The "Other" Reunion Was Also A Success

The Womens teams from the 70s have been getting together for longer than our group started by Clark Haley in 2002.  They have a triennial get-together and just staged their 9th one on this past weekend in Happy Valley.  I promised no math on the blog, so I won't try to figure out when that started! I am acquainted with many of them.  Some of them have also attended our events, and all of them should know how much we would like to see them at our future events.  Remember, the golf is optional, but highly recommended!  The only requirement is mirth!

Front row L to R
Liz Berry Larsen, Janet Norem, Mary Rawe Rapp, Peggy Cleary McKay
 
Back row
Sandy Miller, Sue Hawkins DeHart, Maria Lonnett Burgess, Tina Leatherman Jones, Sandy Alexander, Penny Fales Kramer, Carolyn Ihrig, Magda Kubasiewicz, Kris Bankes Jacoby, Donna Gardner Rowland
(Missing from photo- Liz Cunningham Kisenwether) 

Meeting with Coach Gondak.

A Berkey Creamery stop.

Movies Were Still Better Than The Songs In 1978: AIAW Results Keep Coming!

There was a lot of opposition to having the 1978 Championships at altitude when Colorado submitted its bid at the 1977 AIAW race.  But somehow, they got the bid anyway (sound familiar!?).  It paid off for Colorado only with the individual win by Mary Decker.  The race turned out to be a good one anyway, with the Penn State Women ending up in third place overall.

Notice the fine finish by honorary Alum Martha White Collins for Virginia! And our first mention of Sue Hollick (Crowe) on these pages.  Did you know that I was responsible for Sue joining the team.  Just as I was instrumental in getting the Wolfe twins to join us!  (Scout's Honor)

Patty Murnane Nosack just misses out on being included in the pantheon of "Greatest" PSU XC runners.  But never fear, there is 2 years of results to come!

 Top Songs 1978:

1. Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
2. Night Fever - The Bee Gees
3. You Light Up My Life - Debbie Boone

 With Apologies to all!!!!



Top Movies 1978:

1. Grease   "Grease is the word."
2. Superman    "You'll believe a man can fly."
3. Animal House   "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

1976 Was Also A Wonderful Year: Movies, Songs and, of course, AIAW XC Championship Results!

It was like it was yesterday.  I was almost paying attention to what was going on around me. Gerald Ford was President and Chevy Chase was injuring his back making fun of him.  Woodstock was a distant memory, overtaken by Disco of all things.  I even owned a pair of platform shoes to go with my Leisure Suit.




Top Songs:

1. Silly Love Songs    Wings 
2. Don't Go Breaking My Heart    Elton John and Kiki Dee
3. Disco Lady    Johnny Taylor

Top Movies:

1. Rocky     "You're gonna eat lightning, and crap thunder!"
2.  Taxi Driver    "You looking at me?"
3.  Carrie    "Sorry is the Kool Aid of human emotions."

AIAW XC Championship Results 1976


 Penn State finished 5th in the College Womens Cross Country Championships' second year.  Kathy Mills paced the Lady Lions with her 3rd place effort in Madison, Wisconsin.

Team Finish:

1. Iowa State
2. Cal State Northridge
3. Wisconsin Madison
4. Michigan State 
5. Penn State

Overall Top 5:

1. Julie Brown   Cal State Northridge   16:29.8
2. Carol Cook    Iowa State                    16:39.2
3. Kathy Mills   Penn State                     16:42.1
4. Kim Merritt   Wisconsin- Parkside     16:43.4 
5. Ann Mulrooney Wisconsin-Madison  16:45.3 Kim Merritt, 2000.

Julie Brown.

Penn State AIAW Finishers 1976:

1. Kathy Mills - 3rd             16:42.1
2. Liz Berry - 11th               16:56.8 
3. Donna Gardner - 34th   17:41.2
4. Kris Bankes - 43rd           17:51.5 
5. Lisa Turner - 97th            18:38.4
6. Eileen Meenan - 163rd    19:38.4 
7. Hillary Noden - 222nd     22:54.0

That adds Donna Gardner to the all-time greats and bolsters Kris Bankes' already lofty status!  Coming Soon.

The Search For Complete AIAW Championship Results Continues: Here's Some "Complete" Results of The 1977 2nd Place Team

The AIAW XC Championships started in 1975, but the first All-American Team wasn't chosen until the 1977 race.  That happens to be the year that our very own Kathy Mills Parker dominated the field.  Our 2nd and 3rd team members were very high in the field with Kris Bankes garnering the final of 15 AA positions.  But that left out Liz Berry Larsen, the 16th finisher that day!  Other scorers that day were Hillary Noden and Mary Rawe (Camp Hill's phenom and future wife of our own Coach extraordinaire Tom Rapp).  The sixth and seventh runners were Donna Gardner and Penny Fales.

Tom Rapp, Mary Rawe Rapp with Tom's ex-roommate Larry Mangan.

Here's some bits from the Eastern Kentucky University Special Collections Archive: