Photo Caption Contest

What in the World is Jon Hendershot doing in this photo from the Penn Relays?  A secret agent supplied us with this photo, but even he doesn't know.  Give us your best shot in the comments.

The Barometric Pressure is Rising

Penn State has the finest School of Meteorology in the nation.  So I'm putting one of its graduates to the test this year for the forecast for the First Annual Penn State Track Alumni Reunion.  Since he couldn't make it due to the rigors of his current training, and possibly that he lives in Colorado now, Tyler McCandless has been made the Official Weather Prognosticator for our event.  He will get paid no matter how good or bad his predictions are, and that will be the same as the rest of the rabble we call our Idiot Officers.  (Pay Scale available upon request!)

So let's welcome him to our group, despite the fact that he'll be 2,000 miles away while we're thrashing about  in Happy Valley on the 19th of May.  Try not to put too much pressure on him.  I know another weather prognosticator who lashes out once yearly when asked to do the same task.  He even bit Bill Murray one time.  Bill Murray! We'll get his Official Forecast just before the Reunion weekend.

100's To Attend Reunion*

The largest crowd ever will travel to Happy Valley this year for the First Annual Penn State Track and Field Alumni Reunion.  A healthy portion of them will join me on the links at The Elks Club on Saturday at the 11th Annual Coach Groves Golf Tournament. The greenery and neighbors have already been forewarned.  Begging and bribes** probably can still get you involved even though you have missed the deadline.

 author's interpretation of the crowd expected.

 

Final preparations are being made even as the team prepares for the Big Ten Championships this weekend.  The Reunion and Tourney are being held during an off weekend prior to the start of the NCAA Championship season.  You'll get a chance to meet the coaches and athletes and see what your support of the Program brings. 

A final phone consultation among the knowledgeable organizers (and me!) will be held today at Noon, and I will bring you any important updates then.  My advice is to check your golf bags for stink bugs if you happen to golf as often as I do.  For some reason stink bugs love my bag. 

*  More than 100 anyway.  And that counts as 100's in my book.
** Merely asking and the normal fees will probably be enough. Get in touch with the Track Office.  As long as you don't bring up hotels or parking for the Penn Relays, they will probably listen.  No bribes or begging will be necessary. What are we, Eastern Europe?  The more the merrier.

Supermoon! B1G Championships!

Photo by Steve Rechtor.

Just because.  Let's see if anyone can predict the correct number of Nittany Lion B1G Champions at this weeks meet.  That includes both Men and Women.  Put your prediction in the comment section below.  The winner will receive a gift pack of notably worthless items and the satisfaction of knowing that others are jealous for no good reason.  My prediction is 8, and I'm sticking with it.  You can also put your approximate guess on the poll on the left sidebar.  It gives you some leeway.

Now with more Supermoon!  (Christ the Redeemer in Brazil and with a certain American Lady of French origin.)

Women's 3000M Steeplechase Videos: Bridget Franek's First 2012 Effort No. 1 in the World

Bridget Franek's 2012 Steeplechase Season got underway in Oregon yesterday at the Oregon Twilight Meet with a rather good 9:39.77 at Hayward Field, which will be the scene of the Olympic Trials.



And here's a BYU athlete who has a sense of humor way beyond what one would expect.  Not one, but 2 cameras caught her epic wipe-out AND her laugh at her own expense as she exits the pit.

Don't Forget the 1,000 Mile Relay

Four days of running should just about do it!  That is 10 guys alternating 5 miles at a time for 4 days!  And they have to average under 6 minutes/mile to beat the record they are after.

It's all to honor Kevin Dare on the 10th anniversary of his tragic accident.  The Kevin Dare Foundation will be the beneficiary of the attempt, as well as its inspiration.  The route will take the runners from the actual scene of the accident home to State College. Ryan Foster is the architect of the effort.

The runners are a who's who of recent PSU grads with a few notable additions.  PSU grad student and former Notre Dame great Luke Watson will join former Olympian Brian Sell and the PSU boys for a hundred miles in 4 days.

This will all occur on August 26th, so there is still time to donate to the cause.

Penn State Track: Before and After

By Before, of course, I mean High School.  Here's an article from Lancaster Ohio and recruit Brannon Kidder.  Which makes 3 milers to have come from that school over the years. Clark Haley followed John Zishka way back in the late 70's and early 80's. 

By After, of course, I mean Olympics.  Here's an article about Bridget Franek's pursuit of the dream.  I am one that would never bet against her.

This Year's Rules Straight From the Founder!

Final Preparations are underway, and the hard decisions have been made.  Thankfully, not by me, but by the Founder himself, Clark Haley.  Taking all factors into account, he made the tough call to continue last year's format of allowing the "extra" games and additions.  He really doesn't take this lightly and regrets that the tourney can't be a straight golf tourney. Let's all support him in this decision and have a grand ole time at this year's thrashing of the Elks Club Course!

Had a brief phone conversation last week with John Gondak (who also spoke on behalf of the NLC) about the golf outing and here's what we're planning to do this year (If you're on this distribution list and are not golfing please disregard) in hopes of optimizing donor contributions:  

 

     - Want to "buy" your team - $20 per head ($80 per team), if not the random draw

                     will continue to take place on Friday night (please contact John or myself

                     prior to arriving Friday night with your intentions so we can create balanced

                     teams (with A, B-D players).

 

     - Each team can buy four, "foot long" strings to be used on the green - cost will be

                     $10 per string

   

     - Each team can buy four Mulligans at $10 per Mulligan BUT the same player can not

                     use more than one Mulligan (they can be used anywhere on the course

                     and they are not team Mulligans - again, one per player)

    

     - Putting contest starts at 12:15 on the putting green - 3 putts, $10 (winner receives 

                     $100 gift certificate at the clubhouse - there will only be one winner, if more

                     than one person makes a putt, there will be a "putt-off" - if no one sinks it 

                     the Endowment fund wins...)

    

     - Chipping contest starts at 12:30 at the driving range - 3 chips, $10 (winner receives

                     $100 gift certificate at the clubhouse - there will only be one winner, if more

                     than one person chips in the beer bucket, there will be a "chip off" - if no

                     one chips it in the bucket, the Endowment fund wins - if it actually lands in

                     the bucket and bounces out, it will be considered good!

    

     - We will attempt a skins game (sorry Scats game to be correct, according to Black)

                     $40 per team, where if your team has the best score on a hole, you win a

                     scat (sp?-who really cares!).  At the end of the round after half of the pot is

                     donated to the fund, the remaining winnings will be divided by the number

                     of scats and distributed to the teams who actually won the scats. 

    

     -  "Buy up to the red tees" on hole number 5 - $40 per team

 

     - Skill awards (closest to the pin, Longest Drive, Longest Putt) will continue to be

                     given (at no additional charge!)

 

     - The "CUP" will live on, even with the asterisks....

YOU Can Be a Champion!

And be remembered for all time in the History of Penn State Track and Field.

And since your jumping, running and throwing abilities have deteriorated since that graduation day, the easiest way to do it is by getting your name engraved on the Coach Harry Groves Memorial Cup.  There's still 1 day to let the organizers know you are coming, so don't hesitate.

And here's some video of another group of Champions, the 2012 Penn Relays Sprint Medley Champions of America! 

Just How Good Are Doritos, (and Hence Taco Bell Doritos Tacos)

Doritos are so good that it would make a cat stick its head in a bag and then stand atop a 20 foot tall telephone pole. Don't worry, the cat gets away cleanly when the nice Fireman scares the begeebus out of him.  I'm assuming him as no female I know would stick their head in a bag of Doritos.  There are several males I know that have already done it.  Gone are the days of having 2 large bags of Doritos and a six-pack of Mountain Dew for dinner. (Not me....  a Friend, I swear.)

A Little Learning Never Hurt Anyone

I remember being in college after June 1 every year, but nowadays they barely make it into May.  So before everyone shuts their brain down for the Summer, here's a little tutorial on the soon-to-be-discovered Higg's Boson.  Despite it being a sub-atomic particle, its discovery will have a fundamental impact on the world we think we know.  You might as well know just a little bit about it.

And no one should forget the most important rule of The Coach Harry Groves Golf Tournament, so I'll repeat it again.

* Rule #13 -- Any disputes of the rules shall be judged by Coach Groves or a representative of the group appointed by Coach Groves. Those disputing the rules shall be belittled and impugned by the whole group and shall forfeit all rights and privileges bestowed by The Keeper of the Beer.

Assorted Goodness

First, let's just watch the finish of the Penn Relays 4 x 800 finish with Freshman Robbie Creese anchoring...

Watch more video of 2012 Penn Relays on flotrack.org



And last, let's celebrate the craziness that is Streaking with the Father of the Craze Ron Hill and Friend of the Group and native Philadelphian Michael Fanelli.  Michael will be running his 100,000th mile at this year's Philadelphia Marathon.