Penn State Track And Field Alumni Golfers Promoted!

Not me.  I'm still a lowly regarded employee at my own business. But I'm really better at it than I am at golf...

Ryan Foster and Jess Riden (both Officers of our group!) have been promoted in the Track World.

Ryan Foster was named Assistant Coach at Tennessee, joining former Coach Alford-Sullivan at Rocky Top.  He takes his numerous Coach of the Year honors at Division II Edinboro and his wonderful wife Kara Millhouse south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Our Tennessee friend and All-American, Patrick Davey is delighted.  He also joins Assistant Coach Steve Waithe. The Orange is starting to get a little more Blue, isn't it?

And Jess Riden has stepped up at Stanford to Assistant Athletic Director!  Congrats.

Both have golfed in our Golf Tourney and Ryan was able to pull off the "Adam Sandler" tee shot better than anyone among us ever has.

Throwback Thursday And Quote of the Day From Yesteryear

"Girl, you got a swagger like John Wayne."

-Coach Harry Groves, to Jess Riden at the 2010 Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Meet.

 

Finishing Up With 3 More All-Americans

Danae Rivers again solidified her Freshman season as one for the ages in the first track event of the final day of competition at the NCAA Indoor Championships.  Having already run a heated prelim in the Mile and a leading 1200M leg in the Distance Medley Relay the night before, one would think she would be sluggish at the start of the Mile Saturday.

But you would be wrong, as Danae led the Mile in the early stages, obviously going for broke in the event with several favorites seeded ahead of her.  She held on and even had a very fine final 150M to place 3rd in the event!  That tops by one place for the best finish in the event in PSU history by a friend and great Nittany Lion Patty Murnane in 1982.  Time flies, Patty, but I remember those days like they were yesterday.

1.		Karisa NELSON	JR	Samford	4:31.24
2		Elinor PURRIER	JR	New Hampshire	4:31.88
3		Danae RIVERS	FR	Penn State	4:33.89

And another All-American finish was accomplished by Triple Jumper Danielle Gibson, who bettered her 12th seed in the event with an 8th place finish, scoring one point for the Lions.  That gave the Women's team a tie for 10th place nationally with Stanford (where emeritus Energizer Lion Jess Riden now abodes).

8.

Dannielle GIBSON

SR

Penn State

13.23m (43-5 )

Finally, Isaiah Harris raced against the current Freshman sensation Emmanuel Korir of UTEP. Previously, Isaiah had eclipsed the 600M Collegiate record from Korir at the Penn State National meet where Casimir Loxsom had set the World's Best indoor mark of all time.

This time out, Isaiah ran a fine race but didn't have enough to stay with Korir at the finish, letting 2 others nip him at the wire.  His fourth-place finish was the best at the Indoor Championships since Loxsom's runner-up finish in 2012.

1.		Emmanuel KORIR	FR	UTEP	1:47.48
2		Drew PIAZZA	SR	Virginia Tech	1:47.62
3		Joseph WHITE	JR	Georgetown	1:47.79
4		Isaiah HARRIS	SO	Penn State	1:47.94

Two other events saw close-but-no-cigar attempts at All-American status. Tessa Barrett doubled back from her 5th place finish in the 5000M to place 10th in the 3000M. And the Mens 4 x 400M Relay squad finished in 10th also. Notable among the stats was a 45.72 split by Xavier Smith, my current favorite meme of the blog.

10.

Tessa BARRETT

SO

Penn State

9:16.50

10.

PENN STATE

Penn State

3:07.43

My Favorite Indoor Meet

I will be in attendance for the Saturday afternoon session of the Penn State National Open. It has been my favorite meet of the indoor season for quite a while now.  Mostly because it almost always has a sub-4 mile and the rest of the middle distance events are always stellar.  It was also the first sighting I had of our Olympian Darrell Hill heaving the metal ball a few years ago.

This year's event will also feature a return of 2 favorites of recent vintage.  Jess Risen will accompany the Stanford team back to her "hometown" (Indian Valley is close enough!).  And Brannon Kidder's roommate Casimir Loxsom will be circling the track at least 5 3 times in the 1000M 600M. (And you thought there wasn't any math involved with the blog!)

Be sure to say hello if you see me.  I will try to remember to bring the remaining stash of wrist bands and buttons for my loyal readers.

It is also Chinese New Year, a special holiday in our Family honoring Daughter the Younger's heritage.  I will be heading to a special Chinese dinner after the meet to ensure good luck in this New Year.  Yeah, you guessed my entree choice!

Athlete Of The Week, Again!

When I made the decision to overlook the 800M performances by PSU athletes in last week's meet as my choice for Performance of the Week, I took some heat from fellow blog writers.  My only comeback is that I know the 800M runners will get many more accolades this year and in the years to come.  And I wanted to point out the rarity of a 1,2 finish by Penn State sprinters in a big Invitational.

My suspicions were correct, as Isaiah Harris garnered another huzzah from the Big Ten!  Can't wait to see the Mens and Womens middle distance runners this weekend!  Along with the return of Casimir Loxsom and Jess Riden!

Big Ten Athlete of the Week

A Jog On The Beach Before Outdoor Track Begins

The first real meets start next week, with some team members heading to the San Fran suburbs for the Stanford Invite.  (This weekend has the Lions in the PAC-12/Big Ten Challenge in Arizona.)  There they can reunite with our Energizer Lion Emeritus Jess Riden in her new position at Stanford.  (Blue is her real best color BTW)

We miss you Jess. And your parking info for the Penn Relays.

And just who is this dude jogging on the beach to get ready for the Outdoor Season?

His job never allowed him to grow a beard.

The Hardest Working Woman in Track and Field

With the recent article in her home town newspaper, the Lewistown Sentinel, Jess Riden was recognized for something all of us have known for quite some time.  She is the hardest working woman in Track and Field.

In addition to her usual myriad of duties, Jess also has taken up some (most?) of the details of our Alumni Reunion and the Coach Harry Groves Golf Tournament.

In recognition of her Herculean efforts, she is now an Officer of our group with the title Energizer Lion.  Congrats to Jess, and let's hope that doesn't subtract any IQ points as it has for so many of us!

"His mudder was a mudder..."

Even non-participants like the ever-working Jess Riden (I really need to come up with a proper title for her group status!) found the driving rain and dirt in a emulsified, colloidal suspension (otherwise known as mud) difficult at yesterdays Penn State Open.  The Men placed first in the event and the Women third in a strong field.

Kyle Dawson placed third overall in the difficult conditions on the 5.2 mile Blue/White course. Vince McNally followed up in 7th place.  On the women's side,  Kara Millhouse and Caitlin Lane placed 4th and 5th in the wet conditions. At least it wasn't snow!

The Alumni Team was short a man, but I would like to think that all of us in the vast audience of this blog were the fifth man they so desired!  I salute Kevin Fuller,  Matt Groves, Chris Ferry and Cody Edling for braving the weather and representing us in stellar fashion. I'm hoping someone will come up with some photos of them as my day-job kept me away from playing in the mud.

Featured Foursome #1

I'll have a little bit to say about each of our 9 foursomes in no particular order, starting with this group of 4 handsome bipeds.

Jess Riden hit the links defending her Women's MVP Award last year, and appreciating the respite from her unending duties for the Track Program.  No one works harder per pound (all one hundred of them?) than Jess.  (Anyone wishing to see her get exasperated need merely ask her about heat sheets or accommodations for the Penn Relays.)

Steve Balkey represents the epitome of PSU Track and Field Alumni Golfers due to his dual credentials in the Hall of Honor.  He qualifies as an All-American and as a two-time inscribee on the Coach Harry Groves Cup!   His golfing skills are surpassed by his Hockey skills and those in turn are surpassed by his running bone fides.  He also found time to participate in the Alumni "Run", throwing down a fine 5:35 mile for third place.  We must all thank him for supplying the beer, sodas and water we all had while deforesting the Elks Club Course.

K. Kelly O'Brien found great use for his ball retriever won at his first tourney appearance.  Extending the length of it to 16 feet, he still didn't reach the ball in its watery grave.  He again attempted to win "The Best Shot" award this year, but was thwarted in his efforts despite an actual backward shot!

John Zieger, aka Ziggy, brought his "A" game to the Alumni "Run" but his "C" game to the golf course.  (Just kidding John, my game lies near the "Q" level, so what do I know?) John trotted to a all-time best mile at the run with his 5:32, tied with Nick K.  I will add that John was the best captain I ever had on the team, despite calling all 18-mile mountain runs 15 miles.

PSU Coaches Never Rest, (Well, almost never!)

Winter graduation ceremonies on Saturday and an absence of Underclassmen still didn't allow much rest for the Penn State Coaching Staff.  All except Coach Gondak gave instruction and tutelage to an eager bunch of 10-18 year-olds.  Coach Gondak was apparently sent on a reconnaissance mission to sunnier climes in order to evaluate conditions for my wife's upcoming Goofy Race.  I think that's it!

My oldest braved the drills and interval workout overseen by Coach Sullivan and Jess Riden, while my youngest learned starting techniques and hurdle basics from Coach Johnson and also did 6 X 100 M with nary a complaint!  Both slept well, may I add.  The PSU Staff is the hardest working staff in the nation!

Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Meet Draws Stellar Field

The Cross Country season got underway in State College with the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Meet on the 5.2 Mile Course.  Penn State Women finished Third and the Men Fourth in a solid field including Georgetown and Princeton.

Kyle Dawson led the Lions in a third place finish while Kara Millhouse led the Lady Lions with a seventh place effort.

Meanwhile, Tyler McCandless continued his tune-up for the Boston Half-Marathon with a winning effort in the Denver Half-marathon.  His mile-high victory bodes well for his attack on the Olympic Trials qualifying time he missed by one second in his last race.

But maybe the best moment of the day occurred when Coach Groves told Jess Riden, "Girl, you got a swagger like John Wayne."  You just can't make up good stuff like that.

Bridget Franek / NCAA Champion: Women Place 4th!

Bridget Franek went out with a bang in her final PSU performance, winning the 3000 M Steeplechase with a time of 9:38.86.  Karlee McQuillen placed third in the Javelin, garnering another All-American berth, and placing PSU into 5th place with several events remaining.

Addendum:  With the Women's 4 X 400 4th place finish, the Women's Team finish in 4th Place earning a trophy that  2010 Most Valuable Woman Golfer  Jess Riden apparently must haul back to State College! 
The Men place 23rd overall.

Great Things Happening All Over! New Blog Content! Women Win Big Ten!

I attended the First Day of the Women's Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships yesterday at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Complex. So far, the Women's team is on pace for an excellent showing in the meet. The reception held afterward at Damon's Grill, home of our own Reunion in May, was superb and portends more great things coming for PSU Track! I was able to promote our group and the Harry Groves Golf Tourney to a very receptive audience. The melding of the current and future of the program with the alumni and old guard has really blossomed in the past year. Our group has been enthusiastically endorsed and the coaching staff has confirmed attendance at our event in May. Coach Alford-Sullivan is pleased with all our efforts on behalf of PSU Track and we are on pace to become the largest and most active track and field alumni group in the world.

I had the pleasure of seeing many current members of our group and meeting a few people who are destined to become friends and supporters. High Jumper Ryan Fritz (with eligibility for outdoor season) was gracious before the meet, as he was put to work, seeing as he's not at Minnesota for the Men's Championships. Nick K. came to the reception and confirms attendance at the tourney, still looking for a chance at The Cup. The Shisler's (Steve and Beth) also attended, and gave the good news that they will repeat again this year. Both will also be inducted into the Hall of Honor as soon as I get off my butt and compile the full list! Beth has already purchased the Kathy Award, which will be a rotating prize for the most-valuable women golfer. Larry Mangan also showed despite not being able to come in May due to a schedule conflict with the High School District Track meet. I also spoke briefly with Teri Jordan, ex-women's coach who can definitely help with Coach Groves' desire to "bring more women to the reunion". Jess Riden was also cordial despite her incredible workload and numerous duties. Mark Hawkins also confirmed attendance and likely will become our digital archivist for the event! I think that means he's taking pictures, but what do I know.

Big, big news on the Blog Front also! After extensive negotiations over pay, (unlimited Wrist Bands), Artie Gilkes has agreed to become our Director of Youth Development. He will soon be blogging with us, trying to relate to a generation (or 2!) of track alums old people like I have difficulty reaching. Everyone seems to know, like and respect Artie, and I'm sure he will be a great addition to our humble cadre of Idiots!

Also, we will soon have 100 members with us on Facebook! Join our group and the 100th person will receive free Wrist Bands!

Update: Women's Team wins Big Ten Championship! Congrats to everybody. Men are Sixth.

A Mish-Mash of Topics:

1. Former Champion Coach Bill Whittaker '73 golfed in the Kevin Dare Golf Tournament on Monday afternoon and brought our group up in discussions with Jess Riden, Director of PSU Track and Cross-Country. Thank you, to Coach Whittaker! Jess has responded with a nice offer of up-to-date PSU records and email lists, which will help us immensely. She is, in turn, letting Coach Sullivan know about our presence and promises to help in our reunion efforts! She apparently did not recol in horror upon viewing our web-site (as it is) for the first time. The physics references probably threw her off at first, but then again physics is my secret passion. I don't expect anyone to understand.

2. Former Champion and 1500m Record Holder Steve Balkey '88 will also be spreading the good word of PSU Track Alumni Golf to the 90's and 00's guys at the Penn State National XC meet on Friday, Oct. 17. Lets wish him well in the task and hope he doesn't strain anything important.

3. Keep all our Track alum brethren embroiled in the current financial crisis in your thoughts. While the current situation affects us all, many of our compatriots derive their living in the field. Let's hope our congress doesn't add to the problem by undertaking another money grab as they often do!* There are no good guys in this mess, just worse and worser guys. And the rest of us who have to pick up the pieces.

4. The last 3 sleeves of Noodle Ice balls are up for grabs. Signs ups are already at 13 (more than last year already!). With the upcoming ability to contact new track alums, I'm betting the last 3 sleeves will go fast. I may purchase some additional balls for the laggards in our group, but they would only recieve 1 measly ball. And 3 balls are better than 1, especially if you are fond of hitting ponds, lakes, creeks and out-of-bounds like I am. I try to make a 6000 yard course into a 10k if at all possible. Update: We are down to 1 Sleeve of Noodles left!

5. Calvin's preferred breakfast cereal is indeed Chocolate-Frosted Sugar Bombs.

6. Join Larry Mangan as a follower of the official PSU Track and Field Alumni golf blog!

*Arbitrary political thoughts are frowned upon by the officers of the group. Although I was confirmed prescient in my analysis, as Barney Frank and the boys have grabbed the entire US economy from us working stiffs!