Olympians In Beaver Stadium

Penn State Track and Field Olympians were honored on the field during the White-Out Game with Michigan.  Included were two of my heroes, Greg Fredericks and Curt Stone.  Curt was actually the brains and muscle behind Penn State's emergence as a Cross Country powerhouse in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  He recruited nearly all the athletes who made up a couple of NCAA Championship teams.  He will soon be 97 years old!

Greg Fredericks on the Jumbotron.

Curt Stone, center.

There are Track Alumni Golfer platinum points in store for anyone who can fill in all the names in the second photo!

That was quick!    Greg Fredericks, Steve Hayden, Curt Stone, Connie Moore and Shana Cox with AD Sandy Barbour.

Penn State Track And Field Alumni (Golfers) In The Indoor Record Books

It is Indoor Season and all of us are looking forward to another great season from the Nittany Lions. There will be veterans hungry for top-flight performances and also some newcomers to challenge for attention.

But if we were to look back, we would find that there are plenty of Lions on the All-Time Indoor Record Books in many categories:

• World Records:  Casimir Loxsom  600M   1:14.91   2017.  (The 600M is not recognized as a sanctioned event by the IAAF, so this is a World Best.  The 600M is one of the most competed non-recognized events worldwide.)
• US Men:  Casimir Loxsom 600M on 2 different sized tracks  1:15.33 2105 and 1:14.91  2017.
• US Women  Shana Cox   500M   1:08.70   2010.
• Collegiate Men:   Isaiah Harris  600M  1:14.96   2017.
• Collegiate Men:  Brannon Kidder    1000M   2:18.26   2016.
• Collegiate Men:  Ryan Whiting   SP  71' 3.5"  2008. (Ryan was an Assistant Coach)
• Collegiate Women:  Penn State 4x200M   1:35.65  2014.
• US Junior Men:  Robby Creese    1000M  2:19.53  2012.

The Right Coast Had A Big Track Meet Too

With all the attention on Eugene and the NCAA Championships (PSU Men = 10th!) it was easy to forget the Diamond League Meet in NYC.

But PSU was there too!  A couple of the Big Men were represented in the Shot Put:

Joe Kovacs wins the Diamond League Shot Put at NYC.

1.	Joe KOVACS	USA	89	21.67  (71' 1.15")
2.	Jordan CLARKE	USA	90	21.34
3.	Tom WALSH	NZL	92	21.16
4.	O'Dayne RICHARDS	JAM	88	21.00
5.	Reese HOFFA	USA	77	20.85
6.	Ryan WHITING	USA	86	20.15  (66' 1.30")

And Bridget Franek had a Season Best Steeple also:

1.	Hiwot AYALEW	ETH	90	9:25.26
2.	Ashley HIGGINSON	USA	89	9:31.32
3.	Sviatlana KUDZELICH	BLR	87	9:31.70
4.	Genevieve LACAZE	AUS	89	9:35.17
5.	Geneviève LALONDE	CAN	91	9:35.69
6.	Bridget FRANEK	USA	87	9:36.88

And Shana Cox was 2nd in the 400M!

1.	DeeDee TROTTER	USA	82	51.96
2.	Shana COX	GBR	85	52.62

Challenge Accepted

I'm sure you are all aware of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that is sweeping the nation thanks to social media.If you are living under rock the following videos will bring you up to speed as Coach Gondak accepts the challenge from co-blogger Nick Scarpello. More to come if the folks Gondak has called out accept the challenge.

On an unrelated topic, Shana Cox has helped The United Kingdom follow up their bronze medal 4x400 at the Commonwealth Games with another bronze at the European Championships. Results here

Post by Nick Scarpello.

Post by Penn State Cross Country and Track and Field.

Update: Mark Parker was challenged by Kobe Bryant and accepted as well.

Nike President & CEO Mark Parker accepts @KobeBryant's #ALSIceBucketChallenge http://t.co/5gTI8fcM2Q pic.twitter.com/IvIfPMBYdD
— Heidi Burgett (@heidiburgett) August 18, 2014

British Commonwealth Games

"the empire on which the sun never sets" 

The British Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland weren't without PSU Track Alumni representation with Shana Cox and Fawn Dorr competing for England and Canada respectively.

Fawn bowed out in the first round of the 400 meters with a 55.33 for 4th in heat 1 while Shana advanced to the semi-finals where a 52.57 just missed the final.

Both came back to help there nations advance to the finals of the 4x400 where Shana claimed a bronze medal with team England and the Fawn led Canadians came in 5th. We all love to say that PSU is 800U but how does Quarter Mile Commonwealth sound?

If I missed any other alums who competed for a former or current Commonwealth nation, please let me know in the comments.

Full Results 

Was hoping we might get a shot of them with Prince Harry.

Let's Get Caught Up

So USATF wasn't the only national governing body to hold its national championships recently. The British Athletic Association Championship featured Shana Cox placing second place most likely earning a spot at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Shana ran 52.62 to win her qualifying heat and 52.51 for second in the final. Full results can be found here.

Speaking of the Commonwealth Games, this from the always entering Instagram of Fawn Dorr. Team Canada certainly gives out a lot of swag.



One last thing. Independence Day is a time honored summer tradition in this country and tomorrows Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA is a great part of that tradition. Tyler McCandless and Kara Foster are entered in the elite fields. So keep an eye for results and lots of peaches.

American Track League Comes to H-Town

The American Track League made a stop in Houston, TX over the weekend with Shana Cox taking 3rd place in the 400 meter dash. Clocking time of 52.19.

The meet was held at Rice University and I am sure the traveling track circuits house band, the Velveteen Playboys (featuring Paul Souza), rocked yet another town.

Full Results

IAAF World Relays

Fawn Dorr and Shana Cox will be competing this weekend at the 1st IAAF World Relay Championships in Nassau, Bahamas. Fawn (Canada) and Shana (Great Britain) are both on there respective nations 4x400 meter relays.

The event will be broadcast live on TV and online by Universal Sports from 6:30-9:00 PM Saturday and Sunday.

Note: Your cable provider must subscribe to Universal Sports to view it online. Mine doesn't (Thanks Comcast)

Full Entries Here

Track and Field is Starting to Heat Up Mid-Season

The season has hit the mid-way mark with a bang in the Penn State World.  And not on just one front.

• The American Track League started in Bloomington yesterday with Penn State well represented.  That's the limited Track and Field Meet punctuated with the music of the Velveteen Playboys with front-man Paul Souza. There were 2 season world-leading performances even despite there being only 10 events. (18 feet, 8 ¾ inches in the pole vault by Mark Hollis and 8 minutes, 33.89 seconds in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by De' Sean Turner.)
• Fawn Dorr was 6th in the 400 M hurdles with 1:00.32.
• Shana Cox was 7th in the 400 M in 54.44.

There also happened to be a NCAA leading performance by a Nittany Lion at the Kehoe Twilight Track and Field Meet at Maryland by Kiah Seymour! With some other strong performances:

• Kiah Seymour won the 400 M hurdles in 55.88, tops in the NCAA this year.
• Darrell Hill continues to crush the Shot Put with a PR 64' 5 1/4", which is #3 all-time for PSU! 
• A sweep of the 400 M! (Brandon Bennett-Gree, Alex Shisler, Bernard Bennett Green and Aaron Nodolsky).
• Dual Javelin victories from Michael Shuey and Laura Loht.

And the 800M/1500M stars will be lacing up their spikes at the prestigious Payton Jordan Invite at Stanford on Sunday.

A Quality World Championships for PSU Track Alumni (Golfers)* and a Brief Lesson in Physics.

*The golf is always optional, but highly recommended.

Three PSU Track Alumni ventured to the rainbow-averse Moscow IAAF World Championships, coming away with a Silver Medal, a Bronze Medal and an appearance in the Semi-Finals.  Not a bad performance overall.

• Ryan Whiting (USA) - Shot Put
• Shana Cox (Great Britain) - 4x400 Relay
• Aleesha Barber (Trinidad) - 100M Hurdles               

Shana Cox, Great Britain.  Photo from IAAF.

And here is a brief video that will teach you more about Physics than all of high school ever did!

BBC Science Club - Physics from Asa Lucander on Vimeo.

PSU's Top Olympic Finish 2012

I think a 5th place finish at the Olympics deserves a little break from the usual training diet, and I'm always up for a McDonalds repast.  Two sodas also gets around any new laws the British may have copied after Mayor Bloomberg in NYC against anything above 16 ounces.

Congrats to Shana Cox on her fifth place finish in the 4 x 400 Relay for the home country!  Her lead-off split in the Finals was 52.8, with a clean hand-off.  It was one of the only events I actually watched live. 

I hope to get answers to 10 Questions from all the PSU-affiliated athletes at the Games.

PSU Olympic Results

Dominique Blake is still in Jamaica's pool for the 4 x 400 M Relay, but the other PSU-affiliated athletes are done with their individual competitions.

1. Kirsten Niewendam from Suriname (PSU Sophomore) was 8th in her heat of the 200 M with a 24.07.
2. Ryan Whiting was 9th in the Finals of the Shot Put with a 20.64.
3. Shana Cox of Great Britain qualified for the semi-final round of the 400M with a 52.01.  She finished 7th in the semi-finals with a 52.58. She remains in the Relay Pool.
4. Bridget Franek became the first PSU woman to qualify for an Olympic Final with a 9:29.86 in the opening round.  She placed 14th in the world with a 9:45.51 in the finals.

A More Refined Olympic/PSU Schedule!*

Times are East Coast USA times.

8/3 Friday  5:00:00 AM M Shot Put Qualification  Ryan Whiting (USA)

8/3 Friday  7:00:00 AM W 400 Metres Heats Shana Cox (Great Britain)

8/3 Friday  3:30:00 PM M Shot Put Final

8/4 Saturday  6:35:00 AM W 3000 Metres Steeplechase Heats Bridget Franek USA)

8/4 Saturday  3:05:00 PM W 400 Metres Semi-Final

8/5 Sunday  4:10:00 PM W 400 Metres Final

8/6 Monday  2:20:00 PM W 200 Metres Heats Kirsten Niewendam (Suriname)

8/6 Monday  4:05:00 PM W 3000 Metres Steeplechase Final

8/7 Tuesday  3:25:00 PM W 200 Metres Semi-Final

8/8 Wednesday  4:00:00 PM W 200 Metres Final

8/10 Friday  2:10:00 PM W 4x400 Metres Relay Heats Dominique Blake (Jamaica), Shana Cox (Great Britain)

8/11 Saturday  3:25:00 PM W 4x400 Metres Relay Final

*A service of the voluminous fact-checkers at your favorite Track and Field/Physics Blog!

Schedule of PSU Olympian's First Appearance at the Games

Olympic Games Friday, August 3   Prelims and Finals for Ryan Whiting in the Shot Put. Prelims in the 200M for Kirsten Niewendam (Suriname) in the 200 M.  Prelims in the 400 M for Shana Cox, (Great Britain).
Qualifying rounds from Day 1 of Track & Field.
10:00am - 10:30am on NBC

More qualifying rounds from Day 1 of Track & Field.
11:30am - 12:00pm on NBC

A gold medal is on the line in the women's 10,000m final.
4:30pm - 5:00pm on NBC

Olympic Games Saturday, August 4  Prelims for Bridget Franek in the 3000 M SC.
Qualifying-round action in Track & Field includes the men's 100m and 400m and women's pole vault.
11:15am - 11:45am on NBC

More qualifying-round action in Track & Field.
1:30pm - 2:00pm on NBC

Olympic Games Tuesday, August 7   Heats for 4 x 400 M Relay for  Dominique Blake (Jamaica) and Shana Cox (Great Britain)
Qualifying round in Track & Field, including the men's 110m hurdles and 200m, and the women's 5000m.
10:00am - 10:30am on NBC

More qualifying round in Track & Field, including the men's 110m hurdles and 200m, and the women's 5000m.
11:45am - 12:00pm on NBC

More qualifying rounds in Track & Field, including the men's 110m hurdles and 200m, and the women's 5000m.
12:30pm - 1:00pm on NBC

PSU Alums at Penn Relays

There were many Alums competing at the Penn Relays, and also in the stands.  Soon we will outnumber the Jamaicans!

Blake Eaton won the Olympic Development Shot Put, Allen Pettner won the Olympic Development Javelin, Matt Lincoln was fourth for Canada in the USA vs. the World Distance Medlay and Shana Cox was fourth in the USA vs. the World 4 x 400 for Great Britain.

The Fullers were there (they seem to be everywhere!) both in the stands and on the track.  Also spotted on the track was Sam Borchers.  Our Chief Morale Officer (and doing a fine job BTW!) Larry Mangan was hanging out in the Jamaican section for the Saturday events, as was past winner of The Best Shot Kelley O'Brien.  Both sent me reports of the thrilling events via today's internetty thingie.  Thanks.

Here's a few of the alums out on the town in my beloved Philadelphia.  I used to own those streets myself.  I know, kinda hard to believe!

That's Christian Eck, Will Nowicki, Scott Sherwood, Dennis Pollow, Brian Fuller, John Maloney, Ryan Foster, Chris Ferry and Tim Johnson burning the town down.

Another World Champion!

Shana Cox, on the right, celebrates with her 4 x 400 teammates from Great Britain.

Their 3:28.76 time led the World at the IAAF Indoor Championships yesterday.

Congratulations Shana!

Shana Cox 5th With PB

Shana Cox placed 5th in the World Indoor Track Championships in Istanbul earlier today with a lifetime best of 52.13.  Her reaction time was an unbelievable .187!  Congrats to another Nittany Lion at the top of her game, although running for Great Britain now.

World Indoor and NCAA Indoor Championships Begin

Long Island's and Penn State's Shana Cox, running for Great Britain now placed first in her preliminary heat of the 400 M in Istanbul, Turkey in 53.24. Addendum: Shana won her semi-final to make the finals!

Dominique Blake of Jamaica, via Happy Valley, also moved on in the 400 with a second place 53.39.Addendum:  Her 53.00 semi-final 3rd place wasn't enough to make the finals.

Ryan Whiting, ASU's favorite son and Honorary PSU Track Alum, also advanced in the Shot Put with a heave of 20.37 M (66 feet 9 inches)  Addendum:  World Champion!!!

Tasmania's first ever sub-4 miler and Penn State Track Alumni Apparel Facilitator Ryan Foster failed to advance in the 1500 M opening round in 3:46.26.

NCAA starts tonight in Boise, Idaho.  Yeah, Idaho, the Indoor Track go-to location.

Nittany Lions in the "Post-Season"

NCAA Indoor Championships, Boise, Idaho.

1. Robbie Creese -  Mile
2. Casimir Loxsom - 800 M
3. Mens 4 x 400 M  (Aaron Nodolsky, Brannon Bennett-Green, Casimir Loxsom, Brady Gehret)*
4. Evonne Britton - 60 M Hurdles

IAAF World Indoor Championships, Istanbul, Turkey.

1. Ryan Whiting** - Shot Put
2. Ryan Foster (Australia) - 1500 M
3. Dominique Blake (Jamaica)  - 400 M (?)
4. Aleesha Barber (Trinidad-Tobago) - 60 M Hurdles
5. Shana Cox (Great Britain) - 400 M

* The four who set the qualifying mark.
** Honorary PSU Track Alumni Golfer and Volunteer Assistant Coach

Here's Joe Kovacs at the USATF Indoor Championships with a PR and almost qualifying for IAAF.

PSU Track Alums in the News

1.  Shana Cox scored 10 pts. in her debut for Great Britain in the European Team Championships.

2.  Bridget Franek achieved the "A" standard in the recent NYC Diamond League meet with her 9:38.92 steeplechase.  She will be in action this week at the USATF Championships.

3.   Sam Borchers bettered his PR in the 800 at the NJ International Meet this weekend with a sterling 1:46.85, and also will be in action at the USATF Champs.

4.  Ryan Foster was also in action at the NJ Meet and won the Eamonn Coghlan 1500 with a season best 3:42.71.

5.  Rebecca Donahue had a nice little article in the CDT about her running and coaching.  Her State College Girls Team won the PIAA title.

6.  Tyler McCandless set his Marathon PR at Grandma's Marathon with his 2:17:09 for 11th place.  Sorry about missing this at first.  Blog fact-checkers have been heavily fined!