Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

 

Alums are winning things all over the world!  Here's three recent first placers...

• Tyler McCandless won the Colfax Marathon in a new course record. He finished the race at elevation in Colorado in 2:21:07.
  
  
  
  
• Ron Moore won the Three Sisters Ultra in Tennessee, despite not knowing the runner he blew by at the finish was on the same lap as he was!  11 5K laps in 6:03:09.
• Joe Kovacs rebounded from a second place finish in Eugene to win the prestigious shot put title in the Czech Republic after a 36 hour travel nightmare.  He threw 72' 11"
  
  
  
  

Penn Staters In The Olympic Marathon Trials

Stephanie "Pezz" Pezzulo:  PSU Soccer and Track,    2:39:19    for   39th Place.

Tyler McCandless:        2:24:04     for 187th  87th Place.

Katie Rodden PSU 2015 299 2:54:05   Thank you John Evans!

Now Let's Rank The Penn State Mens Alumni Road Records *Updated*

There aren't as many events for the road records, so I will attempt to get them done without the Interns.  Again, we will use the IAAF Ranking Tables from the latest addition in 2017.

1.   10 Miles                  Greg Fredericks                 46:10*              1981     1139
      10 Miles                  George Malley                     47:02                1981      1091
2.   Half Marathon        George Malley                  1:01:43               1982     1122
3.   Marathon                 James Carney                   2:12:23              2012     1119 
3.   Marathon                 George Malley                   2:12:23              1985      1119
7.   20K                         George Malley                      58:35              1982      1112
9.   10K                         Tyler McCandless                29:27               2013      1006
       10K                         James Carney                     28:19                2009      1112
8.   15K                         James Carney                       43:31               2009      1101

5.   25K                         Tyler Mc Candless            1:15:24              2018     1088
6.   30K                         John Ziegler                      1:32:17              1980     1085 


10. 30K Race Walk       Steve Hayden                    1:32:06             1970       972
11. 50K Race Walk       Steve Hayden                    4:23:22              1972        943

*  Short Course Trevira Twosome

Additional:
        8K                          James Carney                   22:52                  2008       N/A
       12K                        Alan Scharsu                    34:54                  1985        N/A

Penn State Track Alumni Road Records

Here is the final listing from Matt Groves' research.  As with the Indoor and Outdoor Records, we are looking for any updates that are available!

                                                      *  Marathon         2:12:23         George Malley(77)      1981?

Half Marathons Are Everywhere Now

Back in the day, the horrible, horrible Reading Pagoda Half-Marathon was the only one I ever heard about.  It was a dreadful run, all uphill the first half and all downhill the second half.  I never really ran well there, but "Noisy" Jim Clelland did win the event one year in a very good 1:07 time.

Naples, FL was the scene of a half this past weekend that attracted a couple of Nittany Lion greats.

Tyler McCandless won the Mens race  and Stephanie Pezullo placed second for the Women.

The Windy City Makes It Difficult

Tyler McCandless placed 20th (7th American) at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.  The cool, windy and rainy day made it difficult for many runners. His 1:06:36 split led to a gritty second half fighting the weather conditions. Still, Tyler was within 2 minutes of his career best, and in a major Marathon.

2:16:37

Home Town Press Is Always The Best

With his recent 2nd place finish at the USATF Championships, Tyler McCandless awakened the reporters at the Allentown Morning Call.

Lehigh Valley Native has sights set on the 2020 Olympics.

Nearly A New Alumni Record In The Marathon!

Tyler McCandless placed second at the California International Marathon yesterday.  This was the USATF Marathon Championship.  His 3 minute PR 2:12:28 was just 5 seconds short of the Penn State Track and Field Alumni Record! (James Carney and George Malley, 2:12:23)

Tyler's race was remarkably evenly paced, actually a negative split, as he moved up in the standings from 10th at mid-race to his eventual second-place finish.  Congrats Dr. McCandless!

Thanksgiving Means Turkey Trots

My family again braved the cold and ran the York Turkey Trot with the other 5,000 hardy souls.  I again spun the treadmill for my 25 pitiful minutes.  But what the heck, I'll bet that beats most of the rest of you!

Here's a sampling of other Penn State Track Alum (Golfers) who burned calories before heading to the table...

Tori Gerlach.

Casimir Loxsom

Tyler McCandless

Bob Radzwich's 32nd Berwick in a row!

Brannon Kidder.

All 3 Fuller Bros. WITH ALUMNI SINGLETS (thanks to Jeff Sanden for this annual pic!)

A Long-Delayed Post

This was the longest stretch between posts on the blog with it all.  I have been very busy lately with a myriad of things and haven't had a vacation since January.  It's starting to take a toll...

But I did come across some PSU Track Alumni (Golfers) in action over the weekend in a couple of races.

Tyler McCandless placed 10th in the Pittsburgh 10-Miler with a PR over the distance of 47:56. Welcome back east, and I hope you didn't bring Winter with you!

Tyler McCandless.

And numerous alums braved the uphill/downhill Cooper Norcross Run The Bridge 10K in Philly.

• Emily Giannotti    15th
• Rick McGarry     39th
• Doreen McCoubrie   52nd

Doreen McCoubrie.

Rick McGarry.

Another Nittany Lion Victim Of A Wrong Direction Mishap

This time Tyler McCandless PhD was ushered in the wrong direction at the San Francisco Half-Marathon.  Both he and the second place runner followed the lead bike and missed an out-and-back 0.6 mile section of the race.  I'll let Tyler tell it from his Facebook Post:

In today's San Fran half, I took out the pace aggressively and had a considerable lead early on. I stayed focused on the lead bike ahead but noticed by mile 5 the splits were not adding up to the time in my watch. I ran strong to the finish, splitting between 4:51-5:15 every mile from 3-finish. After crossing the line in 1:02 I told the next official immediately that there's no way the course was a full 13.1 miles. I then turned to the lead cyclist and told him the same thing and we needed to talk to the race organizer immediately. Turns out, the lead cyclist missed taking me and the second place finisher on an out-and-back, cutting the course short by 0.6mi for the two of us. Both him and I were (rightfully) disqualified since we didn't run the full distance. Frustrating to not have the opportunity to achieve goals I had set out for the race, but every setback is the opportunity for a comeback...

I personally witnessed the Philadelphia debacle in 1983 when Bill Kvashay was steered in the wrong direction just before entering Franklin Field for the Marathon victory and 1984 Olympic Trials qualifier.

The most interesting part to me was how well both took their setbacks.  True Nittany Lion poise.

Brackets Going To The Dogs

The March Madness is ongoing.  Following the first round of action, several Track Alumni Golfers are near the top of the list.

• Mark Haywood       28/32
• Zeb Stewart             28/32
• Mark Hawkins        27/32
• Tyler McCandless   27/32

And there are several other dogs joining the first ever Jack Russell Terrier Challange.  Remember, these guys filled out their brackets without thumbs!  Cut them a break!

• Thomas Bernard Roth    (St. Bernard)   26/32
• Kierrun O'Brien    (mixed?)                     25/32
• Spott Moskowitz  (Jack Russell)             23/32
• Bo Quinn   (Jack Russell)                        21/32

It's Only Her 23rd In A Row

Today marks the 46th Annual Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Island Run.  I have been to the last 23 of them, having stopped running them several years ago.  But Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golfers) have played a big part in the festivities here, with both Tyler McCandless and Kyle Dawson winning it more than once!

It is a dreadful run mostly on the beach, subject to the vagaries of a changing tide, soft sand, vacationers, the holes they dig, jetties of varying heights, heat, humidity and a wind in your face in both directions.  Seriously might as well be a marathon.  Still, thousands find their way  to the narrow promenade at the start of the event every year, filling the coffers of the beach patrol for one heck of a closing season party, I presume!

Partner the Better will be lining up for her 23rd in a row.  The streak includes the time she was just 2 months past a brush with the Reaper and with a hemoglobin level of 7.  And I'm not making that up! Today's version may be the worst ever as the sand reclamation project has the sand as the softest ever, and the temperatures will be in the 90s with a heat index of over 100.

I'll try to find some other members of our group and may just run my daily 3 during the race.  Say hi if you see me there!

Here's an article written by a friend which includes mentions of other friends, all of whom are legends in Sea Isle.

Distance Running Legends...

Bill Kehner and The Great Bile, 1980.

All Kinds Of News

More awards for Stephen Shisler, as he wins the Pennsylvania Outdoor High School Coach of the Year Award from the USTFCCCA!

Coach of the Year!
And Here!

Dave Felice (center) with Steve Shisler and Nick K. (right)

And Tyler McCandless has thrown his cowboy hat into the ring and will be entering the New York City Marathon.  Good luck, Tyler.

 New York Marathon Field

Coach Groves continues to receive multitudes of visitors to his Juniper Village home.  Recently Track and Field aficionado Dan Curran (father of Coach Mary Kate Curran!) stopped by for more great track and field stories.

It Was A Hot Time In LA Yesterday

A warm weather marathon can be miserable.  And a first marathon is almost always a miserable experience. My very first came the day after the State HS XC meet and I was totally untrained and tired.  My great 20 mile run in 2:25 pace was spoiled by my 2:56 finish! 

Four Nittany Lions and a Group Friend ran the Olympic Trials Marathon  (and Women HERE) yesterday through the streets of Los Angeles. Four loops with sharp turns and a substantial number of first-timers in the race made this a unique race.

Both Tyler McCandless and Nick Hilton failed to finish in the heat and both were near the front more than half-way through.  Tyler went for broke and led for 6 or 7 miles and reported being chilled despite no longer sweating after 20 miles. At least 61 men dropped out!

Matt Fischer, in what I think was his first marathon, finished first for the Lion contingent in 2:25:34 in 43rd place.

Kyle Dawson, also in his first foray into the event, finished in 2:37:36 in 89th place.

The top Lion was Elizabeth Herndon who finished in 2:45:32 and in 40th place. She has earned another post-race beer!

The television coverage of the event was poor, the streaming options abysmal and the difficulty of getting full results from the USATF nearly impossible.  Still, any 4 from our group with a keg of beer could run things better and with more fairness. And with the continued antagonism (whether warranted or not) by 4th place finisher Kara Goucher to Nike Inc., maybe we haven't heard the last of this race.

"Breakthroughs don't happen without taking a risk. Today I took a risk but a breakthrough didn't happen. I dropped out at mile 20 when I felt I had chills but wasn't sweating anymore. The marathon is humbling, but the incredible support from friends and family is more humbling. Thank you all and I'll be back and striding towards new goals again soon."  -Tyler McCandless.

2016 US Olympic Marathon Trials

Three Four former Nittany Lions will be lacing em up tomorrow at the 2016 US Olympic Marathon Trials

Name              Affiliation     Status     Decalation

Kyle Dawson

qualified

declared

Matt Fischer

Boston Athletic Association

qualified

declared

Tyler McCandless Boulder Harriers qualified declared
Complete entry list .

The men's and woman's races will be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. If you are like me and want to watch multiple sports at once you can stream the event online via NBC Sports Live Extra (the Live Extra app required to watch on a mobile device).

Another great way to follow the entire Trials experience is to check in on the Tyler McCandless social media empire. Which should be in full force over the weekend.

Edit: Elizabeth Herndon is a declared entrant in the women's race. Competing for Cleveland Elite Development.

This Makes At Least Three In The Olympic Marathon Trials

In a jammed finish, Kyle Dawson finished his Half Marathon in 1:04:35 to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Trials.  Congrats Kyle!  Tyler McCandless will also be there.  Are there any others?

Kyle got in touch and points out that Matt Fischer will also be lacing up his racers for the Olympic Trials!

Kyle Dawson, in green.

As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly

 There were Turkey Trots everywhere yesterday.  Here are a few of them:

• Boalsburg Turkey Trot with Jayson Jackson in charge continues to grow. Not sure who else among our group may have participated.
• Berwick Run For The Diamonds:  We were at least represented by honorary member Dane Rauschenberg.

Dane Rauschenberg with Ed Whitlock.

•  Ashenfelter 8K Classic in Glen Ridge, NJ  The greatest of all Nittany Lions was there again this year.

Horace Ashenfelter III with Tom Fleming.

•  The Shirley Mae Taylor Turkey Trot in New Cumberland, PA  There were Fullers and the Fuller Harem and Jeff Sanden and daughter Carissa. 

  

  Jeff and Carissa Sanden, both age group winners.

  
  

•  The York YMCA Turkey Trot again had a huge crowd of more than 4,700 runners in downtown York.  Daughters the Younger and Elder were both beaten like a rented mule by their mother Barb Black!  ("But I wasn't really trying." was no excuse!)

• Tyler McCandless was second at his Turkey Trot in Dallas, TX. 

  

  Tyler MCandless, center.

Tyler's Response Is First Class

As I have said before, both athletes were ill served by the USATF organization.  Tyler will suffer from some detractors permanently over the incident, but I'm sure he will be able to handle it because I have seen how he handles other situations. 

As these types of incidents multiply, both members of the USATF and non-members must put the leadership's feet to the fire to improve the organization. Good luck to both athletes in the upcoming races.

Tyler McCandless Responds to Pan American Games Marathon Removal
BOULDER, CO (July 20, 2015) – In May 2015, Tyler McCandless was honored to be asked to join the Men’s Marathon team representing the USA at the Pan American Games in Toronto on July 25, 2015. USATF, the national governing body for running, nominated McCandless to the US Olympic Committee (USOC) that oversees the National team and on July 6 McCandless was included in USOC’s press release announcing the full team roster. After the official team announcement, Craig Leon stepped forward to state that he had a marathon performance which gave him preference over McCandless in the selection criteria and filed a grievance with the USOC against USATF. On July 10, USATF formally notified McCandless that they planned to resubmit their team nomination to USOC to remove McCandless from the team due to the oversight in their selection process. Having committed the late Spring and early Summer to training for the Games and rearranging his, and his family’s, schedules McCandless filed for arbitration to stay on the team.
After hearing arguments from all sides, the arbitrator characterized the situation as a disaster. In his decision, the arbitrator recognized USATF as “the sole cause of the extraordinary issues that gave rise to this dispute,” and instructed that USATF must pay for all of the arbitration costs. With the need for expedited action, the “interim operative decision” placed Leon on the team in place of McCandless, additional details will come with the documentation in the “fully reasoned award” which will be forthcoming.

McCandless elaborated on his feelings:
“It’s hard to describe how excited I was to believe I was to have the opportunity to represent the USA in international competition and to wear the USA singlet. Those reading my social media posts could see the excitement and I enjoyed the support and encouragement I received back from individuals and race organizations.”
“I never thought that accepting a nomination to the Pan Am Games would end in heartbreak. When selected to the Games, I deferred a full-time job offer by a month, pushed back my PhD dissertation defense by a month and dedicated nearly two months of intense training for the Pan Am Games Marathon – foregoing other racing opportunities as well. My mom even pushed back a necessary hip replacement surgery to see me compete in Toronto!”
“Beyond all that, I feel that my own NGB, USATF, misrepresented the truth in submissions to the arbitrator in what can only be characterized as a personal attack rather than an attempt for justice. Humiliated, heart-broken, and shattered are words to describe my feelings right now.
“Of course, I wish Craig Leon and all of Team USA the best at the Pan American Games and know that he and the team will wear the red, white and blue with pride. Although a career dream come true has now become a nightmare that I won’t be able to wake up from for some time, I will continue to dedicate myself to the sport I love.”

Tyler McCandless Bumped From The Pan-Am Team

We earlier reported that Craig Leon had been overlooked for inclusion on the team with his marathon time and lack of paperwork.  Another unforced error on the USATF 's behalf.  Quite honestly, a bunch of us and a keg of beer could do a better job...

Tyler McCandless was named as the second marathoner despite Leon's better time.  Tyler accepted the invitation and structured his training and life around it.  Now, through arbitration, he has been replaced.  And he also has accumulated a lot of haters who are unaware of the entire story.  Only lawyers will win in the end, as always...

Craig has scant time to get ready, and Tyler is left with the loss of the ability to wear the USA Singlet. When will our National Organization be worthy of our dues and respect?