PSU Is 800U: Early Spring 1983 Edition

From State College Emmaus* native Paul McGlauglin comes this great photo of an 800M workout early in the Spring of 1983.  It shows most of the group that went on to win the Championship of America 4x800M at the Penn Relays later in April, Coach Groves' first ever.

That's Paul McGlauglin leading the troops, with Mike Cook, Ken Wynn and Tom Walchuck right behind.

How many of us remember those early season workouts buffeted by the winds that the 2-foot high pine trees couldn't quite block on the backstretch?

Addendum:  The 2017 edition of early season 800U News: Dom Perretta won his first outdoor 800M in Arizona at the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge!   Way to go Dom! 

*Errors in fact are a feature, not a bug of our site.  So,  shut up!  hee hee hee  (Thanks to Paul for the correction.)

Nittany Lions Mix It Up With The Greats In The Days Of Yore

Our exalted Chief Laundry and Morale Officer sent these 2 pics for us to present to the masses!  I appreciate all submissions to the blog with it all!

Ken Wynn tucked in behind James Robinson!

James Robinson was a two-time Olympian and was a member of the thwarted 1980 team with Greg Fredericks. He was the top US 800M runner for a full decade from the mid-70s to the mid-80s.

Larry Mangan (4) leading Steve Ovett (11) and others in Birmingham, England.

Steve Ovett was the workingman's alternative to the royal Sebastian Coe in the middle distance scene in the 70s and early 80s.

Where 800U All Began

Coach Groves' very first Championship of America at Penn Relays was the 1983 4 x 800M race.  I have talked about it before, but now I have some extra great photos to go with it.

I was actually in the front row directly opposite the start/finish line, which was a tremendous vantage point to see it all!  And apparently Tom Shiffer was very near me.  Because he took a bunch of photos of all of the runners, and dug them out after the Reunion and sent them my way.  Thus, all of us can enjoy them for posterity.

That's Paul McLaughlin, Randy Moore, Mike Cook and Kenny Wynn in all their glory.  John Marshall and  Marcus O'Sullivan also appear in the pics.  Our Blog Laureate and others will pipe in with more on our Facebook site...

All photos courtesy of Tom Shiffer. Keep them coming Tom!

This is also the race where my future wife was standing next to Coach Groves in the stands, as he was not in his usual place beneath the clock.  He related he was too nervous and headed into the stands.  When they finished and began their victory lap, Barb saw Coach actually crying real tears.  He asked her to never tell anyone, which lasted as long as it took to for her to find me at the front row.  When Coach tells people that Championships of America victories mean more to him than Olympic ones, he really does mean it.  That statement alone made George Steinbrenner once write a check to the Penn Relays for $1 Million!  True story (for once on our blog!)

The Good, The Bad And The Bearded Ugly: PSU is 800 U

First, The Good.  1983 4 x 800 Champions of America with Paul McLaughlin, Randy Moore, Mike Cook and Ken Wynn. I was there in the stands...

The Bad.  Here's Mike Cook leading off in the 4 x Mile at another Championship of America Race at Penn Relays.  This one didn't turn out as well for Mike, who has acknowledged he "rigged" soon after the photo was taken.  I think both he and the large bear on his back rigged!  The nasty graffiti that appears on the Collegian photo was posted in the Locker Room at the next week's Monday practice.  Mike relates he kept it and found it among his relics recently.  Both Mike and I think we know who wrote it, but that's for another day.  Mike will be making his way to State College again this year to beat me at both golf and the Alumni "Run".  I hope he brings his Penn Relays Watch with him!

The Ugly.  Check out Mike beating both Ken Wynn and Steve Shisler in this photo from the Penn State Open 800 M in 1982.  Talk about ugly beards!

PSU is 800 U: The Beginning

I've always highlighted the 1885 Penn Relays 4 x 800 because Steve Shisler has been to every one of the Coach Harry Groves Golf  Tournaments.  We shouldn't forget the "One that started it all!" for Coach Groves, however.

After Paul McLauglin, Randy Moore, Mike Cook and Kenny Wynn rolled to victory in the 1983 version of the event, my wife ran into Coach Groves trying to hide in the stands rather than along the wall, as was usual.  Barb was looking for her brother Gary, and noticed a startling phenomenon.  Coach Groves was crying!  He asked her not to tell anyone, which lasted as long as it took Barb to find me in the front row cheering the victory lap.

We had the pleasure of welcoming Mike Cook back to State College from North Carolina at this year's reunion for the first time since graduation.  We nearly got him to golf too, and we'll continue to work on that for future events.  Paul couldn't make it this year, and we are always trying to get Randy to make it again.  Mike almost won the award for furthest traveled, but was beaten out by Ken Brinker.

Don't forget to order your "PSU is 800 U" t-shirt!

More Early Eighties Nonsense

Captains Ken Wynn and Todd Shenk sport the dress code before Clark instituted the clown suit idea. We're lucky it wasn't in pastel colors with gold chains like in Miami Vice, I suppose!

And you never want to be in the situation Dave Masgay found himself in this photo. It is postulated that the 3 coaches (Coach Mark Bilyk, Coach Groves and ?) found out about the palm tree Dave "acquired" at the Florida Relays. Any way you slice it, a 3 to 1 ratio of coaches to athletes is never a good thing.