Volume 2: November/December 2012 Contents: Meet Recaps: Richmond Alumni Open, Navy Invite, George

Mason Invite, Princeton Invite, and America East Championship Feature: Rob Magin 92 A Couple Years Later: Michael Christmas 11 Catching Up With: Izudin Mehmedovic 07 Alumni Spotlight: Paul Loebach 90

Introduction: Since we are finishing up the cross country season, were going to focus this issue on the former distance runners. Have no fear sprinters, jumpers, and throwers, I am already planning out a more track based issue for January/February. Additionally, I am hoping to set the tone or format for this newsletter with this edition. While it is very much in its infancy, and many more new features may present themselves, I hope we have set a solid base with this volume. As always, any sort of feedback is greatly appreciated, and for that reason I have put my contact information at the end of the newsletter. I hope to hear from you. Coach Matt Gittermann

2012 XC SCHEDULE: st Saturday, September 1 Richmond Spider Open Pole Green Park Saturday, September 15 Navy Invitational Naval Academy Golf Course Friday, September 21 Towson Invitational Oregon Ridge Park
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Richmond Spiders Alumni Open: The Retrievers opened up the year with a short course tune up down in Richmond, Virginia. The mens team finished second overall, rewriting the history of UMBCs top times in 5k cross country history. Brandan McGee led the way with a fourth place finish with a 15:17, potentially the fastest season opening time in school history. The Retrievers swept 13th through 17th, with Jake Albino, Todd Cowing, Redatu Semeon, Eric Schuler, and Hassan Omar all under 15:40. The womens team finished third, with newcomers Sarah Daly and Angel Bucci leading the way was finishing 13th and 14th overall with times of 11:16 and 11:17 respectively over the two mile course. Cody Mezebish, Julie Gessler and freshman Nicole Dawson rounded out the scoring five. Navy Invite: The first attempt at the longer distances definitively shuffled the deck in terms of order. On the mens side, Brandan McGee was the first runner to cross the line for the Retrievers with a time of 25:38.11, good enough for 13th. The scoring five was rounded out by Jake Albino, Eric Schuler, Tommy Eldridge, and freshman Austin Hayslett. For the women, Cody Mezebish ran a personal best 23:50 to lead the Retrievers for the first time. She was followed by freshman Nicole Dawson, Kirsten McGovern, Sarah Daly, and Julie Gessler. Towson Invite: In his first race in 11 months, junior Vinny DiSalvo led a skeleton crew of Retrievers with a fifth place finish at the Towson Invite with a 26:53 over a tough five mile course. In the third race for the womens varsity team, we had a third different number one runner when Kirsten McGovern was first across the line in third place with a 19:08 on the 5,000 meter course. Joining her in the top ten was freshman Nicole Dawson in ninth and red shirt freshman Sarah Daly in tenth. Princeton Invite: A banner day for the Retrievers as seven of the fastest times in school history were obtained in a fifth place finish in a field of thirty. Brandan McGee ran what is believed to be the fastest 8k in school history with a 24:45. Jake Albino and Tom Eldridge were also under twenty-five minutes, as seven runners were 25:02 or better. On the womens side, Cody Mezebish led seven runners under twenty-four minutes, the most under that barrier in quite a while. Nicole Dawson was the second runner for the team for the fourth consecutive race America East Championships: Both the mens and womens teams had great days at the America East Championships hosted by New Hampshire. For the men, a three way battled emerged, with the men finishing third behind Stony Brook and New Hampshire. Brandan McGee led the way with a seventh place finish and an All-Conference nod. The remaining Retrievers flooded the top 26 sports, with all seven varsity runners coming across the line before any other teams fifth runner. Tommy Eldridge, Eric Schuler, Jake Albino and Hassan Omar all finished in the top twenty. The third place finish is second highest finish for the Retrievers since joining the America East. The womens team finished eighth in one of the deepest competitions in recent memory, with all seven runners at 19:03 or better. Cody Mezebish led the way with a massive personal best time of 18:21. She was quickly followed by Kirsten McGovern (18:38), Julie Gessler (18:41), and Nicole Dawson (18:43). Alyse Gibson and Sarah Daly both finished under the nineteen minute barrier as well with both finishing at 18:58.

Saturday, September 29 George Mason Invitational Oatlands Plantations Saturday, October 13 Princeton Invite Princeton University
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Saturday, October 27 America East Conference University of New Hampshire Saturday, November 10 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Penn State Golf Course
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Remembering Rob Magin (92)

In the spring of 2010 the running community and the UMBC family lost a member when Rob Magin lost his battle with cancer. It was decided this past year that the annual 5k Dawg Chase held on the campus during Homecoming would be renamed in his honor. The story that follows was created in order to convey how large of an impact Rob had throughout his life and to show those who never had an opportunity to meet him, what a great man he was. The story was initially printed on the UMBC athletics web site in the days leading up to the race.

The profound impact of the quiet . . . The statement itself seems misleading, as most associate profound impact with bold statements or events. However, when one wants to describe the life of Rob Magin, there is hardly a better statement to help others understand who he was throughout life. The words of his family, friends and associates paint the portrait of a quiet but endlessly active man who left a lasting mark on everyone he met, if it was even only the briefest of encounters. Rob was a testament to the old adage that a mans character can be judged by examining the effect on the lives of those he meets. To embark on the journey that revisits the life of Rob Magin, is to meet a multitude of people that remembers a man who was a great teammate, a hardworking student-athlete, a humble competitor, an endearing friend, and a loving family man. It is in the memory of this man and in honor of the lives that he touched that the annual UMBC Homecoming Race will be renamed the Rob Magin 5k Dawg Chase. Robs running career began on the Westminster High School cross country and track and field teams. A perennial teammate of Joe Kershner, Kershner remembers Rob as, one of the smartest kids in our class. He was such a good student that I remember once, mercilessly, giving him a hard time when he received a B on an assignment in an elective Horticulture class. I dont think I had ever seen Rob receive a B, and I took the opportunity to express my mock concern that he was headed straight for the gutter. The characteristics that would tread a common path through Robs life were already beginning to emerge. Kershner explains, In that complexly stratified social environment of high school, he was pretty comfortable being the smart kid. He was definitely on the quiet side, but not because he was socially awkward. I think it was more likely that he was just more sensible and self-possessed than most of the kids in school. At a time in life when people do some crazy or stupid things to get attention, Rob was just a solid, smart, hard-working, level guy. Thats not to say he was boring. We had a lot of fun in track and cross country practice, at meets and races, and hanging out afterward. It was on the track or in the fields of cross-country that his actions revealed, with an exclamation point, the drive that was found within him. Rob was a relentless runner, both training and in meets, continued Kershner, I remember that in our junior year in track, Rob decided he should run every distance event available. At the time, you were only allowed to enter four events for any one meet, and so in our first meet of our junior year, he signed himself up for the 800, the 1600, the 3200 and the 3200 relay. That set the standard. I reluctantly followed his example, and soon all the distance guys were multi-event contributors. The coaches never had to ask us to work harder or to take on more, because Rob had already defined for us what a full effort was. Rob continued his running career in the fall of 1988 at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), majoring in computer science. Like many times before and in the times to follow, he began to win over everyone. Man, I loved that kid, and he was truly an example of one of the best of the best, declared former Head Coach Jim Pfrogner. He would do whatever was asked of him. Even if hed just doubled in the 10k and 5k hed run a leg on the 4x8 if no one else was available. Teammate Paul Loebach said that, despite a quiet and unassuming nature, he was so mentally and physically strong for a man in such a tiny package. While many recall Robs 10k exploits in which he won a Conference title (Rob still holds the third fastest time in school history), it is the other memories that paint a clearer picture of who he was. Among the best stories are those that recount the tales of hill repeats on Gunn Road. The massive hill, or cliff depending on the person describing it, was nearly a mile in length. For a workout, runners were strategically lined up by Coach Pfrogner and given the explicit instructions to catch the person in front of them but to avoid being caught by those behind. Runners would race up the hill, running for their pride, and repeat the process anywhere from three to five times. It should come as no surprise to all that even after twenty years, Coach Pfrogner still recalls that Rob set the record of the fastest time ever on that beast. The accounts of their initial meeting or the arrangement of their courtship vary from narrator to narrator, but the essential facts remain true: teammates of Rob at UMBC knew a girl named Jenn Kuta who, like Rob, had a quiet demeanor and a penchant for running. She competed at Rockville High School with Retrievers Paul Loebach and Steve Smith, and then continued at Mount St. Marys University. In many cases, Jenn unknowingly ran at the same meets as Rob. Mutual friends decided that they would be perfectly matched, so Jenn and Rob were secretly and strategically pushed together at social events, with the hope their common personalities would lead to something more. As fate would have it, or as friends had designed it, Rob would end up marrying Jenn in 1996, with Coach Pfrogner behind the turntables as the DJ at their wedding. During this time, Rob ran with the Montgomery County Road Runners while working for Marriott International as an accountant and systems analyst. He trained himself, running every day, but two times a year he would take three to four weeks off, remembers Jenn. In 1994, Rob won the Runner of the Year for the club, and many would point out that he would have won many more had competitors not been limited to winning it only once. (continued next page)

There was no doubt that Rob was extremely successful in his running pursuits; however, those who did not live within his running circle may have never known due to his humble nature. Robs brother-in-law, Mike Kuta recalled his conversations with his father when he noted, "You may have heard that Rob was modest about his running accomplishments. In fact, if you knew Rob in other areas, you may have been surprised to learn that he had any running accomplishments at all. For us it became a bit of a game to try to get the results out of him. His first line of defense was simply to not mention that he had run a race. If we knew he had recently been in a race, we would ask him how he had done. He might confess that his time wasn't quite as good as last year's, or made some other evasive observation. If we pressed him about how he had placed, he would allow as how it was not too bad or pretty good. After some more back and forth like that, we would eventually have to directly ask him whether he had come in first, at which point he would finally acknowledge that yes, he had." I trusted him, more than I trusted myself, recalls Jenn, he was kind of like a Superman for the family. She revealed that while quiet, he always left people gushing, including my brothers who worshipped him. She describes him as an energizer bunny, who couldnt rest while a task was at hand. Eventually, Jenn and Robb had three beautiful children, all of whom carry on the beloved tradition of running set by their parents. Currently, all three children participate with the Olney Cross Country team. Mary Beth, the eldest at age 12, is primarily a swimmer, but dabbles in running. Paul, age 10, has already run two 5ks and the youngest of the family, 4-year-old Christine, has already completed multiple 1,000 meter cross-country races, in addition to running countless miles around the house and yard. Even the demands of being the father of three could not deter Rob from training, as Jenn has memories of him, getting up at 5 AM so he would have time for the kids when he got home from work. Together, they would be active volunteers in the Montgomery County Road Runners Club, focusing mainly on youth races for the club. Rob would also volunteer his time as a Sunday School teacher at the Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church. In the spring of 2008, Rob went to the doctor because of a series of headaches that were accompanied by bouts of nausea. It was discovered that he had a malignant glioma, a type of brain cancer. Doctors immediately removed as much of the tumor as was safely possible through surgery, and in June of that year he went through a series of chemotherapy treatments. While many people might wallow in their misfortune and withdraw from life, Rob continued the only way he knew how: The next two months during the radiation and chemo I may take time off to spend with the kids, or I may try to work if I can. Marriotts been great. Theyve been very flexible. The radiation can be very tiring. The surgery tired me out a bit. But I got out once last week for a run and I try to walk every day. (Washington Times, 2008) Battling cancer made Rob utter perhaps the second complaint of his life; the first complaint was in reference to the dreaded bologna sandwich Coach Pfrogner bought the UMBC runners on meet days, which Rob once ate before a race and led to predictably disastrous results. His only other complaint in life was that the side effects of the treatments kept him from helping care for baby Christine as much as he wanted, though he still responded to her cry as much as one possibly could. Rob kept in good spirits all the way, impressing people with his upbeat attitude and stamina to try every possible treatment. In his fight with cancer, he stayed true to character and became a fierce competitor. While a malignant glioma usually takes less than a year to work its course, Rob turned his fight into a race of endurance, battling his illness for two years, before passing away at age thirty-nine. Rob was small-framed, even in the cross-country world of the rail thin, but his amazing penchant for grueling endeavors allowed him to excel in distance events and eventually extended his life so others could enjoy more time with him. The declaration that good things come in small packages is an understatement when related to Rob Magin. Here was a man, who did not say much, because in the end, he did not have to. Every person who came in contact with him, no matter the chapter of his life in which they met, was left with the same impression of a genuinely good and pure person. And thus, without having to say much, he so profoundly impacted others in such a way that they will do all the speaking for him, and will reach more people than he could ever do by himself.

Record Turn Out at the Rob Magin 5k Dawg Chase:

The fifth edition of the annual homecoming run saw not only a renaming in honor of alum Rob Magin, but also a record number of participants. Two hundred and seventeen runners toed the line for the competition that circles the campus on the outer loop. The mens winner was a freshman member of the running club, Jordan Psaltakis, who covered the course in a time of 16:55. On the womens side, Katie Gessler (sister of varsity team member Julie Gessler) led the way with a time of 20:18. Start planning for next year as we begin our march to three hundred participants.

A Couple Years Later: Since graduation I have gained entry into medical school at Griffith University on the Gold Coast of Australia, said Michael Christmas (11) when asked what he has been up since graduating, I am so far half way through my first year of a four year course. The first two years are spent at University and next two are based in the hospital. While this keeps him busy he says that he gets out for the casual run and has picked up cycling as well. Christmas arrived to UMBC from New Zealand in the fall of 2007 and initially struggled with the high intensity competitions week in and week out as in New Zealand there are only two major meets throughout the year. Also the weather, I had never been in that heat or humidity before. Christmas states that he will be finishing up school at the grand old age of twenty-eight and excited to see where in the world the next chapter of life will take him. When asked at what he gained from his experience half way around the world at UMBC, he replied that UMBC and athletics in general prepped me for the next stage through time management skills, dealing with adversity, interpersonal communication and a disdain for pool running.

Upcoming Alumni Events:

The UMBC Cross Country and Track & Field teams are in the planning process of creating formal alumni events for this upcoming spring. While much of the details will be revealed in the next month or so, we wanted to get the dates and general plans out to you so you can plan on attending.

Past, Present, and Future Track Banquet:

Friday, March 29 , 2013
In the evening hours, at a local hotel we will have full schedule of speakers and introductions at a banquet aimed at not only the alumni, but also the current roster and their families, and potentially future members of the team. It will be a great evening in which we hope many alumni come back to reunite with old friends and make new contacts with current team members and coaches. We hope to have final details out to your before the New Year.
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The Return of the Big Dawg Invite:

Saturday, March 30 , 2013
After a ten year hiatus, The Big Dawg Invite will return to campus with Bucknell, Duquesne, Howard and other collegiate teams coming to campus. A full slate of events will be run and an alumni reception area will be set up. We hope to make this a joint affair with the banquet for a great alumni weekend. Have a favorite event? You can become an alumni sponsor of an event with a donation! Email David Bobb for details at dbobb1@umbc.edu
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Alumni Spotlight: Izudin Mehmedovic Izzy left UMBC as one of its most decorated distance runners in school history. A member of the 2005 America East Cross Country Champions, he still holds the 1000m and mile records. What are you currently doing career wise? How is life treating you these days? (marriage, jobs, kids, etc.) After experiencing seizure disorder in July 2010, and getting married to my college sweetheart on April 27th 2012, whom I met while attending and running at UMBC you can say my life is changed a bit. Kathleen and I are living just north of Philadelphia in Bensalem PA and currently I am managing a footwear store and making a difference in peoples lives which is a good feeling. Have no kids yet and am planning of possibly getting my teaching degree in History and in the near future teaching and coaching at an HS level. Do you still run either competitively or recreationally? Are you still involved in the sport in anyway (coaching, volunteering)? After having numerous seizures, I had to take some time off from running and have started to train again and am looking for future results as I am working toward running a Olympic qualifying time in the Marathon or the 1/2 marathon. I started to work with my high school coach Phil Lang and have time to build a base and see where it takes us. I did assist at Howard Community College with Steve Musselman before moving to PA and getting married. I will be looking forward to coaching again in the near future. What is your favorite memory about your time at UMBC athletically? My favorite memory is winning the XC Championships the year coach Murray retired as I know he was set for the year to be his last no matter what, so that made his retirement much sweeter! We did it as a one and that makes it very good memory to talk about. I have won mile and DMR races as well but neither can be on the same level as the XC trophy!

Catching Up With: Paul Loebach In the history of UMBC Track and Field, an elite few can claim multiple Conference titles in a single event. However, even less can claim multiple Conference titles in multiple Conference like Paul Loebach (90) can. Much of the progression of UMBC from Division II to Division I can be chronicled in his four years when he claimed four Conference titles in the steeplechase in the Mason Dixon, East Coast, and Big South Conferences. By looking at the recollections of the UMBC Hall of Famer, one can see how far the school has come in its rise through the Division I ranks. We were the first three scholarships athletes, recalled Paul Loebach, the goal was to get the best athletes that Maryland had to offer every year. Loebach represented one of the best runners in the public schools, teammate and UMBC alum Rob Torres represented the private school ranks, while brief teammate Rich Williams was the best from the Eastern Shore. At that time, our biggest rival was Towson, revealed Loebach. The two teams would battle for Conference titles, race multiple times per year, and compete for the best recruits within the state. Fast forward to current times, and the Towson mens team has not survived the athletics cuts seen at most Universities. Bringing in the best that the state had to offer worked well as the team claimed team titles in all three Conferences between cross country and track and field. When recalling memories about his time at UMBC Loebach first mentioned former coaching stalwart Jim Pfrogner. He was tough on the exterior but had a kind heart, said Loebach, he was a great teacher of the sport and a second father for four years. He would go on to credit him for making him a winner, by getting him to work much harder than he thought he could and for teaching him poise during competition. In regards to facilities, he recalled that you, couldnt run in lane one during a race on the indoor track because you would bang your elbow on the railing, and, it was a badge of pride to run two miles to Catonsville High School because UMBC did not have a track. Currently, Loebach is married with two kids, and has only ever worked for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), within the drug regulation department. He still keeps running on a regular basis, focusing mostly on marathons and ultra-marathons up to fifty miles. He even set his marathon personal best time at age 39 with a 2:48:30. Loebach currently works with the Girls on the Run program, an elementary and middle school level program aimed at getting girls physically active through running and he hopes at some point to get time to coach.

Prospective Indoor Track & Field Schedule: Saturday Saturday Saturday Friday Saturday Friday Saturday Friday Saturday Monday Tuesday Saturday Sunday Friday Saturday Dec. 1st Dec. 9th Jan. 5th Jan. 11th Jan. 19th Jan. 25th Jan. 25th Feb. 1st Feb. 2nd Feb. 11th Feb. 12th Mar. 2nd Mar. 3rd Mar. 8th Mar. 9th Bison Opener New Years Invite Penn State Relays Gotham Cup Terrapin Invite PSU National Invite PSU National Invite Patriot Games NB Collegiate Invite NB Collegiate Invite America East Champ. America East Champ. IC4A/ECAC Champ. IC4A/ECAC Champ. NCAA Champ. NCAA Champ. Bucknell University Princeton University Penn State University NYC Armory PGSLC, Landover, MD Penn State University Penn State University George Mason University NYC Armory NYC Armory Reggie Lewis Center, MA Reggie Lewis Center BU/RLC, Boston, MA BU/RLC, Boston, MA Univ. of Arkansas Univ. of Arkansas

Prospective Outdoor Track & Field Schedule: Saturday Saturday Friday Saturday Saturday Friday Saturday Thursday Friday Saturday Saturday Sunday Friday Saturday Sunday Friday Saturday Mar. 24th Mar. 30th Apr. 5th Apr. 6th Apr. 13th Apr. 19th Apr. 20th Apr. 25th Apr. 26th Apr. 27th May 4th May 5th May 10th May 11th May 12th May 24th May 25th TBD Big Dawg Invite Duke Invite Duke Invite George Mason Invite Princeton Invite Morgan State Legacy Morgan State Legacy Penn Relays Penn Relays Penn Relays America East Champ. America East Champ. IC4A/ECAC Champ. IC4A/ECAC Champ. IC4A/ECAC Champ. NCAA East Regional NCAA East Regional TBD UMBC Duke University Duke University George Mason University Princeton University Morgan State University Morgan State University University of Penn. University of Penn. University of Penn. Binghamton University Binghamton University Princeton University Princeton University Princeton University North Carolina A&T North Carolina A&T

Follow UMBC XC/TF on our social media sites for meet previews, pictures, videos, and live results: www.facebook.com/umbcxctf www.umbcxctf.wordpress.com Twitter: @umbcxctf

Questions, comments, suggestions, and inquiries can be sent to: Matt Gittermann, Head Cross Country Coach, Assistant Track & Field Coach, gmatt@umbc.edu, 410-218-1551 (Cell)