The mayor of the Penn Relays
Donning his red official's jacket, matching cap, and khaki pants, Herman Frazier could have passed for the unofficial mayor of the Penn Relays.
Donning his red official's jacket, matching cap, and khaki pants, Herman Frazier could have passed for the unofficial mayor of the Penn Relays.
It's a title that very few - if any - could argue against.
The Germantown native and 1976 Olympic gold medalist is one of the carnival's favorite sons. While at Arizona State, Frazier won nine Penn Relays championships in three seasons. In 1977, he was named the Penn Relays' outstanding athlete.
"I've actually been a college referee for 25 years here," said Frazier, a senior associate athletic director at Temple who was inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame in 1994. "Even when I was [the athletic director at] Hawaii, Arizona State, UAB [University of Alabama at Birmingham], I would always come back and do that here for the young people and the University of Penn."
Star spectator
Like Frazier, Penn men's basketball coach Jerome Allen enjoys the track and field carnival.
"I've got great respect and admiration for track and field athletes," said Allen, who watched several of Friday's events. "I enjoy anything that's outside of my field. I get excited about my field, but [the track meet] is a big deal."
Riding for a cause
In an attempt to raise $500 to help fund affordable-housing projects, Katie Markelz rode a stationary bike for 21/2 hours on the corner of 33d and South Streets and drew a huge crowd.
Markelz is a member of Bikes & Build, a group that, according to its website, has "contributed $2,780,000 to housing groups to fund house-building projects."