Thanksgiving Means Turkey Trots

My family again braved the cold and ran the York Turkey Trot with the other 5,000 hardy souls.  I again spun the treadmill for my 25 pitiful minutes.  But what the heck, I'll bet that beats most of the rest of you!

Here's a sampling of other Penn State Track Alum (Golfers) who burned calories before heading to the table...

Tori Gerlach.

Casimir Loxsom

Tyler McCandless

Bob Radzwich's 32nd Berwick in a row!

Brannon Kidder.

All 3 Fuller Bros. WITH ALUMNI SINGLETS (thanks to Jeff Sanden for this annual pic!)

Let's All Finish Coach Groves' Scholarship

We are close enough to get it finished before Coach Groves' next birthday in April and certainly before the next Track Alumni Reunion and Coach Groves Golf Tournament!

Co-Administrator Larry Mangan has spearheaded the effort to find donors willing to match every donation made by the rest of us and complete the funding of a full tuition scholarship for an athlete in the Program.

So that means each of us must step up to make it happen.  Every single donation you make will be matched by 13 special members of our group up to a level of $2500.  We must not let this opportunity slip by.  Please consider adding to the effort, share this post and spread the word to everyone you know in our Universe.  It will make our next get-together a real hootenanny and bring a smile to Coach Groves' face!

Our Premier Benefactors: 

• Joe DeStefano  (1971)
• Carol and Steve Gentry  (1969)
• Hugh and Yunhee Hamill  (1976)
• Chris Herr  (1985)
• Doug Kent  (1980)
• Todd Leggett  (1984)
• Larry Mangan  (1981)
• Todd Shenk  (1984)
• Rod Stahl  (1991)
• Bob Radzwich  (1992)
• Tom Shiffer  (1987) 
• Doug Walter  (1990)
• Don and Lynn Ziter  (1981)

September 5, 2017

Dear Fellow Track & Field/Cross Country Alumni:

We hope you had an enjoyable summer and are getting ready for the upcoming 2017-2018 Penn State Cross Country and Track & Field seasons. The women’s and men’s programs are perennial B1G favorites, fueled by spectacular individual accomplishments and a great coaching staff. Based on the turn out for the 2017 Big Ten Championships in May, the alumni are really energized and engaged.

The alumni listed below, from a variety of decades in Penn State history and a mix of walk-ons and scholarship athletes, are hoping to capture that energy by taking the lead and asking you to join them to meet a challenge! Coach Harry Groves’ scholarship fund needs approximately $55,000 in donations to exceed the $300,000 necessary to partially endow the position scholarship, which would provide $15,000 in annual tuition support to a student athlete.

The challenge is this – we have pledged to support Coach Groves’ scholarship in the amount of $30,500 to match alumni contributions of that amount (hopefully more)! We ask you to donate what you can in support of our goal to get Coach’s scholarship over the $300,000 hurdle! We are in the homestretch, can you help to get us over the finish line?

Coach will turn 88 in April 2018 and we would love to present him with an early birthday present, and add to his great legacy, before the end of this year. We know from Greg Fredericks that Coach is excited about this effort. Please join us in meeting this very important goal. Thank you and We are…..Penn State!

Please send donations made payable to: Penn State University, noting the Harry Groves Track/XC Scholarship (GIXGH) in the memo portion of your check, at 147 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA 16802. If you have any questions, please call Kirk Diehl of the Varsity S Club at 814-867-2202.

If you would like to give online, you may do so at: https://secure.ddar.psu.edu/s/1218/nlclub/nlclub.aspx?sid=1218&gid=1&pgid=826&cid=3234&dids=633&bledit=1 and then type in GIXGH in the fund area below the amount you select.
Thank you.

Joe DeStefano (’71) Carol & Steve Gentry (’69) Hugh & Yunhee Hamill (‘76) Chris Herr (’85)
Doug Kent (’80) Todd Leggett (’84) Larry Mangan (’81) Todd Shenk (’84)
Rod Stahl (’91) Bob Radzwich (’92) Tom Shiffer (’87) Doug Walter (’90)
Don & Lynn Ziter (’81)

The Very Top

Thanks to Bob Radzwich and our very own Golden Putter Attendant for alerting me to another high honor to one of our own.

I've told the story before about how my very first run after matriculating at Penn State was with Mark Parker (I'm certain), Tim Backenstose (I think) and Campbell Lovett (I'm pretty sure).  Each of these guys were 6' 4" at least and every one of them were at least 60 pounds heavier than I was.  I was scared to death and didn't utter a peep as they took me on a 10 mile tour of the pine barrens that lasted for 2 hours at 6:00/mile pace.  Even my lowly math skills alerted to me that I might have bitten off more than I could chew!  None of them would remember me at all, but they left an indelible mark on this Freshman.

Mark Parker was just named Fortune Magazine's Business-Person of the Year.  Congrats Mark.  But can you golf?  (Hint: You're a better golfer than I .) Hope to see you one day at the Coach Groves Golf Tourney and Reunion!

We Really Are Teammates Regardless Whether We Ever Even Ran Or Jumped Or Threw Together!

I recently had a wonderful conversation with Bob Radzwich which warmed my heart more than any has for quite a while.  I know Bob through our group and his attendance at our events for a number of years. He is the sole reason I purchase "Death By Chocalate" Ice Cream whenever I'm in State College. (We WILL talk more about actually golfing with us next time!)

Inevitably, the conversation accentuated what I have been telling all of you for quite some time.  Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golfers) are the most interesting, the most accomplished and the smartest people I have ever met.

Turns out that Bob has the same goals as Clark Haley's original vision that created our rag-tag conglomeration of what I affectionately call "Idiots".  To be one of our Idiots means you are very proud of Penn State and honor Coach Groves and The Program in your every-day life.

Well, Bob also is very passionate about funding the Coach Groves Scholarship Endowment.  His idea is to help fund the Scholarship at the same time you enroll or renew your Nittany Lion Club membership!
And it turns out that it is possible.

From Bob and his "90's Friends":

I’m looking for 100 Alums to give $100 and the major goal is 100 Alums to give $1000 to Groves scholarship.
Thanks,
Bob Radzwich

For those of you who are part of the Nittany Lion Club, I have confirmed you can apply your donation to the Groves Scholarship towards your yearly renewal.  This way you can both designate your donation to the Groves Scholarship and get all the points and benefits of your donation towards your NLC standing.  Do it before 1 Nov and get 3 extra NLC points for early renewal.  Plus if giving $110 more than you gave last year, will also get another NLC bonus.  More $ for Groves Scholarship and more points towards your NLC points total.

The process to donate online:

1] Log into your NLC account

2] Click on Donate or Renew link

3] In the Donation Fund Designation click on the "OTHER 2016 Athletic Donations"

4] Click add to Cart

5] Click Checkout 

6] A survey window will pop up.  Need to enter "Harry Groves Scholarship - Track and Field" into the last box labeled: If you choose other as a donation designation, specify where your gift should be allocated (i.e. sport, scholarship, capital project). :

7] Fill in payment info and submit

If you have any problems you can call Christy at the NLC at the number listed below and she can walk you through it to ensure you get your points and the Groves Scholarship gets your donation allocated to it properly -

Mark Wimmer

And be sure to spread this post around to everyone you know.  Let's finish funding the Endowment once and for all, so we can get to the next task of funding a real outdoor track and stadium and endowing the entire Track Program for posterity!

Another Chance To Help The Fight Against Cancer

When Bob Radzwich took notice that Ron Moore was running 100 Miles and fighting Cancer at the same time, he decided to go even further!  100 miles further.  This time on a bike.

Here's your chance to contribute to Bob Radzwich's efforts

Ron Moore's Contribution page

Many PSU and Coach Groves Connections At PSU Mont Alto

Daughter the Younger and Daughter the Elder with The Lion

I had the pleasure of spending today at Penn State Mont Alto for an information session for my Daughter the Elder's upcoming Freshman campaign.  The lunch provided brought me back to those glory years in the dorms.  The chicken sandwich wasn't quite a  a Chicken Cosmo (Here and Here), but it was delicious, as was the mac and cheese and even the salad. I didn't get a good picture of the Death by Chocolate ice cream for Bob Radzwich because I started to eat it before sitting down,  He would have been happy with me.

Grilled chicken sandwich, tossed salad (yes I sometimes eat salad!), mac and cheese and Death by Chocolate sundae. Kinda sorta makes up for the tuition and room and board costs 30X higher than I remember.

I also had the pleasure to meet PSU Mont Alto's new Mens and Womens Cross Country Coach, Bill Preston.  We were able to have a long conversation and seem to know quite a few mutual friends from all over.  He even has a few good Coach Groves stories, but then again don't we all?  Coach Preston was the coach of PA HS powerhouse Council Rock and numerous PSU athletes were incubated in his program.  Bob Hamer and Mark Haegele are among his PSU distance and middle distance recruits to PSU.  Coach Preston describes Penn State as "Council Rock West"!

Coach Preston with Daughter the Elder.

For those coaches anywhere near Central Pennsylvania, Coach Preston is sponsoring a free coaches clinic on Saturday June 14th at Penn State Mont Alto.  He has things to motivate and enlighten even the most veteran of coaches out there.  I am wonderfully impressed with him. And you will be too.

Tailgate 2009: Ruminations and Grumblings

This little 2-year-old camper was at her first Tailgate and amused the crowd quite well. I, on the other hand, did not. The Grumpy Old Man I have become was at my worst at the first Tailgate of the season. Traffic and crowds aren't my things, but several other factors conspired to "improve" my misery.

• The RV to my immediate right decided to take 3 feet of my space which meant my huge 16 foot trailer would not fit correctly in its space, ticking off the guy to my immediate left.
• When trying to turn on the generator I tripped over the hand brake of the trailer and fell into the next guys grill, knocking it over and causing great noise and tumult in the process.
• The original guy to my right insisted on running his generator at 110 dB 4 inches from my tent room, causing me to not sleep at all Friday night. At 3 AM I finally got the RV cops into action and made him turn it off. They took a long time in doing it because they were all fast asleep!
• The Fireworks after the Pep Rally caused one of my dogs to befoul my trailer. Luckily it was on Barb's side!
  

There were several good things about the whole affair, though.

• Grilled sticky buns from The Diner in my portable microwave with Creamery ice cream on top. Including Death by Chocolate as recommended by the Radzwich's.
• Our generator performed flawlessly despite zero maintenance in 3 years.
• A friend from Day Care days found Anne and they played all day.
• I didn't have to go to the game and instead went for a run through campus, keeping my streak alive and updating my campus knowledge, (the Classroom Building has been renamed the Joab Thomas Building).
• And you wondered what any of this has to do with PSU Track? I ran into Kevin Dare's grandfather at the Tailgate, reminding me to remind all of you about their coming Golf Tourney Fundraiser. They are also having a raffle, so get in touch with them. I will again send $50 their way from our entire group.
  

Velveteen Playboy Challenges The Links

Velveteen Playboy lead singer and vertical motion expert (that's high jumper for us vertically challenged distance guys!) Paul Souza has signed up for his first Harry Groves Golf Tournament. Maybe he will stimulate other lazy, shiftless field events performers to partake in the festivities and help deforest The Elks Club greenery. (Just kidding guys, you can still break me in half I'm sure.)

 I have encountered Mark Heckel (featured in a previous "Where Are They Now" segment). Heather (Carmichael) Richardson checked in from sunny New Zealand. Jake Bartholomy, James Carney, Bob Radzwich, Artie Gilkes and Phillip Passen touched base with me. I'll continue to work on them all. It's for Coach, after all.

*Political opinions or commentary are really quite worthless at this point. And still frowned on by blog hierarchy.