Artie on Austin

As a follow up on the Austin Drager being selected to his high school Hall of Fame, our very own Artie Gilkes wrote me the following:

Artie wrote: "Drager, better known to his teammates as Drago, was an incredible athlete. He finished second at the Regional meet in a lot of snow. That fall he was just on fire. He got a late start to the xc training that year and I don't think he was even in the top 10 at the first meet. But, it was like each day he was getting fitter and fitter and better and better. I do remember that in the weeks leading up to regionals he was just crushing everybody in workouts. We were doing 5 x mile hills on Laurel run road in some nasty conditions. At the end of the season coach would have us hop in the van while picking people up on their recovery jog as he drove like a bat outta hell down the hill to cut down on our recovery time. I just remember Drager destroying everyone on that work out and it was like, "HELLO!" this guy is gonna run fast!"

Kyle Bernhardy chimed in with a little anecdote also:

Artie also once made Drager sleep on the floor during a track trip. Ok maybe I was culpable in that too!

These stories, anecdotes and possibly the upcoming photos are the real reason behind this whole blog thing.  (Well, that and trying to get rid of some of the crap that clutters my mind .)  If you have stories, anecdotes, photos, videos of interest to anyone in our (maybe simulated) Universe of PSU Track and Field Alumni, let me know.  I would be delighted to share.  Coach Groves wants more golfers!

2010 NCAA Results Including Alumni Coaches

The PSU Men finished in 30th place, with Kyle Dawson and Vince McNally placing 52nd and 77th overall.  I still put special emphasis on the contribution from the middle distance guys this year.  I'm sure the 10 K distance took its toll in this race.  I'm looking forward to great 800 M and 1500 M races this year from all of them.  Overall, a good year for the team, setting themselves up for even better things in the future.

The Lady Lions placed 26th as a team, with Brooklynne Ridder placing 82nd overall.  A solid year with a great young group, with great things coming in the upcoming years.

Steve Walsh's William and Mary crew placed 19th as a team in his first year as Coach.  Let's hope his golf game won't suffer following the move to Virginia.

Kate Curran's St. Lawrence Men's team placed third overall in the Div III Championships, with Steve Kiplagat's third place pacing them.  Her Women's squad placed 23rd also.  I'm surprised she ever had the time to fill out the Ten Questions I posed to her!

Steeplechasers Unite!

Arthur Lydiard watches Heather Carmichael (foreground) and "His Girls" bounding hills, circa 1978. Heather won the Peachtree Road Race soon after.


I hope to make next year's outing the Year of the Steeplechaser. So far my efforts have been fruitless, but I refuse to give up. I'm looking to get all the best steeplechasers together for next year's golf outing. Let's see if any of them can drain a twenty-footer! My best steeplechase was actually run during high school at a summer all-comers meet in Millersville PA. In attendance was future Penn Stater Heather Carmichael and her coach, Arthur Lydiard. He actually said "good race" afterward. If he had only known that after specific training for it in college, I could never equal that whim of a race! (I know, pitiful.)

Oh you people of little faith, I pity you. This video is not of me running a high school steeplechase. View this in order to know that you should wear spikes when running
a steeplechase. I can't believe no one viewed this yet!


Kid Fails At Steeplechase - Watch more free videos

A belated hello to Kyle Bernhardy, PSU Track alum of the 90's, now living in Costa Rica! One mystery is solved, but others remain. What is the state of Track and Field in Costa Rica? And what about golf in Central America? Let us know what's going on there. How hot is it? Welcome to the world of PSU Track Alumni Golf.

Another Day, Another Continent and More!

Today's horde of web-site hits included the African Continent and Cost Rica, (that's Central America, not another continent for us non-liberal arts graduates). World domination continues unabated.

The hit from Harare, Zimbabwe is probably from Munya Maraire, winner of 2007's best shot. Let's all hope that capitalism and democracy returns to his country soon. At last report, Munya was working with the youth of his country, promoting sports. As an aside, he went to high school in Alaska. Now that's getting around.

The hit from Costa Rica baffles me, but it must indicate South America will be succoming to the temptations of PSU Track Alumni Golf soon.