A Very Good Day At The Penn State National

I had the pleasure to spend a long amount of time with some of my favorite people yesterday at the Penn State National Indoor Meet.  Having to be dropped off nearly an hour early for the meet so the girls could attend the PSU Student Housing  Expo at the HUB, I was pleased to see that Greg Fredericks brought Coach Groves early too!

I had the pleasure to speak with Coach and Greg for an extended time.  It is wonderful to see that Coach is happy in his new residence, relates the food as "good" and only occasionally gets into trouble.  About exactly as any of us would figure.

Greg also delivered the raw materials that will become the ultimate PSU Track Alum Annual Award at our Reunion and Coach Groves Golf Tourney weekend.  Coach Bill Whittaker is commended for donating the item for our cause.  You all will enjoy the item's unveiling at the next Awards Dinner.

I also got to talk to Steve Shisler. whose son Alex Shisler finished 3rd in the 400M Invitational!  Beth Shisler could not be there, as she had traveled "for work".  That same excuse becomes mine next week when I miss the Sykes and Sabock Challenge and Coaches Reception.  I will be at the meeting of the Association of Miserable Curmudgeons while the rest of you enjoy yourselves.

Tim Backenstose made a surprise appearance and got to see a very fine 800M with Brannon Kidder and 3 other top NCAA finalists duke it out on the Ashenfelter Oval.  Brannon topped them all with a 1:47.01 time, near the top of this year's qualifying marks.  We both also witnessed a school record 1-Mile by Tori Gerlach with a 4:37.83, eclipsing Bridget Franek's previous record.

But my favorite part of the day was convincing the energetic dynamo Billy Francis Cvecko to become a contributor to the blog!  With his criss-crossing of the Continent and his millions of friends, he can't help but be a boon to our efforts. He isn't our Undersecretary of Fun for nothing!

I always thought there was a chance that Billy WAS the Lion until I finally saw them both in the same room.

 

XC Season Is Over: Onward To Track!

The Nittany Lion Women ended up 16th in the nation.  A fine season overall.  Big Ten Champions, Mid-Atlantic Region Champions and ranked as high as 9th overall in the USTFCCA voting.

                                      38- Tessa Barrett 20:26.7
                                      98 -Tori Gerlach 20:49.3
                                    102- Elizabeth Chikotas 20:50.4
                                    151- Jillian Hunsberger 21:12.8
                                    157 -Stephanie Aldrich 21:15.1

Billy Francis! Lady Lions!

Tessa Barrett, All-American.

Billy Francis and his Syracuse mates.

Our very own Undersecretary of Fun Billy Francis drove 1,700 miles to watch his graduate school mates from Syracuse win the title in an upset only to those who weren't paying attention. He found the time to charm the Lady Lions also! Including PSU's newest All-American XC runner, Tessa Barrett. (thanks to Coach Reckart for the pic!)

Carpe Diem

A Rare Totally Curmudgeonly-Free Post by your favorite Curmudgeon!

There are great things happening in the Penn State Track and Field World.  And every one of you can help in any number of ways.  So get off your butt and seize the day!

I spent yesterday in State College. The State College I have come to know and love. At one point at a pivotal moment in my world, the temperature dropped 10 degrees in minutes, snow, rain and sleet began and grayness enveloped the Valley.  And I wasn't even crabby!

How can that be?  What could possibly make ME ignore something to complain about so easily?  Well, Number 1 on the list is this man...

Yeah, you younger people recognize Billy Francis immediately.  I was taken aback while taking pics at the Penn State Open when I recognized a PSU Alumni Singlet in the distance. (and I swear there's another new sale coming!)  I couldn't figure out who it was until he got close.  Billy was in San Diego just 1 day before, enjoying 95 degree temps and possibly "chillin" (or whatever you young hipsters do nowadays!)  But there he was, fighting for position amidst the runners 3 or 4 years younger than him! (hee hee hee, Billy)

I greeted him and received a big hug in reply.  And I've been happy ever since.  I'm not making that up.  I've only ever met two people like Billy, one of them being Billy. (The other was John "DNA" Kauffman for what its worth.)  These two people have the rarest of touches in this crazy world.  The glass is always half full, and might as well be overflowing for these two.  I learned in my numerous Genetics classes (all A's BTW!) that you are either born happy, or not.  Billy wasn't just born happy, he was born to BE happy and make those around him happy.  God bless you Billy.  I'm a big fan.  And everyone should friend him on the various social media.  It will be worth it.  It's also why he has been named our Group's Undersecretary of Fun.

Other Reasons For Not Being Crabby:
  

• Got to see Coach Gondak and Roger "Gunny" Roll at the meet.  Both in good shape and working hard.  Gunny was able to send my greetings to Coach Groves.  (And don't the rest of you ever fail to thank Gunny for what he has done for our Country, our Team and Coach Groves whenever you see him!)

  

  Gunny and Coach Gondak.

•  Got to meet Craig Houtz who has been taking photos for PSU Athletics since 1977!  He has just digitized most of his collections.  Maybe we will be able to tap into some great pics of days of yore!
•  Got to see Daughter The Elder place 2nd in the PSUAC Conference in the Penn State Open in the snow, sleet and rain!  Next up, the USCAA Nationals in Florida, with Jim Ryun in attendance!
  
   
•  Got to see Coach Teri Jordan at the meet.  Talked about her son Dan Jordan's new job in Florida and reminded her not to miss the next reunion!  

  

  Coach Teri Jordan.

Rocking the Alumni Singlet

 Our Undersecretary of Fun (not even sure if he is aware of his Idiot Officer Status in our Group?) Billy Francis joined Blog Contributor Nick Scarpello for several races in the Southern California paradise.  They rocked their Alumni Singlets in splendid fashion.  A new round of Alumni Singlet, Alumni T-Shirt and possible Alumni Jacket (???) sales will be commencing soon. (Vote on the left sidebar poll to show interest in adding jackets to our sales.)  But Nick and Billy probably will never need a jacket until they visit us in Happy Valley?

Billy Francis and Nick Scarpello.