More "Foursomes" From The Golf Tourney

There were 7 foursomes in the recent Coach Groves Golf Tournament vying for a spot on The Cup.

4th Place: Katie Barrett, Mark Fuller '13, Mark Althouse.'81

Katie Barrett was the winner of the Golden Putter with her 17 foot putt on the 18th green, just edging out my 12 foot effort!

2nd: Charlie Hull '69, Steve Brown '90, Steve Brown Jr., Tom Brown.

3rd: Mike McClelland '16, Harry Smith '84, Brian Leap '16.

7th: Mary Dell, Kevin Fuller '10, Todd Leggett '84, Tom Shiffer '87.

5th: Me, Steve Balkey '88, Mike McCahill '83, John Ziegler '80.

1st: Bill Malchano 85, Doug Kent '80, Ken Brinker '69.

 In addition to winning his second tourney, Doug Kent also won the Longest Drive and the Closest to the Pin on Hole #2 (4 foot, 1 inch)!

And how did we miss a photo of:  6th: Clark Haley '85, Brian Fuller '09, Emily Dubs and John McGraw '05???   Do any of you have a photo of this foursome?

Third And Last Semi-Final For Performance Of The Year: Please Vote For Your Top 3

Head on over to the most viewed Track/Physics/Golf web site in the world to vote for your top 3 in the last of the Semi-Finals for the 2016 Performance of the Year!  All performances submitted during the year were randomly placed in the Semi-Finals by our crack staff of Interns.  And Coach Groves is disappointed in the number of votes so far!  Step it up, people.

1. Womens team winning the NCAA Cross Country Regional meet.
2. Olympic Silver Medal for Joe Kovacs.
3. Brannon Kidder, 4th at the NCAA 1500M.
4. Isaiah Harris, 4th at the NCAA Outdoor 800M.
5. Brian Leap's Big Ten title in the Triple Jump.
6. Tori Gerlach and Tessa Barrett, 2nd and 3rd in the Indoor Big Ten 3000M and 5000M.
7. Brannon Kidder, American Indoor 1000M Collegiate (NCAA) Record.
8. Isaiah Harris, Big Ten title in 800M as Freshman.
9. Isaiah Harris/Brannon Kidder both with opening meet 1:46 800M times.

Creese Advances: Five Lions In Action In Eugene

There were Nittany Lions on the track and in the field yesterday at the USATF Olympic Trials.

• Rachel Fatherly - 22nd in the Shot Put  (50' 8")
• Brian Leap - 15th in the Triple Jump  (52' 6 1/2")
• Bridget Franek - 6th in the 3000M Steeplechase  (9:33.51)
• Robby Creese - advanced to 1500M Semi-finals  (3:42.89) (7:12PM ET) 
• Evonne Britton - 22nd in the 100M Hurdles (13.13)

Another Olympic Trials Qualifier Added!

Our newest Idiot Officer has the Interns working hard.  Intern Czar Kevin Kelly O'Brien has posted the news that Brian Leap has been added to the list of American Olympic Trials athletes in the Triple Jump.

So far, I think the list of qualified and declared Nittany Lions includes:

• Brian Leap - Triple Jump
• Darrell Hill - Shot Put
• Isaiah Harris - 800M
• Brannon Kidder - 800M
• Casimir Loxsom - 800M
• Joe Kovacs - Shot Put
• Bridget Franek - 3000M Steeplechase
• Rachel Fatherly - Shot Put
• Evonne Britton - 100MH
• Mahagony Jones - 200M
• (Ryan Whiting) - Shot Put (former assistant coach)

Let the Interns know if we missed any current or former Nittany Lions entered in the USA T & F Olympic Trials!

Thanks to Wade Endress and Darrell Hill for the additions!   Remember, I'm in West Virginia and have limited internet access.  Yeah, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it!

Three First-Team All-Americans And The Best Ever Use Of One Of Our Wristbands!

Penn State scored 13 points to come in 17th at the 2016 NCAA Mens Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene yesterday.  Freshman David Lucas also became a Second-Team All-American with his 15th place finish in the Discus (180' 10").  Congrats to the coaching staff for the second top 20 finish in a row.

• Senior Brian Leap - 6th Place Triple Jump  (52' 11")
• Senior Brannon Kidder - 4th Place 1500M   (3:40.67)
• Freshman Isaiah Harris - 4th  Place 800M   (1:45.76 PR) 

Isaiah Harris, with our Wristband, and Brannon Kidder.

Brian Leap in throwback singlet!

 Of note in both middle distance races:

• Both were honest races with fast starts. Rare at championship level, but a pleasure to watch.
• Brannon and Isaiah will both move forward to the Olympic Trials in the 800M.
• The "throw-back" singlets were used.  These are what our Alumni Singlets are modeled after.  This certainly makes many of us old-timers smile!
• Isaiah is wearing the Alumni Wristband I gave him at our Reunion.  I'll have to check the tape to see if he raced with it! Update: HE DID! His version is the "PSU is 800U" version.  He acquitted it quite well.  Can't wait to see what the future will bring.

Three Individual Big Ten Champions

The Penn State Men added 3 more Big Ten individual champions to the roster at the Championships in Lincoln, NE yesterday. 

Brian Leap made good on his top ranking in the Triple Jump with a fine leap of 53' 5.5"!

Brian Leap, center.

Brannon Kidder won his 9th individual Big Ten title with his 3:44.67 in the 1500M to go with last year's title in the 800M.  Colin Apert and Robby Creese were 4th and 5th in the event.

 

And Isaiah Harris made it 6 of the last 7 800M titles for PSU at the Championships with his splendid 1:46.21, just 0.10 seconds away from Casimir Loxsom's Big Ten Championship record!

 

I Didn't Forget The Jumpers

The Jumpers also had a wonderful Penn Relays Carnival last week, with Brian Leap attaining B1G Athlete of the Week with his Tri-Phase Leap of 53' 0" to win the Championship Mens Triple Jump!

Other highlights include:

• Chisum Ifedi  2nd place in the Men's  High Jump with 6' 11.5"
• Four Nittany Lions placing high in the Women's Pole Vault.  Hannah Mulhern (12' 9.5"), Kasey Kemp (12' 5.5"), Erin Knabe (12' 5.5") and Megan Fry (11' 11.75")
• Danielle Gibson  4th in the Women's Long Jump with 18' 10"

Today's Arbitrary Highlight! Triple Jump

My one and only Triple Jump occurred in the 9th grade and soared to more than 33 feet!  That was the same day as my only high jump over 5 feet.  Since I couldn't carry a pole vault pole and the javelin was still prohibited, I was never going to be a multi-eventer...

The Bison Invitational at Bucknell was the scene of some fine Nittany Lion and Nitany Lion Alums Triple Jumps yesterday.  Brian Leap (still makes me giggle!) won the Triple Jump with a fine 53' 4.25" (16.27M).  But just behind him was Steve Waithe (Alum) with 15.86M and Hanif Johnson (Alum) with 15.22M.

It's Still Indoor Season Really: Awards And Coveted Entries At Nationals

Coach John Gondak, who I have been fortunate enough to call a friend since his arrival at PSU, was just named the Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year for Mens Indoor Track.  In his first season, John has brought some needed energy into the program, and not just in his natural coaching position of Middle
Distance tutelage.  I spoke with some athletes at the recent Sykes and Sabock Challenge, and across all disciplines of the sport, he was praised by everyone.  There are some exciting times ahead for all of us invested in PSU Track and Field.

And let's not forget about Darrell Hill's Field Athlete of the Year also.  We've kept up with his progress quite well on this blog.  For some reason, I really enjoy his Shot Put event despite it being the farthest from my limited wheel house. Can I call what I did a wheel house?

Entries to the Indoor NCAA Nationals (this year in Fayetteville, Arkansas) are always limited to the top 16 times or distances or performances.  PSU has quite a few entries, however.  The 3rd ranked Shot Put of Darrel Hill, the 2nd place Distance Medley team and the 3rd ranked Mile of Brannon Kidder lead the pack.

• Darrel Hill,   Shot Put    -3rd seed      67' 3.50"  School Record
• Robby Creese,  3000M     -8th seed    7:50.36    School Record
• Brannon Kidder,  Mile     -3rd seed     3:57.13  School Record (3 readers pointed out that Robby Creese's 3:57.11 is the school record.  Thanks to all! You guys are the best.
• Brian Leap,  Triple Jump   -13th sed   52' 6.75"
• Mens Distance Medley Relay -  Brannon Kidder, Robert Rhodes, Za'Von Watkins and Robby Creese   9:28.36   2nd seed
• Rachel Fatherly   Shot Put  -13th seed   55' 5.75"
• Rachel Fatherly   Weight Throw   -14th seed   69' 2"
• Womens 4 x 400M Relay  Megan Osborne, Dynasty McGee, Tichina Rhodes, Kiah Seymour 11th seed   3:34.90
• Kiah Seymour, 400M  14th seed   52.72

And it just doesn't seem like Outdoor Track Season yet.  My high school Freshman daughter has only had 2 practices so far, one of them indoors and the other one on the road doing hills. Here are my Nike snow boots I originally purchased in the early 90's.  I had to dig them out for some shoveling this week.  I hate them a lot.  But I love the throwback Nike Internationalists in the background!

Women Third, Men Fourth At Big Tens

There were some great performances Saturday at the Big Ten Indoor Track Championships at the Spire Institute in Nowhere, Ohio.  And Jim McClelland, father of PSU high jumper Michael McClelland (10th in the high jump) was there apparently clicking his camera every second of the competition.  I haven't met him yet, but he is on record as golfing with us this year at the 14th Annual Coach Harry Golf Tournament and Track Alumni Reunion in May.  Come join us! Maybe we'll get some actual good pictures this year, instead of my blurry unframed ones. Can't wait.

Robby Creese and Brannon Kidder, 1,2 in the Mile. Photo by Jim McClelland.

Darrell Hill, tops in the Shot Put. Photo by Jim McClelland.

Steve Waithe, Brian Leap, #2,#3 in the Triple Jump. Photo by Jim McClelland.

Distance Medley Relay Squad, #1 with Brannon Kidder, Za'Von Walkins, Jordan Makins and Alex Shisler. Photo from Steve Shisler.

Tori Gerlach, #1 in the 5000M. Photo by Jim McClelland.

And there's Alumni action at the USATF Indoor Championships today, as Casimir Loxsom runs the finals of the 600M.  There is no 800M this year!

And last, but not least, Original Alumni Golfer Bill Malchano broke out his Alumni Singlet for a hearty run in The Cardinal 10K in North Carolina.

Bill Malchano unleashes his Alumni Singlet.

Three Track Meets And A Renaissance

It was pretty difficult keeping up with the PSU Track Team this week, as they split into 3 squads and headed for the far reaches of the United States.

The closest squad competed at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. A second set traveled to The Tyson Invite in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The third group traveled to The Husky Classic in Seattle, Washington.  That'a a lot of miles, for sure.

Highlights:

• Spire Institute:    Za'von Watkins  1:50.68  800M, Luke Pease  4,364 points, Heptatlon
• Tyson Invite:  Darrell Hill 67' 2.75" SP, Womens 4 x 400  3:34.90, Brian Leap 51-9.25 TJ, Steve Waithe 51-7.25 TJ
• Husky Classic:  Robby Creese 7:50.36, 3000M (School Record), Brannon Kidder 3:57.13 Mile (0.02 off Robby Creese's School Record)

That makes 2 sub-3:58 milers on the Penn State Squad!  And yet they have plenty of competition.  Yesterday 4 Georgetown runners ran under 4:00 for the mile in the same race in Boston.  And Oklahoma State had 3 runners under the mark yesterday.  It truly is a Renaissance for middle distance running in America. A total of 19 college athletes ran under 4:00 for the mile yesterday across the nation.

At the Valentine's Invitational in Boston, the third heat was rather remarkable!
                                        1 Bartelsmeyer, Amos Georgetown 3:58.45
                                        2 Bile, Ahmed Georgetown 3:58.54
                                        3 Manahan, Ryan Georgetown 3:58.57
                                        4 Lederhouse, Michael Georgetown 3:59.54

Bridget Franek greets Nittany Lions.

Photo by Paul Merca.

In other PSU Alumni action, Cas Loxsom won the 800 M at the Husky Classic with a very fine lean at the tape and a 1:47.81.  And Bridget Franek jumped back into action in the 3000 M with a 9:14.05.

Calling all Running Shoes

A fellow alumnus, class of 2014, wants to help you empty out that closet of old running shoes!

If you are anything like me, you have burned through so many pairs of trainers that they are EVERYWHERE you look around your apartment. Many of these sneaks, while no longer sufficient for the kind of training you are doing (whether that's walking 18 holes or running 100+ mpw), are still in perfectly acceptable condition for some less fortunate locals in Cochabamba. So before you toss those trainers or golf shoes over the power lines, think of the children.

Mysterious, abandoned Pegasi and Zoom Elites dangle
from power lines outside a State College apartment building.

I'll be in State College until Monday, before heading back to Bucks County to visit some family and race a local road mile with sub-4 man Owen Dawson. Leave a comment below or just get in touch with me before then, and I can arrange to relay the shoes to Gwenn on your behalf.

Also- if you see Gwenn before she leaves on her mission trip, make sure to wish her luck. Next year, she will be pursuing her Master's at The University of Illinois, studying Biobehavioral Kinesiology as a fully-funded research assistant in the Exercise Psychology Laboratory. Pretty sweet, eh?

I would be remiss to post without giving a mention to the great things happening in Eugene today, and all weekend so far, for the Nittany Lions. TV coverage for the final day of the championships today starts at 5 p.m. EST on ESPNU. But Steve Waithe and Brian Leap will be in the TJ starting at 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile Brannon Kidder takes on Oregon's defending champ Mac Fleet and last night's 5K champ from Arizona, Lawi Lalang, in the 1500m at 5:18 EST. Next up is Mahagony Jones in the 200 at 5:49 p.m., and concluding with Women's 4 X 400 at 6:55 p.m.

April Means Penn Relays, And Other Notes From Early Season Track

Steve Shisler to Chris Mills, 1985

1. I still haven't been to a track meet with the temperature above freezing.  I missed the one where my daughter Anne placed in the 200 M.  Yeah, the 200 M!
2. This is the 28th Anniversary of "The Race" (7:11.17 4 x 800 at Penn).  Read some memories of those times Here, Here, Here and Here.
3. The current 800 M men stepped up in distance en masse at the Bison Invitational.  The results were rather good!  
   

     1 Creese, Robby       3:41.32 (3:58.8)*
     2 Kidder, Brannon     3:42.07 (3:59.6)*
     3 Corkedale, Tyler    3:45.93 (4:03.7)*
     4 West, Ricky         3:46.33 (4:04.2)*
     5 Dawson, Owen        3:47.20 (4:05.2)*

    11 Fischer, Matt       3:49.36 (4:07.5)*
    12 Masters, Sam        3:49.40 (4:07.6)*

    17 Watkins, Za'Von     3:50.05 (4:08.2)*

   *Mile equivalent according to 2012 IAAF Scoring Tables 

4. PSU was 2nd in both the Men's and Women's competition at LSU's Battle of the Bayou.  Brian Leap won the College long jump (23' 8.75") and triple jump (50' 2.5") competitions.  Leap, jump, get it?  I'm sure he's never heard that before!    Mahogany Jones won the 100 M (11.55) in a very good field.
5. I have sent the entry in for my Alumni Weekend and Coach Groves Golf Tournament.  Have you?
6. I will have the complete set of 1985 4 x 800 M Penn Relays (the longest running record at Penn!) photos for all to see.  They belong to Steve Shisler and I have failed to deliver them several times already.  I'm an idiot, I know.