A Full Member Of Our Group

Our previous post on the 50th anniversary of the very first Olympic Trials Marathon got a tremendous response from all over.  The post centered on Joe Head, a Nittany Lion who managed to find his way into the field.  It took great courage and persistence, and even the help of one of my running idols, Buddy Edelen, to make it happen.

Joe ran that race with minimal preparation, but great enthusiasm.  The kind of attributes that our very own Coach Groves would have admired.  This was just as Coach began his tenure at PSU.  Joe was surprised at how easily the Officers of Our Group accepted him into our fold.  At first Joe thought he was just a token member of our Facebook Group, but I corrected him that he is a full member of the Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golf) Group.  This is in keeping with the tradition that Coach Groves himself  brought to Penn State.  Anyone with Joe's fortitude would have been afforded full team membership by Coach.  All of us can attest to that.  Coach had the patience of a Saint for anyone willing to put in the work to become better.  He even gave liberally of his time for walk-ons.  I can attest to that with a personal breakfast meeting each of my years at PSU.  One of them allowed me to have breakfast with Arthur Lydiard and Coach!

In turn, all of Coach Groves' athletes became better people (look at the excellence of everyone in our group!).  Eventually, all of us live up to Coach's quote at the 2009 Alumni Reunion, "Athletics is for education and recreation, nothing else. Winning is important only in that you learn more."  Turns out that Coach Groves was one of Penn State's greatest educators in its history.

So welcome, Joe Head, into full acceptance into the (soon to be, with everyone's help) largest and most active Track and Field Alumni group in the world.  And come golf with us in May, 2019!

Joe may have some further info on the 50th Anniversary celebration upcoming.  But it must be pointed out that he improved over those 50 years, and finished in the middle of the pack in the 50th Anniversary 8K!  Ahead of Frank Shorter!

    MALE AGE GROUP RESULTS 60 - UP
=============================================================================

Place No.   Name                    Age   Time      
===== ===== ================= === === ========== 
    1    56 Rich Hadley              62   35:16  
    2    36 Benji Durden             66   36:15  
    3    81 Bruce Kirschner          64   37:12  
    4   209 Michael Sandrock         60   39:02  
    5   192 Art Kitze                61   39:17  
    6   153 Pablo Vigil              66   39:41  
    7    73 Jim Johnson              61   41:07  
    8    11 Greg Birk                62   43:32  
    9   191 Chris Trunk              63   44:09  
   10   141 Kevin St.Croix           62   44:23  
   11    28 Robert Davis             61   44:57  
   12   108 Scott McMillen           61   44:57  
   13   196 Jan Frisby               74   46:01  
   14   195 Amby Burfoot             71   46:32  
   15   200 Gary Muhrcke             77   46:41  
   16   143 Darrell Sterns           67   46:44  
   17   199 Rick Moisio              63   46:49  
   18   208 Steve Jones              62   47:04 
   19   180 Joe Lowrey               61   48:11  
   20   185 Doug Ouren               62   48:40 
   21   213 Bob Deines               70   49:04  
   22   142 Will Steinberg           64   54:38  
   23    60 Joe Head                 70   55:10  
   24   207 Tom Heinonen             73   55:10 
   25    72 Alan Johnson             70   55:13  
   26   206 Tim Cronin               68   55:52 
   27    93 Frederick Maas           73   57:11 
   28   138 Ron Shepherd             65   57:54

   30   214 Frank Shorter            72   1:01:42  
   31     4 Dana Anstey              70   1:10:41  
   32    83 Kirk Kritner             64   1:12:50 
   33   202 Bill Clark               74   1:19:31 

Joe, finishing the first Olympic Trials Marathon, 1968.

Joe and Pablo Vigil being photobombed by Frank Shorter.

Coach Groves Can Still Kick Their A$$es

As I rummage through the photos from the Penn State National via Mark Hawkins, I came across this one from the vast Internetty Thingie.  It is too good not to steal, so here it is...

And in addition, I came across this one from that same "Cloud".  I have a guess as to who it is, but I fear exposing my stupidity for all to see.  Who is this with Frank Shorter?

Great Performance #3: A Surprise

Having ignored all 10 of my readers, and all 20 or so votes in the poll, Greg Frederick's 1972 American Record 10K in 28:08.0 has been selected as the third in our series of Great Performances. Included is the July 1972 cover of Track and Field News. The other photo is of Greg at the Penn Relays, prepping for the OlympicTrials eight years later. (I will one day spit on the grave of Jimmy Carter.) It boggles my mind how hard it would be to continue at such a high level for a whole decade. Greg truly is special. (I think I could take him in a round of eighteen holes though!)

Greg was a newcomer and somewhat reluctant 10,000 meter runner in 1972. At the AAU Championships leading up to the Olympic Trials, Greg was among the top level of runners. Among the others were Jack Bacheler, Frank Shorter, Jeff Galloway and Tom Laris. Easing into the first mile at 4:30, Frank Shorter was later miffed that no one was willing to share the pace. When the second mile passed in 9:04, Shorter decided to try to run away with the race, owing to the relative finishing speed of the others. Laris, Greg, and Bacheler stayed with Shorter, with Greg passing 6 miles in 27:21.8 (a PR and collegiate record). Greg blazed the last 220 yards in 26.6 and the final 440 in 55.2! (Remember you"youngins"- 440 yards is longer than 400 meters).

At the time, his American Record was 12th on the All-Time World List, better than Billy Mills and Gerry Lingren's previous bests (both 10000 meters and 6-mile equivalent). Now a Systems Analyst at PSU's Applied Research Laboratory, Greg will attempt to golf at this year's Harry Groves Memorial Tournament and will bring many friends with him.

Olympic Videos to Whet the Appetite

A little Pre-Olympic Frivolity is in order. A tasty delicacy to start off; Frank Shorter's 1972 Munich Marathon Victory.




And on a more somber note for our Prefontaine fans (ahem, Prefan!) , the 1972 Munich 5000 meter finish with blood doping proving its worth in the final meters.






We apparently will have some representation at the Beijing Games Track Events, even though it will be from the stands. Alas, it is not me. Hopefully we can get some photos of the action for posting!
Addendum: Apparently both recipients of the polos have been pleased with the "fit and finish" and indicate they would make a fine addition to all PSU Track Alumni Golfer's wardrobes. (Results may vary, no guarantees are implied and these statements are not endorsed by the USDA, USATF or any government entity. No harm was done to any lions or beavers during the making of these shirts.)