Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Save Maryland Men's Track/XC and Swimming and Diving

GRC,


It's with sad news I report the pending demise of the college track and cross country teams at the University of Maryland--alma mater for both me and current GRC athlete Danielle Siebert. Pending presidential adoption of a report released yesterday, eight total sports stand to be cut from Maryland's athletic department, affecting 166 student-athletes and countless alumni who have come through the school. This is the same program that produced:

  • Every ACC title from 1956-1979 in Outdoor Track.
  • Renaldo Nehemiah, who set a world record as a sophomore at Maryland in the 110m hurdles.
  • Mark Coogan, 1996 US Olympic Marathon.
  • Multiple All-Americans, including Dominic Berger, who competed for the US in the Pan Am games in the 110m hurdles last month.
  • Current Head Coach Andrew Valmon: also head coach of the US Olympic Track and Field Team next summer in London.

If you could join the Facebook group "Save Maryland Men's XC/Track & Field," that would be amazingly supportive as we try to figure out the next best step to prevent this all from transpiring. Among other programs, both swimming and diving programs are slated to be lost, who count GRC's own Lindsay Jerdonek in their distinguished alumni. Please check out http://www.saveumdswimming.org/ as well.

On behalf of a lot of disappointed Terrapins out there, I sincerely appreciate the support.

Thanks,

Patrick

4 comments:

RM said...

SECONDED. Go Terps!

Andy said...

Thirded.

KLIM said...

Fourthed. Damn this nonsense.

Ian Hankins said...

Go Terps,
Coach Dunham and Coach McMahon were the greatest coaches I have ever had. Every time I look back on my hs career I realized how lucky I was to have these two great coaches lead me in every step of the way. They are the sole reason I ran in college and now the reason I'm coaching in College. It would be a disgrace to shutdown their program at UMD. Especially considering they have won 15 straight President Cups (for the best team GPA)

-Ian Hankins