel bad for Harris. He was 2nd at USAs last year and made the semis at Worlds, but he has yet to win an NCAA title. Why? Well just look at the list of guys who have won the title since he’s been in college:

2016 indoors: Clayton Murphy
2016 outdoors: Donavan Brazier
2017 indoors: Emmanuel Korir
2017 outdoors: Emmanuel Korir
2018 indoors: Michael Saruni

So if you’re keeping track, that’s an Olympic medallist/1:42 guy, the NCAA record holder, a 1:43 guy (who was the world leader in 2017), and Saruni, who is the second-fastest collegian ever indoors. Harris is only a junior, so he may well win a national title one day, but he happens to be competing at a time when the men’s 800 is totally stacked.

Come meet the team and coaches at the Reunion and Coach Groves Golf Tourney in May.

One Person options:

Entire Package $205.00 USD    Friday and Saturday $135.00 USD    Friday Reception $45.00 USD    Saturday Reception $105.00 USD    Golf and Saturday Reception Dinner $155.00 USD

For additional family members, add up permutations in post and use snail mail to:
 Harry Smith
            508 Washington Avenue
            Elyria, OH  44035

David Lucas Dominates Weight Throw

National Champion

You probably couldn't come up with a more dominant performance.  David Lucas came into the meet as one of the top seeds.  With his first throw, he cemented that prediction with throw of 70' 9".  And on each of his next 4 throws, he bettered his previous mark, ending up at a Facility Record 78' 9.75", which is the fourth best ever US mark and the new School Record.

We want YOU to come to our Reunion and maybe even golf with us in the newbie-friendly Coach Groves Tourney this year on May 18 and 19: One Person options:     Entire Package $205.00 USD    Friday and Saturday $135.00 USD    Friday Reception $45.00 USD    Saturday Reception $105.00 USD    Golf and Saturday Reception Dinner $155.00 USD For additional family members, add up permutations in post and use snail mail to:  Harry Smith             508 Washington Avenue             Elyria, OH  44035

A Multi All-American!

Madeline Holmberg racked up a personal best score of 4,216 at the NCAA Indoor Championship Pentathlon yesterday to finish 7th and attain all-American status.  She won the Pentathlon Shot Put event with a heave of 45' 0.5", and placed 4th in the long jump with 20' 0.5".  In true PSU fashion, she ran a very fine 2:21 800M to assure her place on the podium!

Madeline HOLMBERG Penn State [SO]

4216 -356  PB

8.51 (7) 1015 [1015]

1.60 (16) 5-3 736 [1751]

13.73 (1) 45-½ 776 [2527]

6.11 (4) 20-½ 883 [3410]

2:21.26 (10) 806 [4216]

Both Isaiah Harris and Danae Rivers moved on to today's Final in the 800M.  Freshman "Fenom" Terrance Laird ran a fine 20.97 to place 12th and attain second team All-American status in his first season of action.

In action today, in addition to Isaiah and Danae are the Weight Throw duo of Morgan Shigo and David Lucas, and the 4 x 400M Men's team.

We want YOU to come to our Reunion and maybe even golf with us in the newbie-friendly Coach Groves Tourney this year on May 18 and 19:

One Person options:

Entire Package $205.00 USD    Friday and Saturday $135.00 USD    Friday Reception $45.00 USD    Saturday Reception $105.00 USD    Golf and Saturday Reception Dinner $155.00 USD

For additional family members, add up permutations in post and use snail mail to:
 Harry Smith
            508 Washington Avenue
            Elyria, OH  44035

Keep On Rocking In The Free World

Paul Souza has returned to his Metalized incarnation for his next album.  Melia Rage's "Idol Hands" debuts in April, followed by a tour.  Stay tuned.

"Make no mistake, Idol Hands is a veritable feast for power metal fans, complete with Nichols' unmatched rhythmic mastery and Souza’s versatile voice."

Meliah Rage, Paul Souza, center.

No amount of time on the couch will fix Paul Souza! (Just kidding, Paul.)

There's stars in his eyes.

Limited Edition Wrist Bands On The Way For Golfers This Year

The order is in.  But only for 50 Special Edition Wrist Bands for those golfing in the Coach Groves Golf Tournament this May 19th.  If less than 50 golf, the remaining bands will be given to current members of the Throws crew at PSU (Shot Putters come first!)

Be sure to sign up for the 17th Annual Penn State Track Alumni Reunion and Coach Groves Golf Tourney on May 18-19!

One Person options:

Entire Package $205.00 USD    Friday and Saturday $135.00 USD    Friday Reception $45.00 USD    Saturday Reception $105.00 USD    Golf and Saturday Reception Dinner $155.00 USD

For additional family members, add up permutations in post and use snail mail to:
 Harry Smith
            508 Washington Avenue
            Elyria, OH  44035