Big Ten Network to Feature Womens Team Victory On 25-Hours of Penn State Celebration

The second of Penn State's Womens Team Indoor Track and Field victories in the B1G conference championships will air on Wednesday June 20th at 10:30AM during the network's 25 hours of Penn State Coverage.

Addendum:  Paul Souza and the Velveteen Playboys will be appearing at the Olympic Trials on  June 29th following the day's events.  Don't forget, he's coming to the main band-stand at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts on Friday evening July 13th!

Thoughts Turn to the Olympic Trials

There are a number of current and former PSU athletes slated to compete at the USATF Olympic Trials starting tomorrow.  Rather than try to go through the list and royally screw things up as always, I'll try to keep up day-by-day.  I'll still screw it up, but what the Heck.

First up may be Hammer Thrower Melissa Kurzdorfer, still listed as Provisional in a field of only 14 Declared athletes.
Addendum: Alas, Melissa was not accepted to the Trials.

The Trials follow the same schedule as the Olympic Games, so they are stretched out quite a bit, so we'll have a little to talk about each day.  Drop me a line if there is something I missed, and if you are there, send me photos, videos, thoughts, stories or general taunting that I have to work and you are hanging out in Oregon.

The First Time I Met Coach Groves

It was June, 1977 and it was just a few weeks after my victory at the 1977 PA Class B Two-Mile State Championship.  I wasn't cocky or anything like that, and I had put in a couple of 100 mile weeks.  I probably averaged 75 or so through the track season, with two-a-days 5 days per week.  I was pretty much self coached and it seemed I was doing way more than many of the runners around me.  Boy, did I have another thing coming?!

I had a couple of friends heading to State College for some fun and I asked to tag along.  I was hoping to see Coach Groves and ask about walking-on and knew absolutely nothing at all about it.  I planned on heading to his office and just introducing myself, and that's just what I did.  Coach Groves' office at that time was in Rec Hall, just above the area where the men's locker rooms were.  I remember Coach Paterno's office was there also, which probably made for some super great times, I have come to learn!

I walked in and there he was, surrounded by photos, papers and memorabilia from a track career that seemed to have gone on forever already, and he was just getting started. I had been warned about Coach by several local high school coaches, who intimated that he was gruff and most-likely worse. I was told to brace for some foul language. I had no idea what I was getting into, and was rather intimidated.  (That's a feeling I still have a small degree of today, each and every time I see him.)

He started in on a conversation as if we knew each other for years, referring to people I had no idea of.  I saw photos of many runners, throwers, jumpers and who knows what else amidst the voluminous piles of papers with his distinctive scrawl on them.  The only person I recognized was Greg Fredericks. I have recently learned he has saved all those "notes" which should be a treasure trove for anyone willing to go through them.  Through the conversation, I was trying very hard to find out if I could walk onto the team, and he kept referring to the coming distance recruits as top-notch or something similar, (that turned out to be Larry Mangan and Tom Rapp).  Just when I was about to give up, he asked about my mileage currently and  told me I would need to do a  little more to keep up, and he would see me in the Fall.  I was in!  At the time I didn't know that there were many more of "me" in, including several other State Champions and second-place finishers from our year alone.

That very first conversation continues today each time I see Coach at one of our events, or a Cross Country Meet or Indoor Meet I try to make each year.  He seems to be able to start in right where he left off the last time he saw you, even if years intervene. I look forward to the next time...

Coming Soon:  "Running in China", another in the series of my self-indulgent blog rantings, this time with a Hospital Visit!   Don't forget to help out our new Wiki effort.  Add anything you would like.

"PSU is 800 U" and Now YOU Can Help Expand Our Universe!

Yesterday in Indianapolis, Rebecca Simko set the new PSU 800 M record with a splendid 2:03.09.  Kara Millhouse kept the momentum going with a new PR in the 5000 M with a 16:16.72.  Congrats to everyone involved.

And I figured I didn't have enough on my hands with my day job, this blog, Twitter and Facebook activities so I started our group's very own Wiki.

That means YOU can help.  It's easy.  YOU get to add anything you want.  YOU can add new pages, topics, photos, videos or just a sentence or two.  Remember the mirth. 


Watch more video of 2012 American Miler's Club Series, Meet #4 on flotrack.org

Celebrate My 5-Year Running Streak Anniversary By Ordering a Track Alumni Singlet: Only One Week Left to Order

We're cutting off orders in one week to get the manufacturing process underway.  Get your little taste of PSU Track Alumni goodness before time runs out. There are both male and female versions (the female version is blue with white lettering).  There are sizes for anyone out there.  If your size isn't listed, just let us know; we're all about customer satisfaction.

And I've made the 5 year anniversary of the beginning of my running streak.  With my current health kick, I'll be back in shape for next year's alumni run!

Help spread the word of the greatest Track and Field Alumni Group in the entire world.  The Alumni Singlets look especially good on the Awards Stand!

Penn State Football Has Noticed Us!

One of the best things to happen this past year was the joining of our humble group with the actual PSU Track Program in order to make the Reunion Event better than it has ever been.  I've been toiling at trying to attract alums from all over for nearly 4 years, and I've had a little success.  But I couldn't land some of the big names in PSU Track and Penn State in general (even though every single one of us is absolutely equally valuable in our group!).  Coach Sullivan, the coaching staff and especially Jess Riden helped us out this year and brought in some delightful attendees.  Among them are the 1950 NCAA XC Champions, Horace Ashenfelter and his wife and let's not forget PSU's new Football Coach Bill O'Brien.  Coach O'Brien stopped by our Awards Dinner within the confines of his extremely busy schedule, and delivered a wonderful little speech which should make all of us proud.

USATF Junior Championships

There are a few Nittany Lions at the USATF Junior Championships in Indianapolis this weekend.  Among them is Robbie Creese, seen here on the right celebrating the great 4 x 800 Championship of America victory at the Penn Relays this year. (Addendum:  That's really Ryan Brennan as "The Hulk".  Thanks to the anonymous commenter for the info.  As Emily Litella would say, "Nevermind!") That's him on the right flexing some muscles I, alas, never had.  I did bench my own weight one time, but that was a rare appearance in the weight room while Coach lurked in the background to check on us.  My usual weight workout was to "wait" until Coach Groves left and then skedaddle!

1. Robbie Creese - 1500 M (3:49.33 to make the finals)
2. Dynasty McGee - 400 M
3. Abigail Benson - 3000 M, 3000 M SC

Dogs Are Worth Breaking the Law

And getting government off the backs of 9 year old's selling lemonade in the summer is also a worthy cause.  The "consume at your own risk" is quite a keen touch. (Warning: Glenn Beck is right about this one.  This is from his GBTV.  Watch at your own risk.)



Send me a photo of your dog (or cat or chicken!) to place in the Group's Dog Slide Show.

Horace, The Golden Putter, is in Good Hands

 One of the good things about being somewhat connected to the organization of the Annual Coach
Groves Golf Tourney is that I get to meet new people and renew old friendships.  When I purchased the Golden Putter a few years ago to make an Award for the tourney, I hoped it would become a talked-about and worthy item.

With this year's Reunion I finally got the chance to meet the Putter's namesake, Horace Ashenfelter III, which was a big thrill.  He seemed somewhat surprised at the beautiful golden prize and delighted we thought of him enough to name it after him.

 That's Jeff Sanden, last year's winner of the Longest Putt Award on Hole 18 at the tourney holding Horace for the actual 15 seconds of the full year I had promised!  What can I say, I am sometimes a little off on my facts...

This year's longest putt was made by Dennis Hendershot, father of PSU's 7-foot  High Jumper Jon Hendershot.  I was pleased to meet a new friend and amazed at some of the shared memories of the Slate Belt we have in common.  Dennis is actually a bone fide golfer in a league and everything, but won't be able to use Horace since he is left-handed.  I never dreamt I would need a left-handed version at any point in the tourney's history.  I suppose I will now inquire with Ned Flanders at The Leftorium to see if I can pick one up for the future.  Dennis promises updates and photos from Horace's travels this year.  That's Dennis with Coach Groves in a photo Coach has asked me to forward to him.  I suppose I'll send it to Jess Riden, she will know what to do with it.

Teddy Quinn is Our Director of Fun

Or at least would be, if we could get him to golf with us!  He may be more apt to appear next year now that I have taken PSU Track Alumni Golf onto Twitter.  He was the first of many to advise me to make the leap onto another Social Network.  It only took this confirmed hermit 3 years to get there!  Now I have to figure out how to use it to the advantage of our group.  I may even try to attract Followers by promising exclusive content, otherwise not seen in the Track Alumni Golfers Universe. Don't forget to Follow me to see what I come up with.

Speaking of Directors of Fun, here's the Charleston RiverDog's Director of Fun bringing back memories of Rick Dempsey at the venerable Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.



And let's not forget some real Track and Field content.  Here's PSU's and Canada's very own Matt Lincoln rounding into shape with a fine 3:39.32 1500M.


Watch more videos on Flotrack

Brannon Kidder Impresses At Adidas Grand Prix*

Following up on his triple Gold performance at the Ohio High School Championships, Penn State recruit Brannon Kidder traveled to Icahn Stadium in New York for the Adidas Grand Prix Boys Dream Mile. His 4:03.12 PR bodes well for his upcoming tenure in Happy Valley.

*Thanks to PSU Track Alumni Golfer Bob Hudson for the info!

Fungus Amungus

Just a frivolous little post I found very interesting while waiting for the USATF Junior Championships and the Olympic Trials.  I wonder, who would admit to having so much fungus in their shower that they would see images in it?  And who would want the world to know about it?



Something tells me there won't be pilgrimages to their bathroom!