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!)

Turkey Trots And More

First up is the phenomenon known as the York YMCA downtown Turkey Trot.  This year it brought in more than 5,100 runners for a brief tour of the city!  There were acquaintances who joined in and told me it took them more than 5 1/2 minutes to reach the starting line!

I would bet that less than 5,100 people venture into downtown York in all 364 other days of the year added together.  I have patients who live north of York and visit my office south of York and circle the entire city to get there.  A significant number haven't been into the city once since 1969 and the riots.  And as Dave Barry says, "I'm not making that up."

There are more than 5,100 behind that line!

Daughter the Elder and her ex-York Suburban teammates.

Mary Kate Curran dominated the snow, wind and the roads in Peru, NY with a dominating performance in the John P. Adams Memorial Turkey Trot 10K.  And I already know she's on Santa's good list for a great gift in a month or so!

The Fuller Bros. (Inc.) again owned the New Cumberland Turkey Trot.  Not sure if the entire harem was involved but Mary Dell also won the women's division.

The results photo was sent by Jeff Sanden (whose clan also can in New Cumberland) and turned in a world record time for someone just 2 or so weeks following an appendectomy!

And although it was a week earlier, the Dawson twins also turned in splendid performances in the Philadelphia 8K!  Close enough for a turkey! These results were supplied by our Chief Laundry and Morale Officer, who may begin his comeback in 3 years or so!

ROTHMAN INSTITUTE 8K RESULTS

            Men’s 8K Results

Thomas Awad, 22, Philadelphia, PA, 00:24:00

Louis Serafini, 25, Brighton, MA, 00:24:11

Owen Dawson, 28, Coatesville, PA, 00:24:18

Jonathan Phillips, 23, Boston, MA, 00:24:24

Kyle Dawson,

28, Philadelphia, PA, 00:24:25

And not to be left out, Joe Kovacs gets into the holiday spirit by tossing some bird in this promotional photo from USATF!

More Alums Bolster Large's Chances On The Trail

With the giddiness of the night on an actual mattress in Harpers Ferry well behind him, Rob Whiteside (trail name "Large") trudges on through the shale shards of Pennsylvania toward his goal of Katahdin Mountain in Maine. So two more PSU Track Alums met him as he was about to cross the Susquehanna River at Duncannon.  Another "Town" meal for him and Phoebe (trail name "White Rabbit")  should bolster them for the hike toward the Delaware Water Gap and his home state of New Jersey.

Jeff Sanden, Large and Mark Haywood.

Now everyone must go the the poll on the left sidebar on the full website to vote for whom Rob now looks the most like.

Ernest Hemingway.

Jeremiah Johnson.

Santa Claus.

David Letterman.

Ben Bernanke.

As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly

 There were Turkey Trots everywhere yesterday.  Here are a few of them:

• Boalsburg Turkey Trot with Jayson Jackson in charge continues to grow. Not sure who else among our group may have participated.
• Berwick Run For The Diamonds:  We were at least represented by honorary member Dane Rauschenberg.

Dane Rauschenberg with Ed Whitlock.

•  Ashenfelter 8K Classic in Glen Ridge, NJ  The greatest of all Nittany Lions was there again this year.

Horace Ashenfelter III with Tom Fleming.

•  The Shirley Mae Taylor Turkey Trot in New Cumberland, PA  There were Fullers and the Fuller Harem and Jeff Sanden and daughter Carissa. 

  

  Jeff and Carissa Sanden, both age group winners.

  
  

•  The York YMCA Turkey Trot again had a huge crowd of more than 4,700 runners in downtown York.  Daughters the Younger and Elder were both beaten like a rented mule by their mother Barb Black!  ("But I wasn't really trying." was no excuse!)

• Tyler McCandless was second at his Turkey Trot in Dallas, TX. 

  

  Tyler MCandless, center.

Nittany Lions Make Excellent Coaches And Parents

It was a bang up several days for PSU Track Alumni Golfers in the Coaching ranks.  And let's not forget the parental ranks either!

First up is great friend, teammate and class-mate Mark Haywood, who coaches the Lions of Camp Hill.  The boys won the Class A District 3 title and the girls were 4th.  Mark also coaches our Grand Exalted IT Czar Jeff and Mary Sanden's daughter Carissa Sanden!

Carissa Sanden thumbs-up for her parents Jeff and Mary Sanden.

Mark Haywood, rear, and his Winning Team.

Lisa and Mark Haywood. Their wedding reception was awesome.

Next up is the Little Lions of State College High, who are coached by 5 of the greatest PSU Track Alumni Golfers of all!  The Lions won District 6 in both the boys and the girls.

Rebecca Donaghue, left  and the victorious women. Where's Artie?

Here's Coach Artie Gilkes with Coach Rebecca Donaghue!

Coach Dave Felice, center, with Coach Steve Shisler and Coach Nick K. to his left.

Groundhog Monday and Super Hangover Day

The seer of seers was in a surly mood when they ripped him from his toasty lair this AM for the prediction we all await with knowing gloom.  And Snowmageddon III came through last night here in South-Central PA, bringing with it the third inch of snow for our area.  Roads are practically empty and my appointments have dwindled to 66% or so despite the non-event.  At least the Mayor of Gotham didn't manage to kill another cousin of Phil this year! They had her protected by a lucite enclosure just in case he had more nefarious intentions. Have any of you attended the ceremony at Gobbler Knob?

Our Idiot Officers were well represented at the big celebration in Phoenix yesterday too!  Grand, Exalted IT Czar Jeff Sanden obtained tickets from a box of crackerjacks or something.* 

Have I mentioned, "I hate you",  Jeff?

In other news of note relating to previous posts here on the blog with it all, arson only means probation at PSU.

And all that crap about 1% incline on the treadmill to account for the lack of wind resistance is just that, a bunch of crap.**

*Not really.  I'm sure he earned them somehow!
** Except when running fast, possibly.

Back To School!

Youngsters across the nation are heading back to school in droves.  And that means college too.  Three different Group Idiots, me among them, are carting their kids to PSU and branch campuses this Friday.  Good luck to Founder Clark Haley and Grand Exalted IT Czar Jeff Sanden as they haul their eldest to Freshman Move-In Day.  (Don't forget your fans for the hot dorm rooms!)  Former pole vaulter Don Skerpon also will be hauling his youngest to State College to join the Track and Field Team as a hurdler.  Best of luck to all!

I have not been fazed by any of Daughter the Elder's life transitions up until now, but I'll admit this one is going to get to me. I'm happy she will be running cross-country at the Mont Alto branch campus for an excellent coach and mentor, Bill Preston.  I have told her often that the friends you make on a team in college will be the best friends you will ever make.  She has seen first hand that PSU Track Alumni Golfers are the most intelligent, most interesting and most accomplished group of people anyone can come across.  And it is what keeps me going in trying to motivate as many of you as possible to become involved.  Our record here at the blog has been quite good, and we will even get better.

Does anyone remember if we ever had an actual team meeting for Cross Country.  I certainly don't remember any.  Unless the Mountain Runs counted as one...

2014 XC Team Meeting.

And here's a little first day history lesson for Freshman Rodney Dangerfield by Professor Sam Kinison which has quite a bit of relevance for us today. Content warning for swear words!

The Victors Enjoy the Spoils! The Winning Foursome

Owen Dawson, Doug Kent, Artie Gilkes and Curt Allison.

These guys managed to best the rest of the field with ease at 3-under par in the wet conditions.  I'm pretty sure that Clark Haley's friend Curt Allison was a ringer, but at least Clark isn't getting on The Cup (tm) again!

With the random format fully in place, Artie Gilkes and Owen Dawson, who tell me they aren't golfers, lucked on to The Cup on the backs of Curt Allison and my ex-roommate Doug Kent.  And I couldn't be happier.  Doug is one of the greatest guys I have ever met and one of the best golfers to have ever slashed the greenery of Happy Valley with us.  We're actually lucky to have him, as each year he has to leave early for another Real Golf Tourney the next day!  Artie keeps telling us he can't golf, but now his name will be displayed forever on the trophy alongside other non-golfers like me and Brian Boyer!

Owen not only got his share of the $200 pay-out for his victory (in the olden days this would have disqualified him forever as a professional!), but he then went and won the Golden Putter (tm) with the longest putt on the 18th green. Here he is with Horace, the Golden Putter (in honor of PSU's Greatest Steeplechaser!) and three previous winners of it.  All four are on record as returning to try to win it again next year! Make sure you join us.

Owen Dawson, Jeff Sanden, Bob Gabel and Che Arosemena, with the Golden Putter (24k)

There's a lot more to come on the Reunion weekend!

More Turkey Trot Domination! And Horace!!

Grand, Exalted IT Czar Jeff Sanden brings us news of the New Cumberland Turkey Trot, totally pwned by PSU Track Alumni Golfers.

The Fuller Brothers, you all know I can never keep them straight, placed 1st, 2nd and 4th at the race of several thousand Turkey Day morning runners.

Brian Fuller,  15:36

Mark Fuller,  16:08

Kevin Fuller, 16:42

New Cumberland never even saw it coming!

And here's legends Tom Fleming and Horace Ashenfelter III at the Ashenfelter 8K in Glen Ridge NJ. It looks like Horace could win his age group to me.

Hershey Crawling With Penn State Track Alumni Golfers

It has been a few year's since I attended the PIAA State Cross Country Championships.  It certainly has become a much bigger affair over the years.

Some highlights:

• My daughter's York Suburban team ended in 5th place in the AA Girls event (and 9th in the AA Boys event.)
• Rebecca Donaghue's and Artie Gilkes State College High AAA Girls team finished in 13th place.  Dave Felice's Boys team placed 4th.
• Mark Haywood's (Asst. Coach) Camp Hill team finished in 15th place in A Boys.
• Bill Kvashay's Lake Lehman runner Dom Hockenberry (Bill coaches him in track) finished 2nd in the AA Boys race.
• Coach Gondak reports that the Girl's AA winner (Elizabeth Chikotas, Saucon Valley) and AAA winner (Tessa Barrett, Abington Heights) will both become future PSU Track/XC Alumni Golfers! (And he wasn't done working yet!)

Rebecca Donaghue (center) and Artie Gilkes (right)

Jeff Sanden almost never misses the PIAA Championships.

Assistant Coach Mark Haywood (left) and Chris Herr.

Dave Felice.

Golden Putter Brings Record to Holder!

Horace the Golden Putter is the prize for the longest putt on the 18th Green at the Coach Harry Groves Golf Tournament every year.  The winner gets the use of the gilded implement for the whole year.*

This year Dennis Hendershot was the (lucky?) recipient.  He is the father of PSU's vertical specialist Jon Hendershot.  Dennis happens to be left-handed, a situation I had never expected when I purchased the beauty.  Hence, Dennis thought he would never actually get to use it.**

BUT, then he had something miraculous happen!

He was finishing his greatest round ever***, and was able to "turn the other cheek" as it were and use the putter to sink the penultimate gimmee to seal his personal record!

* Except for Jeff Sanden who actually held the Golden Putter for 15 total seconds.  Sorry, Jeff.
** See above.
*** Details available only for donations of $100 or more on the right side bar! (Your secret is safe with me, Dennis!)

Horace, The Golden Putter, is in Good Hands

 One of the good things about being somewhat connected to the organization of the Annual Coach
Groves Golf Tourney is that I get to meet new people and renew old friendships.  When I purchased the Golden Putter a few years ago to make an Award for the tourney, I hoped it would become a talked-about and worthy item.

With this year's Reunion I finally got the chance to meet the Putter's namesake, Horace Ashenfelter III, which was a big thrill.  He seemed somewhat surprised at the beautiful golden prize and delighted we thought of him enough to name it after him.

 That's Jeff Sanden, last year's winner of the Longest Putt Award on Hole 18 at the tourney holding Horace for the actual 15 seconds of the full year I had promised!  What can I say, I am sometimes a little off on my facts...

This year's longest putt was made by Dennis Hendershot, father of PSU's 7-foot  High Jumper Jon Hendershot.  I was pleased to meet a new friend and amazed at some of the shared memories of the Slate Belt we have in common.  Dennis is actually a bone fide golfer in a league and everything, but won't be able to use Horace since he is left-handed.  I never dreamt I would need a left-handed version at any point in the tourney's history.  I suppose I will now inquire with Ned Flanders at The Leftorium to see if I can pick one up for the future.  Dennis promises updates and photos from Horace's travels this year.  That's Dennis with Coach Groves in a photo Coach has asked me to forward to him.  I suppose I'll send it to Jess Riden, she will know what to do with it.

More Singlet Poses! And Other Reminders

1. You go Jeff Sanden, Mark Hawkins and Don Ziter!  Those without their very own singlet will be able to snag one again later this year.  After all those in charge of it recover. Check the rest of the pics from the 2012 Gasparilla Runs on the slideshow on left sidebar.
2. Don't forget to get your basketball picks in to Ken Cooper before Thursdays tip-off.
3. Also, add your literary genius to the comments on our very own short story, based on the twisted world of Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golf.
4. And of course, get your RSVP in for the May 18,19 PSU Track Alumni Reunion and 11th Annual Coach Harry Groves Golf Tournament.

New Singlets Thrill the Crowds at Florida's Gulf Coast

Reactions are uniformly and overwhelmingly positive whenever the Penn State Alumni Singlets are unveiled.  You doubters were wrong!

Those awaiting their 2012 Penn State Track and Field Alumni Singlets will be receiving their very own shortly.  We will make them available again some time soon!

From Jeff Sanden:

  The fun was plentiful.  February 23, 2013 is hereby proclaimed to be
> the 2nd Annual PSTFAG Official Winter Race Outing.  Get your singlet
> orders in today if you haven't already.

Le Faucon D'Orange Wins Division at Gasparilla Distance Classic!

* Addendum:  The initial "Official" Results I depended on from Gasparilla were in error.  The Orange Hawk's accomplishment is only slightly diminished, however.  Check the comments for updated results.  I'll let the rest of the post stand.

In a stunning development, Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golfer and recent Singlet Facilitator  Mark Hawkins has won his age division at the 2012 Gasparilla Distance Classic.  His time in the 15 K event was a remarkable 55:51.87!  Also making his comeback official, Jeff Sanden ran a spirited 1:08:16.81.  Don Ziter was also spotted in his brand new Alumni Singlet but results are down at the moment. They have promised photos of the festivities and I'll hold them to it.

My admiration and congratulations eclipse my overall jealousy at their feat.  Those younger than us will realize the remarkable nature of their performances soon enough.  In other news, Florida is trying to recover from the influx of early PSU old-timer Spring Breakers.  they still know how to party, I hear.

In further news from halfway across the globe, Ryan Foster was seventh in the 1500 M at the Melbourne Track Classic in  3:45.89. He soon heads to the IAAF Indoor World Championships in Istanbul.  Good luck Ryan.

Old School "Ballmer" Goodness

An anonymous response to the previous post on streaking yielded this little token of yesteryear.  It brings back many memories for a few of us.  This must be the finishers jacket from the 1979 Maryland Marathon showing the greatest silhouette emblem of Bill Rodgers, Ron Hill and possibly Tom Fleming (?) at the 1977 race.  I never got the jacket, so I assume its from the '79 race.  I ran the '77 and '78 races, I believe, and dragged 3 or 4 other PSU athletes along in '78.  I think Ralph Hoffmann (PSU '79 Forestry major) ran a 2:31 or so on the most difficult Marathon course I have ever run.  It was an out-and-back course from Memorial Stadium to Loch Raven Reservoir north of the city.  A large hill named Satyr loomed at about the 20 mile mark and took many a victim, including me both years.

The jacket looks nice, but I especially remember the greatest backpack bag that we got in '77 or '78.  A single drawstring bag made of plain canvas with plain lettering lasted nearly 30 years of hard use by me, my wife and two kids.  I'll have to go look for it again. The t-shirts with the same emblem were great too.  Here's Don Ziter sporting his while breaking Coach Groves' rule against competing in outside races in 1980!

The short, shorts always bring a smile to my lips.  Do you remember those great New Zealand Splits?

Addendum:  Our Benevolent IT Czar Jeff Sanden dug into his attic to come up with another gem, the actual bag from the 1977 Maryland Marathon, the single best gift I have ever received.

Run For Your Lives!

I didn't make the Zombie Run in Maryland as I had hoped but it appears to have been a rousing success.  Nothing like combining the great outdoors, exercise, and brain-eating undead all in one setting.  This will certainly catch on in a big way next year and there will be lots of zombies spread out across the nation.

In addition, the zombie movie I'm  an Associate Producer of has been held up in post production, but I still have my fingers crossed for an upcoming release.

Blog IT Czar Jeff Sanden brings us this video showing the ins-ands-outs of zombie obstacle course running. 

Run For Your Lives 2011 from Alexander Turoff on Vimeo.

Foursome Number 3

"My" foursome is next.  I actually was responsible for putting together a rather good group.  If it hadn't been for me, we would have challenged for the Cup!

Former roommate Doug Kent brought his "A" game and used the tourney as a tune-up for another tourney on Sunday.  His attempt to ignore the Bird House on Hole 5 was met with skepticism from the other 3 of us, but he managed to cut the corner fantastically.  (Alas, we didn't use the shot.  Cheating isn't in our DNA!)  Coach Groves would have been proud of the effort, however.

Nick K. reminded me often that his game wasn't up to his usual standards, but needless to say, I would never know the difference.  A lot had to do with the saturation of the grounds.  You could actually hear water rushing underground in many places, as if an underground river was just feet below the surface.  It was also good to see that Nick has adjusted well to the shift from Urban to Rural existence.

Jeff Sanden took a break from his world travels to lend his Robo-Driver to our efforts.  There are so many buttons and plugs and switches on it I doubt I could even hold it, let alone swing it!  Our foursome ended up in third place, which isn't bad for a threesome and me.  Jeff also managed to earn the Golden Putter.  I'll deliver Horace personally soon, as Gregg Davis has delivered it to me because he couldn't attend this year's event.

PSU Trackster Enjoys Birds Nest Soup!

I'm not really sure that Jeff Sanden actually got to sample the Chinese delicacy of Bird Nest Soup.  And yeah, it's as disgusting as it sounds.  The gelatinous texture of the soup is from the swallow's saliva used to hold the nest together.  It's supposed to be delicious, just like the scorpions and rats on a stick I saw for sale at push carts all over China.  (They did smell good anyway!)  I've eaten a lot of Chinese food, but have never partaken of the avian home base.

But, he did get us this great photo of the "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium complete with PSU Track Alumni Wrist Band, for which I'm grateful.  His expertise with the cell phone camera is extraordinary.