5-Time King Of The Sand

I missed any Penn State Track Alums at the Sea Isle City Beach Run this year, but elsewhere on the sands of the Garden State, others were working hard.

Michael Syrnick won his 5th 2-Mile Beach Run at the Dutch Hoffman Memorial Lifeguard Championships in Wildwood. 

Mike Syrnick, a 13-year Wildwood lifeguard, edged Upper Township’s Jake Davis by two seconds to win the beach run. It was Syrnick’s second straight win in the race and fifth of his career. He won three straight times from 2007 through 2009.

“As you get older, you think maybe you’ve lost a step or that you can’t keep up with the younger guys, so it’s nice that I’ve been able to win this the last two years,” said Syrnick, a former Penn State University distance runner.

Some Penn Relays Reception Photos I Stole From Al Gore's Intertubes

I was not able to attend the Penn Relays or the Reception last night as my daughter qualified for the Dallastown Invitational 1600.  So I had to watch her instead in a downpour.  I'm not complaining.  In fact, there wasn't anywhere else I would rather have been.  I'm proud of everything my daughters have achieved, even while being excellent students and even better human beings.  I'm blessed far beyond anything I deserve.  (Daughter the Elder didn't hit another PR, but the deluge had a lot to do with it.) Good luck to the Lions in Saturday's races. Watches and wheels. Watches and wheels.

Photo from Michael Gross.

Phil Passen, Larry Mangan and Ryan Foster.

Yeah, that's Phil Passen again! With Coach Groves in Penn Relays attire.

Gosh Phil, I must have stolen all of these from you! Michael Syrnick and Sam Masters.

I'll buy a drink to the guy that will name everyone here in the comments!

Penn Relays!

Michael Syrnick brings us this great Friday photo of the events at Penn.  Let's hope his boss doesn't find out he wasn't "cough, cough" sick at all!  The 13 lanes (counting the "inside" first four lanes, and the practice straights) look great, don't they?

PSU has had some good showings already, with a 2nd place from Anya Uzoh in the decathlon(over 7,000 pts. for the first time), and a third place from
Brittney Howell in the heptathlon on Wednesday.  Karlee McQuillen won the javelin (158'4") for the second year in a row and Jane Swenson won the shot put (52'6").  Several PSU relay quartets are in the mix for Championship of America Wheels.  Cheesesteaks, jerk chicken, poorly home-made t-shirts, 17th century bathroom facilities and no parking!  Penn Relays is the greatest.  Coach Groves is attending his 66th out of 67th straight Penn Relays.