A Major Award

 Like a leg lamp, the Numbnutz Triathlon Trophy leaves one a little underwhelmed.  The head was repaired with Gorilla Glue 3 years ago, and somehow the golf club has been lost.  But it is still the third most coveted prize at our Reunion Weekend.

Todd Leggett took home the prize by winning the overall title, presented by Clark Haley.

 

And, oh by the way, Clark was finally awarded the Rusty Boot, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a Penn State Track Alumni Golfer.  In a juvenile display of Ivy League proportions someone purloined the bronzed javelin boot from my car while we dined on coffee and donuts at the Triathlon site.

Putting On The Alumni Reunion And Golf Tourney Is Hard Work

Some of you may not know how much work that Clark Haley and Harry Smith put in nearly all year in preparation for our annual get-togethers.  For nineteen years, Clark has handled chores beyond what you would expect, and Harry came on board maybe 15 years ago to take some strain off the Group's Founder.  Many people contribute, and all contributions are very much appreciated.

I do very little work on these things, as my job is to "herd the cats" toward the event with my ramblings on this blog, which has met with some success in its 11 years.  My hope is that this trend continues.  Any help you offer is quite welcome.

Todd Leggett, Greg Fredericks and John Ziegler watch Harry Smith labor to inflate a cactus for the Alumni Triathlon. Photo by Ken Brinker.

The First Annual Alumni Triathlon consisted of:

• The Cactus Throw
• The Frisbee Discus Throw
• and The Golf Ball Roll

Clark Haley won both the Frisbee Throw and the Golf Ball Roll to take the Crown. John "Ziggy" Ziegler won the Cactus Throw.

The Triathlon Trophy prior to Friday night surgery.

Restored trophy.

Odie the Shih Tzu on his first trip to Penn State.

A Decent Weekend

I traveled to suburban Philly on Friday for a 12 Hour stint in the JTP.  Twelve hours in Jenkintown and 3 trips to the best convenience store experience in the nation, WaWa!

I was there to visit another Penn State Branch Campus, Penn State Abington.  Which happens to be undergoing a Renaissance in Cross Country under head coach Jim McClernand.  Jim happens to be a friend of Hugh Hamill since their 3rd grade year in the Suburban Philly environs.  They ran for the powerhouse Father Judge teams in a time before they invented color photos!  hee hee hee

Coach Jim McClernand with Daughter the Younger.

PSU Abington XC, 2nd at the Immaculata Invitational.

And in other Track Alumni News, Coach Ryan Foster backed up his victory in the Kilted Mile with a victory for the Edinboro Fighting Scots in the Womens PSAC Championships over Shippensburg.  The Mens team perfomed well, finishing second.

Ryan Foster, right and Kara Foster, 2nd from left.

And in that other weekend event, everyone needs to thank me for not watching at all, as that ensured the great performance.  I think it is now 11 times in a row that my watching or not watching correlated directly with the performance of the team.  I will be taking donations to ensure I don't watch the next one in Columbus.  Any takers?

An effective use of the Alumni T-Shirt by Bob Hudson.  With Hanna Humphreys, Vivian Riddick and Todd Leggett.

Let's All Finish Coach Groves' Scholarship

We are close enough to get it finished before Coach Groves' next birthday in April and certainly before the next Track Alumni Reunion and Coach Groves Golf Tournament!

Co-Administrator Larry Mangan has spearheaded the effort to find donors willing to match every donation made by the rest of us and complete the funding of a full tuition scholarship for an athlete in the Program.

So that means each of us must step up to make it happen.  Every single donation you make will be matched by 13 special members of our group up to a level of $2500.  We must not let this opportunity slip by.  Please consider adding to the effort, share this post and spread the word to everyone you know in our Universe.  It will make our next get-together a real hootenanny and bring a smile to Coach Groves' face!

Our Premier Benefactors: 

• Joe DeStefano  (1971)
• Carol and Steve Gentry  (1969)
• Hugh and Yunhee Hamill  (1976)
• Chris Herr  (1985)
• Doug Kent  (1980)
• Todd Leggett  (1984)
• Larry Mangan  (1981)
• Todd Shenk  (1984)
• Rod Stahl  (1991)
• Bob Radzwich  (1992)
• Tom Shiffer  (1987) 
• Doug Walter  (1990)
• Don and Lynn Ziter  (1981)

September 5, 2017

Dear Fellow Track & Field/Cross Country Alumni:

We hope you had an enjoyable summer and are getting ready for the upcoming 2017-2018 Penn State Cross Country and Track & Field seasons. The women’s and men’s programs are perennial B1G favorites, fueled by spectacular individual accomplishments and a great coaching staff. Based on the turn out for the 2017 Big Ten Championships in May, the alumni are really energized and engaged.

The alumni listed below, from a variety of decades in Penn State history and a mix of walk-ons and scholarship athletes, are hoping to capture that energy by taking the lead and asking you to join them to meet a challenge! Coach Harry Groves’ scholarship fund needs approximately $55,000 in donations to exceed the $300,000 necessary to partially endow the position scholarship, which would provide $15,000 in annual tuition support to a student athlete.

The challenge is this – we have pledged to support Coach Groves’ scholarship in the amount of $30,500 to match alumni contributions of that amount (hopefully more)! We ask you to donate what you can in support of our goal to get Coach’s scholarship over the $300,000 hurdle! We are in the homestretch, can you help to get us over the finish line?

Coach will turn 88 in April 2018 and we would love to present him with an early birthday present, and add to his great legacy, before the end of this year. We know from Greg Fredericks that Coach is excited about this effort. Please join us in meeting this very important goal. Thank you and We are…..Penn State!

Please send donations made payable to: Penn State University, noting the Harry Groves Track/XC Scholarship (GIXGH) in the memo portion of your check, at 147 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA 16802. If you have any questions, please call Kirk Diehl of the Varsity S Club at 814-867-2202.

If you would like to give online, you may do so at: https://secure.ddar.psu.edu/s/1218/nlclub/nlclub.aspx?sid=1218&gid=1&pgid=826&cid=3234&dids=633&bledit=1 and then type in GIXGH in the fund area below the amount you select.
Thank you.

Joe DeStefano (’71) Carol & Steve Gentry (’69) Hugh & Yunhee Hamill (‘76) Chris Herr (’85)
Doug Kent (’80) Todd Leggett (’84) Larry Mangan (’81) Todd Shenk (’84)
Rod Stahl (’91) Bob Radzwich (’92) Tom Shiffer (’87) Doug Walter (’90)
Don & Lynn Ziter (’81)

More "Foursomes" From The Golf Tourney

There were 7 foursomes in the recent Coach Groves Golf Tournament vying for a spot on The Cup.

4th Place: Katie Barrett, Mark Fuller '13, Mark Althouse.'81

Katie Barrett was the winner of the Golden Putter with her 17 foot putt on the 18th green, just edging out my 12 foot effort!

2nd: Charlie Hull '69, Steve Brown '90, Steve Brown Jr., Tom Brown.

3rd: Mike McClelland '16, Harry Smith '84, Brian Leap '16.

7th: Mary Dell, Kevin Fuller '10, Todd Leggett '84, Tom Shiffer '87.

5th: Me, Steve Balkey '88, Mike McCahill '83, John Ziegler '80.

1st: Bill Malchano 85, Doug Kent '80, Ken Brinker '69.

 In addition to winning his second tourney, Doug Kent also won the Longest Drive and the Closest to the Pin on Hole #2 (4 foot, 1 inch)!

And how did we miss a photo of:  6th: Clark Haley '85, Brian Fuller '09, Emily Dubs and John McGraw '05???   Do any of you have a photo of this foursome?

Alumni Singlets Will Be At The Penn Relays!

The not-so-old quartet of  Todd Kletter, Jake Bartholomy, Ken Cooper and Ron Caldwell will be sporting our one-of-a-kind, distinctive singlets on Saturday at the Penn Relays.  They will test out the new lay-out and fresh Rekortan surface in the 4 x 400 (Masters?) Division.  Plenty of Alums will be there to cheer them on.

New position of steeple pit.

The best singlet on the market.

More Pics of Yore With Some Additional Down Under Content: The Only Fool Here Is Me!

Photos by Greg Reyner.

That's Track Alumni Golfer Todd Leggett tossing the javelin, but we need help identifying the three steeplechasers.  (Some time between '82 to '86.)  Mere moments after posting, the answer was given by Bob Hudson!  (Steeplers - Vinny Accardi, Rick Clellan, Nick K)  My readers are the best.

I have received a few submissions concerning the recent post about recruiting in Australia.  It isn't bad enough that so many swimming and crawling/running creatures can kill you in Australia, but now the plants are getting in on the action!

Australia's Plant of Pain

But let's leave on a happier note.  Here's a cat with an accurate map of Australia on its nose.  I am assured that this isn't a joke.  Tasmania must be on her tongue.

멀리서 친구 (Friends From Afar)

They both are from near Philadelphia, and both are Penn State Track Alumni Golfers.  But the first time they met, they were in South Korea!  It would be much easier for the rest of us to actually meet back in State College for the 14th Annual Coach Groves Golf Tournament and Track Alumni Reunion in May.

Hugh Hamill and Todd Leggett meet for the first time in South Korea!

Alumni in the News! (Well, my news anyway...)

Back on the track!

Bridget Franek has returned to the track.  It's almost like she never left, as she won last weekend's Portland Classic 3K Steeplechase.  This comes after graduating from MBA school at Oregon.  Yeah, she's sorta kinda a Nittany Duck! Congrats Bridget.

Paul Ryan becomes a Velveteen Playboy fan!

Paul Souza sure does get around.  And although I don't know Paul's politics, I'll bet they don't completely align with Mr. Ryan.  This also gives me an opportunity to espouse a piece of mine.  We should all relish that we can live in a Country that has at least 2 opposing political heritages.  When I look around the world and try to find places that have only 1, I am amazed to realize that there isn't a single one of those places I would choose to emigrate to. The best example is, of course, North Korea.

Which reminds me....  Former javelin heaver Todd Leggett is now spending 2 weeks every month in the area just south of that blank spot in the center of the map above.  He is doing business there in a big way.  And he has a few thoughts about South Korea:

So I am in South Korea for two weeks every month !!! I have had a great experience so far and learned so much in a short period of time!!
1. No bars carry Makers!! I found one.....
2. The people here are very awesome, hard working, helpful and super nice to dumb foreigners.
3. Traffic sucks
4. Skype sucks here but is a must
5. Sling box really works....
And is a must for traveling
6. Jet lag is real...
7. The subways and airports are very efficient in Seoul
8. You must Learn to drink soju
9. Coffee is a drug here
10. Too many people smoke in Seoul

My best to everyone back in the States!!!
Todd

It's Raining Updates!

1. Congrats to Laura Loht, the Number 5 best Javelin Thrower in America!  With a PR toss of 177' 8" at the USATF Championships yesterday.  Lauren Kenney came in 13th.
2. From our Morale Officer, PSU Track Alumni Golfer and William and Mary Coach Stephen Walsh's Freshman 5000 M runner won the Junior Championship to make the team for the World Championships.  Emily Stites ran 16:13.77.
3. From Javelin standout and PSU Track Alumni Golfer Todd Leggett, retired PSU Professor and 93 year-old runner George Etzwiler conquered the Mt. Washington "One Hill"  7.6 mile race. I have made him an honorary member of our group with unanimous consent of all the Idiot Officers.
4. Casimir Loxsom (1:49.17) and Brannon Kidder (1:46.87) both qualified for the semi-finals of the 800 M at the USATF Championships.  Robbie Creese found himself in a jog and sprint preliminary of the 1500 M and failed to advance. 
5. Mike Pfaff will be filming a starring role in a film set in Beantown soon.  He will play a hitman with a change of heart who finds himself on the other end of a contract.  Costars will be Lenny Clarke, Adoni Maropis and Robert Wahlberg.  Hit his IMDb link to boost his Hollywood Rating!

Mike Pfaff's IMDb Link

Some People Have a Better View From Their Office Window Than I Do

Since my view is of nothing!  I have my office on the bottom floor of a Medical Complex and don't have a window to the outside.  Seasonal Affective Disorder may account for many of my problems.  But not ex-Javelin tosser Todd Leggett.  Not by a long-shot...

The view from Todd's Office Window.  Lucky bas...

Send me a photo of a good view from your workplace, especially if you can top his photo.  And I'll try another Quiz on the left sidebar, but they haven't been working well lately.  Have you ever been to the top of the Empire State Building?

Foursome #4

Coach Fritz Spence braved the soggy conditions of the Elks Club Course with teammates Todd Leggett, Beth Shisler and one-armed Gary Black.  The four of them had some ups and some downs during the round, but the near-miss hole-in-one on Number 9 by Beth Shisler topped the day.  Statistically, the 40 of us yearly golfers have about a 1:80 chance for a hole-in-one during a round.  In other words, with the ten years we've put in, we are due for one in the next 70 years!  And remember, a rank amateur has about the same odds as a seasoned professional for a hole-in-one.  We got that going for us.

When Men Were Men and Beaver was a Field

Some digital goodness from William Gellman, a past roommate of Todd Leggett.  These are from photos of his grandfather Lamartine Hood, a PSU Trackster from 1923-1924.  I believe these show the track at Beaver Field which used to be roughly where the Nittany Lion Inn is now.

Big Men Wanted

Mike Valenti has sent us some great pics from "earlier than dirt" (notice the Astroturf in place of actual earth! The only place where Astroturf still exists is Washington DC.) These He-Men are being recruited to provide security for the upcoming Reunion and Golf Tourney. Todd Shenk, Todd Leggett and Mike Valenti strike a pose in audition to join Hammer (Mark Heckel) as the Presidential Unit for Security and Protection of the Idiot Officers.

I'll try and post more pics from the Reagan Era soon. And what's worse, is that I predate this!

Finally, Penn State Track at the World Series!!

Todd Leggett comes through for us at the World Series! Here is his very new Glow-In-The-Dark Wrist Band (that's gluuvenwristenbanden in German, I think). This officially enters him in the wrist bands around the world contest. First prize is the golden golf ball which was on display at the recent Alumni Outreach Dinner. You have one more chance to see it in Suburban Philly on Nov. 21.

Keep those photos coming.

$10,000

It's for real guys (and girls). The 18th hole will pay $10,000 for a hole-in-one from any of us Track alumni hackers. The rules aren't too strict, but we'll make sure to follow them thoroughly. Former Olympian, All-American and American Record Holder Greg Fredericks will serve as our monitor for the hole as well as our Course Marshall. Todd Leggett has signed up, so the Queensbury Rules may be out for everyone except Coach Groves. (Welcome back Todd!) We needed another "A" for sure.

Addendum: Dog photos continue to come in, but make sure to give me names! Cats have sneaked in also, but I'm not sure we need to make it a trend. My 4 seem to disagree with me on this point, however. Oliver, an 18 lb. declawed feline, has snagged a rabbit both of the last 2 nights! I don't know how he does it. I'll decide later about other cats. The more dogs the merrier!

The Rules of PSU Track Alumni Golf!

Some skeptical alumni teammates have expressed an ignorance of what we are trying to do with our hopefully soon-to-be larger group. These otherwise stellar college graduates wonder what golf has to do with anything else in their lives. Why golf? Why in May 2009?

The truth is, golf has very little to do with this whole thing. We are trying to reconnect with fellow teammates and meet new friends who share a strong bond with PSU Track and especially with Coach Harry Groves. As I've said before, he is the only thing we all have in common. We should celebrate that at least once yearly, especially when he participates with us. He has expressed his pleasure with the event and even chipped and putted superbly this past year. We want him to continue this, year after year. Clark Haley should be commended for his founding efforts, although he should be shunned for his bad breath and overall sloppy appearance.

Even if you have never golfed before, hate golf, or are afraid of golf, I guarantee you will have a wonderful time at the event. We are keeping costs down, and hotel rooms are even at a great rate because we come back year after year and The Hampton Inn loves our group. A special emphasis is being made this year to promote bringing families with you, as this will eliminate one more obstacle to enlarging the group.

So to alleviate the fears of golf on some who have not come to the event, let me go over the rules of our little golf outing, The Harry Groves Memorial Golf Tournament:

1. Four-Man Best Ball Format- that means everybody hits one and the group always picks the best of the four shots. You are never put under any pressure. You can only happily surprise the good golfers when you hit a lucky one, and you will. It's always winter in State College, so fluff that lie as much as you want!

2. All groups are assigned one of the better golfers in the group, and there are many good golfers among us. (Ha, Ha) No one is hung out to dry. Family members are welcomed also (Doug Scharsu has his name on The Cup). Wives are encouraged to golf also (Beth Shisler is odds-on favorite to win The Longest Drive every year). My 36 Handicap sometimes places me in the "C" golfers slot!

3. If you don't want to hit long shots or can't, the other three guys will rotate an extra shot every stroke throughout the round. (IN DISPUTE! by Clark and Leggett) (The good golfers actually love you for this!) If you only want to putt, that's OK too (IN DISPUTE! by Clark and Leggett)(and everyone can putt, just watch my excellent videos!). If you only want to ride around in a golf cart, that's OK too. Greg Fredericks was our Course Marshall last year and I'll bet he will chip and putt next year, after seeing all of us in action. Munya Maraire golfed in 2007 without ever having held a club before. He actually contributed to my foursome and several of his putts were counted.

4. Disputes are handled by Coach Groves citing The Queensbury Rules, the original rules for boxing in England. This led to only the third eagle of the Tourney last year, but that's another story. Needless to say, nothing is taken too seriously (IN DISPUTE! by Clark and Leggett) and we have had a tremendous time 7 year's straight. (NO DISPUTE! from anyone)

5. Prizes are given out for many things, and almost everybody wins something. The Shisler's have generously hosted a Cook-Out every year at their home in Stormstown, somewhere north of Julian Pike, near the Arctic Circle. It's a blessing that The Bypass now is complete to help us get there. Global warming has decreased the snow cover in the area and Polar Bear attacks are now very rare.

6. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Tournament Day and dinner on the Friday night prior to the Tourney are already covered. If you stay at The Hampton Inn, breakfast is covered on Sunday too. This last year I noticed later that I hadn't spent any cash while I was in State College for 2 1/2 days! Beer, soda and water of numerous varieties is available all weekend. Clark owns 34 separate coolers and his trunk is loaded at all times, as is he. Due to our advancing age, the original Pub Crawl is now only lightly attended, but nothing's stopping any of you from rekindling the flame.

Come next year, and bring a friend.