15 Disparate Musings About The 2023 Track And Field Alumni Reunion

1. Apologies go out to my fabulous foursome this year. Three of the finest friends and long-term attendees whom I both admire and respect. I did nothing but bitch and moan the whole golf round, while contributing nothing but missed putts and bad vibes. I am truly sorry.
2. Talked Mike Shine into golfing for the first time. I believe he enjoyed himself and had 4 shots that counted.
3. The dinner was excellent again this year. Ribs, BBQ chicken breast, fusili Mac and cheese, garlic green beans and Paul Mundy Memorial triple chocolate cake.
4. Got to speak with Ryan Foster and his father. Two delightful people. I think I convinced Ryan to get a third cat. The interactions and interesting behavioral changes that occur with the addition of each new cat are worthwhile. I forgot to inform him that the equation for the proper number of litter boxes is (# of cats + 1).
5. The Hyatt Hotel is an excellent venue. The expense is worth it.
6. Clark and Harry are great at what they have done to keep this independent movement going. Check how many other schools are doing as much. It isn't many. And if they attempt to add me to those who deserve praise, only believe 10% of it.
7. Finally got to meet Joe Head, the first Nittany Lion to run in the Olympic Trials Marathon. He was a full-fledged member of our group before it was founded.
8. The Coach's Remembrance was just right. I especially liked Ken Cooper's, Ryan Foster's and Artie Gilkes' presentations.
9. I live streamed the ceremony on our Facebook (Meta) page. Eight people watched live, but it has already been viewed more than 100  200  300 times since.  I actually hurt my back and tired my arms holding the phone up for 2.5 hours. Too stupid to think of a stand...
10. Coach Schwartz was my assistant coach for XC in 1977.I immediately knew he was the ying to Coach Groves yang at our first meeting. Total and complete respect.
11. This weekend reinforced my opinion that members of our group are the most interesting, the most accomplished and the most intelligent people I have ever known.
12. Coach Gondak is an excellent inheritor of the position once held by Coach Groves. I first met him at one of our early Friday receptions where I brought the potato chips and Clark Haley was truly the Keeper of the Beer in the small meeting room at the Hampton Inn.
13. Ken Worthen is apparently the finest golfer in our tournament history. I heard many people telling me his play was outstanding from hole 1 to hole 18. I did not get to speak with him, but I want to thank him for dragging Don Ziter to his third tournament championship! Harry Smith also.
14. The monies we collect for the weekend may seem steep to some, but that is never the case. In low turnout years we break even with Officers often adding significant funds behind the scene. In high attendance years we do have a surplus, which is given in its entirety to the Penn State Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country teams. (Not the Coach Groves Scholarship Fund). In these surplus years, the funds are often given to an individual employed by a company that matches charitable contributions. This is not done to earn Nittany Lion points for someone to get better parking or tickets for football games etc. The only funds ever mismanaged by our group was the $4.24 lunch at Wendy's I was once allowed by a donation from Paul Mundy made to our blog. BTW the Mountain View Golf Club has changed the hole where Paul hit the tractor trailer on 322. I miss those days.
15. Got to speak with Brie Berkowitz for an hour on Friday. I have known Brie since she was a young lady. Her mom was our kids' school nurse and a running partner of my wife. Her dad was a XC coach in our county. They have already endeared themselves in the PSTAFXC community, and Brie is an outstanding PV coach for the Lions. Truly a small world!
16. More to come...