A Summer Camp To Remember

In the waning days of summer 1969, there was a lot to negotiate for student-athletes.  There was a pandemic known as The Hong Kong Flu ravaging the country, just as Woodstock was held in rural New York state.  Over one million people died worldwide.

And there was a new coach at Penn State for Cross Country who brought in many new training techniques and had a fairly good stable of runners. 

They all ended up at a Summer Camp prior to the first trimester of the 1969/1970 season. From Dick Geiger, all the way from rural Tennessee, who is featured in this photo front-left. (That's Greg Fredericks and Coach Groves front-right!)

Fall XC camp in 1969 was near Woodward about 35 miles east of State College. Obviously, it would have been a little difficult to get free weights there even if we'd have been able to "borrow" them from the weight room in Rec Hall. So Coach Groves decided to use what he had--and we could lift. Probably the first and last time an entire team did their entire workout simulataneously and with a single weight. But Coach was always thinking out of the box.

Actually, this posed photo was after the team lifted/dragged/pulled Ralph Kissel's classic Porche roadster back onto the dirt road that lead to the cabin. Ralph had pinned it against a tree; said something about a calf cramp, as I recall! I guess that clutch was really a stiff one. Coach Groves is 2nd from the right next to Greg Fredericks.

Another Mile Post Along Memory Lane

Penn State Cross Country 1970!  Coach Groves had already had his film projector "borrowed" by Coach Paterno from the office next door, and never returned!  He related this story to me more than once, and I think it was one of the earliest occurances that cemented his non-love for the gridiron coach.

• Some of the athletes still look older than Coach Groves.
• Friend Steve Miller at his dorky best! (That's a compliment BTW).
• Murderers Row of Bruce McLanahan, Gary Gittings, Greg Fredericks and Bob Hillman in the second row.
• Youthful looking Jim Allahand and Charlie Maguire.
• Dick Geiger somehow looking smaller than usual!

Memory Lane: Part 2: Coach Groves And Greg Fredericks!

So, once Coach Groves settled in and began his second XC season at PSU, he finally had Greg Fredericks as a full-fledged runner and not just a "Freshman"!

My notes:

• Father Matt Chadwick OFM Conv. in the back row!
• Coach Groves still serious
• Greg Fredericks finally a full team member!
• Friend Steve Miller (back row) from the same high school as Dick Geiger (front row)!
• Jim Dixon, from a long line of State College Dixons.
• Jim Allahand and Bruce McLanahan  RIP (Dick Geiger relates that Ralph Kissel also recently passed away.)
  

Memory Lane: Part 1

Thanks to our Course Marshall, we have pics of every Coach Groves' Cross Country team through the ages.  And since I have been posting sparsely this year, it seems that they would make an easy post that everyone will enjoy.

So here's Coach Groves' very first Cross Country team in 1968!

My notes: (please add your own!)

• Great benefactor and York County native Dick Geiger looking good!
• Coach Groves looking youthful, but serious.
• Steve Gentry with a mischevious grin!
• Long-time Lock Haven Coach Jim Dolan as Assistant Coach (Freshman Coach)
• Assistant Coach Warren Coleman (PSU's first ever African American Coach!) 
• I didn't see group member Phil Peterson at first!!  Sorry about that.

New Pro Team Signs Lioness

Our Tennessee connection and native York Countian Dick Geiger alerted me to the news of another Nittany Lion going pro.  Thanks Dick!

The big news was that Syracuse coach Chris Fox was lured away from recent powerhouse Syracuse to head up the new professional team sponsored by Reebok.  They also snagged Syracuse's NCAA champion and Canadian Justyn Knight as the star of the new team to be based in Charlottesville, VA.

But joining them in rural Virginia will be Tori Gerlach, who will continue her running career and steeplachasing talents.

Unsung Hero No Longer

One of Founder Clark Haley's original rules for the Coach Groves Golf Tournament was the random draw of foursomes on the Friday night before the tourney.

This ensures that most of us will meet new members of our community every year.  It also ensures that we will then realize the things we all have in common as well as learn the wonderful differences we all have.  There's nothing like golfing with a member of a 1950s National title team one year and a graduate from last year the next!

And our best-ball format means that literally anyone can participate AND contribute to the foursome. No one knows this better than 2-time winners like Brian Boyer and now ME!

Nearly every year we talk a non-golfer to play with us.  This year we persuaded Dick Geiger to jump into the tourney.  Well, maybe it took a few drinks Friday night in addition!

It turns out that Dick has some interesting credentials to solidify him as solid Officer of our group.

• Dick related a story from 1960-something detailing a running shoe and jocks only distance run forced upon the Freshman.  (Greg Fredericks denies all knowledge of this.)  The Yanomamo from the late 70-something years must admit reverence for their elders on this point! We know that this story is true, as it was one of the first times the fledgling new Coach, Harry Groves got in trouble with the higher-ups.  This signaled the first of many Wednesday morning chewing-outs for Coach Groves during his 38 year tenure.
• Dick was a State Champion team member of York County's Spring Grove Cross Country team which also included a friend of mine David Mosebrook, an avid track/cross country fan who ran for Coach Dolan at Lock Haven following the State Championship.  And that is the very same Coach Dolan that headed up the Freshman team of Greg Fredericks before heading to Lock Haven!  It is no wonder that Lock Haven and Penn State have a close team friendship reflected in the Dolan Duels every year.
• It turns out that Dick was the very first of hundreds of  Coach Groves walk-ons, a group that includes me and many of my readers.  Coach Groves may be the finest coach of walk-ons to ever coach in the college ranks.  I thank him every day for the opportunity he granted me all those years ago.
• We should also thank Dick for the generous donation to our efforts to fund the Coach Groves Scholarship.  His substantial bequeath was the one that put us over-the-top to actually fully fund the tuition scholarship in Coach's name.  Donations will continue to fully fund the scholarship to include tuition and room and board awards.

Thus, Dick has been awarded the Officer Status of Walk-On Progenitor Excelsior. 

Dick Geiger accepting the Rob Whiteside Brotherhood Award from Founder Clark Haley.

Dick Geiger, second from right, with his foursome and Clark Haley.

A Golden Anniversary For a York County Championship Team

It has been 50 years since the Spring Grove Rockets won the PIAA team title on the Blue Course at Penn State.  Daughter the Younger's last league XC meet is this evening in Spring Grove.

I am familiar with two team members, our group's own Dick Geiger and former Lock Haven standout David Mosebrook.

They will be getting together and touring the golf course in a week or 2.  Congrats to all!

News From All Over

More Visitors for Coach Groves!  Including a man with extensive knowledge of Physics originally from York County, PA!  No, it isn't me.  It's Dick Geiger, a teammate of Greg Fredericks and Ken Brinker on Coach Groves' original team at PSU from Spring Grove, PA. Greg Dick is now residing in Tennessee *. (Error pointed out by a real Physicist.  Smartass!  He knew what I meant!)

*Speaking of Tennessee....   They have just refurbished their track with a whole new look.  Just wish they hadn't ended the Dogwood Relays!

And Nick Scarpello won another big race out there on the Left Coast.  My only criticism is that he is wearing a blue band on his wrist that ISN'T a group wristband!  He bested the field at the Qualcomm Corporate 5K Dash.

One That Got Away

Dick Geiger tipped me to this item today.  Thanks! We all knew about it, but the repetition of the apologies speaks volumes.  Myles would have made a great Nittany Lion.

Myles Marshall to attend Hah vahd.

 

News From A 800 U Recruiting Ground

Dick Geiger brings us news from the great State of Tennessee.  He was a Field Official at the Vanderbilt High School Invitational where 24 runners ran under 2:00 for the 800M. The Girls also had some top times in the nation.

 

It's Mega-Submission Sunday! Our Members Are the Best

As our ranks have grown, along with the enthusiasm for our purpose, I have been receiving more and more submissions for posts.  I can't tell you how great I find all of them.  I truly appreciate each and every idea, even the nasty ones that occasionally come in.

Rather than space them out and make my week's posts easier than ever, I'm going to present them all at once, like the Idiot I am.  We are truly gaining momentum and will surely have the largest and most active Track and Field Alumni Group in the World shortly.

First, let's pat ourselves on the back a little bit.  When Director of Youth Development Artie Gilkes alerted me to Elizabeth Herndon's victory and world record at the recent First Annual Beer Mile World Championships, we scooped everyone with the knowledge that she was a Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golfer).  That's despite the fact that I couldn't immediately get a post up due to the constraints of an unfair world.  So thanks, Artie.  A job well done.  Burrrrp...

Second, our Tennessee connection, or should I say one of our Tennessee connections, Dick Geiger, brings us word that Joe Kovacs has won USATF's Al Oerter Award as Thrower of the Year!



Third, with Christmas coming there had to be some Holiday-themed runs, and our William and Mary link Brian Mount happened to be a course marshall at the Chambersburg Christmas Dash For Cash when all 3 Fullers dashed by at the front of the pack at 3 miles.  I have somehow misplaced the actual results he sent me, but will be reporting them in an addendum when I can find them.  I think he said Brian Fuller was in the lead as he blurred past.

The Winning Team, full of Fullers.

Fourth, PSU is 800 U's Steve Black finished filming an appearance as Officer Charlie in the Destination America Network presentation of "The Mill Race Monster", part of its Monsters and Mysteries Series. This will air in the Spring of 2015.  Steve has other appearances coming:

• AMC's "The Turn" episode 4.
• "Liberty or Death"  -300 appearances.

And I haven't even gotten to all of them!  Next up, A true Rusty Boots story.

Dolan Duels a Great Warm Up

Yesterday, the Nits started the XC season in fine style at Lock Haven at the Dolan Duels.  Our Tennessee connection Dick Geiger reminds me that Jim Dolan was the Freshman Coach at PSU when a "slow" skinny kid from near Reading made his way to Happy Valley.  Jim moved on to Lock Haven at some point and became the Legend that he is. The "slow" kid also made a name for himself despite Coach Groves admitting he would have never recruited him.  Head Coach John Lucas must have seen something others didn't!

Dick Geiger also reminds me that 1965 Spring Grove High School classmate David Mosebrook went on to star at Lock Haven. David also lives in Dover, where I am from. Dick, David and a few others had been the first team from York County to win the PIAA XC crown. I remember them because my dad was a track official back then.  Dave is a track official til this day.  I see him at numerous meets every year.

Yesterday, at the opening race of the season, the Women's team swept the first five places on the 4K course with Marta Klebe taking the overall crown.

Photo by Dave Beyerle.

Robbie Creese took the victory in the Men's 6K race with a Course Record 17:29.  Both teams came away with the team victory.

Photo by Dave Beyerle.

Back to Work!

I've had this one for awhile now.  Dick Geiger, fellow native York Countian, brings us these photos of his "work place".  

Clinch River, Tennessee.

In Memorium For A Lion

My efforts to "herd cats" to come to the Golf Tourney and the Reunion over the years have led me to meet many great people.  I'd love to keep meeting more.  Get involved and bring a friend. There will be somebody there that will be overwhelmed to see you!

Fellow York County native Dick Geiger alerts me to the loss of a Track Alum some time ago.  Ray Smith was a team captain (along with Al Sheaffer) on the very first team Coach Groves had in Happy Valley. Dick says "Ray was a crazy, but very likable person. I'll remember him for his lighthearted demeanor--always joking". Greg Fredericks was a (skinny) Freshman* on that team back in 1968.  Ray was one of the top runners.  He will be missed by all of us.  I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet him as I have so many others.

SMITH, Raymond E.

Raymond E. Smith, 64, a long-time resident of Glastonbury, and recently West Hartford, passed away on July 4, 2012, in Brooksville, FL, with his wife, Sharon Scully Smith, at his side. He was born in Binghamton, NY, on August 18, 1947 to Lester and Nellie Smith. Ray was a great athlete. A former New York state mile record holder and distance runner at Penn State, Ray was one of several elite athletes chosen for a national study of how high altitude affects runners prior to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.Ray loved the Florida Keys and was an avid fisherman, scuba diver, and cycling enthusiast. He was an IT consultant at CIGNA for many years and a former Exalted Ruler of Hartford Elks Lodge #19. He enjoyed working with the lodge to sponsor little league and hoops tournaments, fishing derbies and scholarships, and bringing Christmas presents to the Levitow Health Center in Rocky Hill.Ray's favorite event was the Special Olympics, where he loved cheering on the athletes. Along with his wife, Ray is survived by his son, Scott Smith of Manchester, stepchildren Jeremy Garfield of New Jersey, and Brianna and Dylan Meredith of West Hartford; brothers, Edwin Smith and wife, Jean, of Endicott, NY, and Lance Smith, and wife Carmen, of Lisle, NY, and sisters Amy Lacey and husband, Dan, of Port Crane, NY, Kathy House of Brooksville, FL, and Maureen Riter, and husband Dave, of Monument, CO. He was predeceased by his parents and brother-in-law Cliff House.

A memorial service celebrating Ray's life will be held July 21, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the Church of St. Timothy, 1116 North Main St., West Hartford, followed by a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 34 Prospect St., Hartford. Babies and children are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Special Olympics Connecticut, 2666 State St., Suite 1, Hamden CT 06517.

* I threw that (skinny) part in just to tweak my favorite of all Nittany Lions.  I was once skinnier than he.  Believe it OR NOT!