HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue University President France A. Córdova and Purdue University Calumet Chancellor Thomas Keon were among the more than 400 individuals that participated in the Fall Frolic/Jennie Hamilton Memorial 4 Mile Run and 1.5 Wellness Walk on Sunday on the campus of Purdue Calumet.

 “This was a special year for several reasons,” said PUC Fitness Center Director John Bobalik. “It was the first time that the university’s chancellor actually participated in the four-mile run and Chancellor Keon finished with energy to spare. We also had a special appearance from President Córdova, who made the trip from West Lafayette.”

Steve Burgain, the 2011 Spring Fling champion, claimed the men’s title with a time of 22:33.4, followed closely by masters’ champion Rick Fenno (22:50.4). The Purdue Calumet men’s cross country team had a strong showing, claiming three of the top 15 spots overall. Rodney Watson led the charge with a time of 23:40 en route to a fifth-place finish and top PUC male student honors, while Henry Muro and Stephen Bajzatt were eighth and 13^th respectively.

Melissa Hardesty was the women’s champion, crossing the line in 24:13.9. Five-time Fall Frolic champion, Karen Nagel, finished second with a time of 25:17 to win the PUC women’s staff division. Chris Wickard took home the masters’ crown on the women’s side with a time of 26:23.1, while Peregrines’ cross country team member Kristen Stapay (32:11) was the top student finisher.

The event, which featured 389 runners and 55 walkers, benefits Purdue Calumet’s Jennie Hamilton Endowed Scholarship fund, which is in honor of the 2003 Purdue Calumet graduate who died in a 2006 accident while training for the Ironman triathlon. The scholarship is awarded annually to a nursing or fitness management student, who carries a cumulative grade-point average above 3.0.

HAMMOND, Ind. – The Purdue University Calumet Fitness Center reached a significant milestone in its history today with the 25^th anniversary of its first opening.

The Fitness Center opened for the first time on August 18, 1986 as a joint initiative between the university and the Hammond Clinic. The university contracted the part-time services of two exercise physiologists from the Hammond Clinic’s Corporate Fitness Program, John Bobalik and Rob Jensen, to help start up and oversee the operations of the facility.

“The Fitness Center has come a long way since the doors first opened 25 years ago”, said Bobalik. “The conversion of two racquetball courts to a state-of-the-art weight room; the transition of two classrooms to a new specialty room and the use of the Fitness Center as an academic lab for physical activity classes and fitness management students are just a few of the changes that reflect the growth and development of the facility over the years.”

During the facility’s first year the university put together a pilot group of 50 employees to complete a total fitness plan that centered around the Aerobic Super Circuit. 20 of those original 50 participants are still members of the Fitness Center today, including long-time PUC administrator John Friend.

“Having been involved for 25 years, it is incredible the amount of devoted individuals who still regularly work out at the Fitness Center,” said Friend. “I am still very proud to have been a part of the early development of this fine facility.”

The facility also serves as a multi-faceted area on a campus, including its evolution into an academic laboratory with the help of Bobalik and HTM department head Mike Flannery. Numerous classes, internships and labs centered on the Fitness Center have made the university a recruiting pipeline for corporate and healthcare fitness programs across the region.

The development has not been limited to the addition of academic programs or improvements to the facility’s infrastructure. The Fitness Center staff has consistently pursued outreach opportunities in the local community, administrating the immensely popular Fall Frolic and Spring Fling races on campus, serving as the exercise site for the Silver Sneakers program as well as the staff’s former partnership with East Chicago and Hammond public schools to aid their wellness programs.

The Fitness Center is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional physical fitness training facility designed to service Purdue Calumet students, faculty, staff and people from the surrounding communities. The facility features state-of-the-art equipment, convenient hours and a professionally degreed and certified staff of exercise physiologists, who are available in the facility at all times to assist members with their programs or to answer questions.

HAMMOND, Ind. (Official Results) – The Purdue University Calumet 5K Ramp Run continues to attract more runners and fitness walkers from across the Chicagoland area, as a record 543 participants signed up to take part in the 2011 event held last Saturday, April 23. This year’s Ramp Run also experienced a record-breaking turnout for Purdue Calumet students (79) as well as faculty and staff with 39 participants. Visit pucraces.com for more information on the Purdue Calumet race circuit.

Two new overall course records and 10 age group standards were shattered, as Steven Bugarin of Chicago and Purdue Calumet graduate Karen Nagel of Valparaiso took home the top honors in the men’s and women’s races.

Bugarin broke his old course record, set in 2010, crossing the line in 16:02 to defend his men’s division title. Nagel, a region runner extraordinaire, won the women’s crown for the 10^th-straight year, edging out her previous standard with an official time of 18:34.

The Purdue Calumet student body also had a strong showing, as PUC students took four of the top 10 overall places in the men’s race along with four of the top 11 spots on the women’s side.

John Tessling put forth another strong showing, finishing second overall with a time of 16:27. Jose Palmeria recorded a time of 18:04 to finish fourth, while Corky Eitzen (18:19) and Henry Muro (18:53) finished sixth and 10^th respectively.

Jennifer Novosel led all PUC students in the women’s division with a time of 20:14, good for fourth in the division. Adrianna Cruz was ninth with a time of 22:20, while Michelle Echlin (22:23) and Kristina Schafer (22:57) finished 10^th and 11^th.

The 2011 Ramp Run also saw 10 age group standards fall.  New standards were set by: Jacob Maldonado (8 and under) 26:17; Morgan Blank (8 and under) 30:17; Dustin Hudak (9-10) 18:52;Hunter Boyer (11-12) 19:55; Emmanuel Lopez (13-14) 18:56;Elena Lancioni (15-16) 19:23; Mary Salinas (17-18) 21:51; Jennifer Novosel (19-24);Chris Wickard (40-44) 19:28, and Roger Steffen (60-64) 20:05.

With the 2011 Ramp Run complete, it’s time to start training for the Fall Frolic/Jennie Hamilton Memorial 4-Mile Run. The four-mile race will take place this fall on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011.

The first running of the Spring Fling 5K road race on Saturday, April 28, 2001 was a walk-in-the-park compared to today’s ramp run course.

The inaugural 3.1-mile course was a beginning runner’s dream.  It was flat as pancake with long straight-a-ways, plenty of shade, very few turns and run through scenic neighborhoods that surrounded the university.

In the early years, however, there was no multi-level parking facility in the middle of PUC’s campus to challenge the runners and walkers and make it a unique and different race course.  It wasn’t until 2005, that the multi-level parking facility surfaced on campus.

Fast forward to early January of 2006 to a fitness center staff meeting where one of the race administrators got the bright idea to re-route the 3.1-mile course through the multi-level parking facility, make all runners and walkers go all the way up to the top of the facility, back down and change the name to the” 5K Ramp Run”.

The former Spring Fling event became the new “5K Ramp Run”.  It now offers something different that wasn’t available to runners and walkers in any other 5K event in northwest Indiana.  Runners and walkers are now faced with a new 5K course that is flat for the 1.5 miles, before becoming difficult with ramp and wrapped up with a trip through the flat parts of campus to the finish line.

More and more runners and walkers became enamored by the challenge of trying to find the right pace to make it up to the top of the four and one-half multi-level parking facility without having to stop, walk and gasp for air.

“I’ve run on treadmills, indoor cushioned tracks, bike paths and limestone trails, but none of them prepare me for the incline ramps I have to face in the multi-level parking facility,” explained Jennifer Novosel, a PUC student and veteran of many local runs and road races. 

Novosel, who plans on participating in PUC’s first collegiate cross country team this fall, added, “You have to be especially careful in this race not to go out and run too fast too early, because you know the hills are coming.  But once you make it up to the top of the parking facility, it’s all down hill from there and you can cheer on other runners who are just entering the garage and starting up the first ramp incline and encourage them to run to the top without stopping.”

How tough is it to run all the way up to the top of the multi-level parking facility?  Find out for yourself on Saturday, April 23, 2011.  Take the 5K ramp run challenge . . .

HAMMOND, Ind. - Purdue University Calumet graduate Karen Nagel claimed her fifth consecutive women’s title at the 2010 Fall Frolic/Jennie Hamilton Memorial (FF/JHM) 4-Mile Run held on Sunday, November 7, as the extremely talented and well established distance runner from Valparaiso stopped the clock at 24:19.

Chicago’s Eric Waudr, 27 years old, was the overall race winner, crossing the line in 20:54 in his first FF/JHM race appearance.

Local distance runners took both the men’s and women’s masters divisions. Crown Point native and tri-athlete extraordinaire, Chris Wickard, won the women’s title with a time of 25:45 placing 22^nd overall.  Hebron resident, Jeff Mescal, captured the men’s masters title with a time of 22:30 to finish fifth overall.

Certified RRCA distance running coach Misty Chandos brought out two groups of beginning runners – one from Fleet Feet Sports in Schererville and second group from the Southlake Y in Crown Point.  For many it was their first 4-mile race.  Sherry Robison, head coach of the Calumet Region Striders Beginning Running Club also made it to the starting line with a group of neophyte runners.

This year’s event also featured a 4-mile clash of superheroes, as the Flash and Spiderman battled it out. Purdue Calumet student and former Lake Central High School cross country and track runner, Kevin Horecky, put on his costume and ran as The Flash, while veteran FF/JHM participant and PUC graduate, Bill Ferry, dressed up as Spiderman. 

The Flash sprinted out to an early lead and never relinquished it running 25:06 on his way to 20^th place and bragging rights for the year.  Spiderman finished several minutes later clocking out at 35:32, but vowed to make amends at next years’ race.

Nine new age-group standards were set at the November 7 race.  Below is a list of the new record-holders and their new age-group time standards:

Thanks to the extra effort of this year’s race crew that volunteered to take pictures there are several hundred race photos on the website.

Thanks to all those who participated in the 2010 FF/JHM 4-Mile Run and 1.5-Mile Wellness Walk.

HAMMOND, Ind. – The Purdue University Calumet Fitness Center has released the dates for its 2010 Training Seminar Series. The series, which is free of cost, helps prepare individuals for the university’s Fall Frolic/Jennie Hamilton Memorial 4-Mile Run that will be held on Nov. 7.

The first session is set to be held on September 7 with the final two sessions coming in October on the fifth and 26^th of the month. All seminars will be at Purdue Calumet’s Fitness and Recreation Center, Room 129, starting at 6 p.m.

Fitness Center coordinator John Bobalik will lead the training seminars, focusing on eight-week training programs, transitioning to outdoor running as well as providing information for the final two weeks of preparation.

For more information on the seminar series call the Fitness Center at (219) 989-2175 or visit webs.purduecal.edu/fitnesscenter. Information on the 2010 Fall Frolic/Jennie Hamilton Memorial 4-Mile Run is available on www.pucraces.com.

HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue University Calumet announced its Jennie Hamilton Endowed Scholarship and John Friend Endowed Scholarship recipients this past week, as six students have been given scholarships for the upcoming 2010-11 academic year.

 James Perez of Chicago was presented with the $1,000 Jennie Hamilton Endowed Scholarship, while Julia Briggs of Hammond and Kristen LaPorte of Schererville along with Crown Point natives Marisol Elea and Carmela Siedentopf received the $700 John Friend Endowed Scholarship.

The Jennie Hamilton Endowed Scholarship is in honor of the 2003 Purdue Calumet graduate who died in a 2006 accident while training for the Ironman triathlon. The scholarship was created by Hamilton’s family and friends to honor her memory and carry on her legacy of health, fitness and education.

The John Friend Endowed Scholarship is named after the university’s long-time athletic director and Hall of Fame inductee and was established by friends and colleagues to honor his years of commitment to Purdue Calumet.

In order to qualify for the Jennie Hamilton Endowed Scholarship, students must carry a 3.0 grade-point average as a nursing or fitness management major and be enrolled in a minimum of six hours of coursework while having already attained sophomore status.

Students applying for the John Friend Endowed Scholarship must be of junior status in the university’s hospitality and tourism management program with a fitness management option and must submit an essay along with three letters of recommendation.

HAMMOND, Ind. –

Each year two students are awarded a $1,000 Jennie Hamilton Endowed Scholarship, which is in honor of the 2003 Purdue Calumet graduate who died in a 2006 accident while training for the Ironman triathlon. The scholarship was created by Hamilton’s family and friends to honor her memory and carry on her legacy of health, fitness and education.

In order to qualify for the scholarship, students must carry a 3.0 grade-point average as a nursing or fitness management major and be enrolled in a minimum of six hours of coursework while having already attained sophomore status.

HAMMOND, Ind. -

The 2001 graduate of Purdue University Calumet won her ninth-straight 3.1-mile ramp run with a time of 18:43, finishing a mere 8 seconds shy of her all-time course record.  “I’m extremely happy that I was able to win the race again,” said Nagel, who has become a running legend in northwest Indiana.  “It’s always fun to come back to your alma mater and defend your title.”

 Steven Bugarin, 24, of Chicago was the overall race winner.  Bugarin, and two-time former race winner John Tessling, a Purdue University Calumet student, ran stride-for-stride for 3 miles until Burgarin out-sprinted Tessling with 100 meters to go.  Burgarin was clocked at 16:13, finishing just four seconds ahead of Tessling, who crossed the line in 16:17.  The two runners shattered the previous course record of 16:38, set by BLANK in BLANK.

Two additional Purdue University Calumet students placed in the top 12 finishers, as Robert Forshier took sixth place in 18:52 while Henry Muro nabbed 11th place with a time of 19:13.

Chris Wickard claimed the female Masters Division title, as the Crown Point resident and established triathlete completed the course in 19:20 to set a new division record. David Macknick of Chicago took home first-place honors in the male Masters Division, crossing the finish line in 18:12.

Surprisingly, eighteen age-group records fell at the 10th Annual Spring Fling 5K Ramp Run.  Below are the new age-group record holders and their times:

Men’s Division Records

Women’s Division Records

Thanks to all who came out and participated in the 10th Annual Spring Fling 5K Ramp Run.   Mark your calendars, next year’s ramp challenge will be Saturday, April 24, 2011.  Start training now . . .

To be eligible for the John Friend Scholarship, a student must be at least a junior majoring in the fitness management option of hospitality and tourism management and enrolled in a minimum of three hours of core classes and at least six total credit hours each semester.

Eligibility criteria for the Jennie Hamilton Scholarship calls for a student to be a fitness management or a nursing major with a 3.0 (4.0 scale) minimum grade point average, have attained sophomore status by the 2010 fall semester, and be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours of undergraduate coursework next fall.

The John Friend Scholarship’s namesake served as Purdue Calumet athletic director from 1980 through 2001. Under his direction, the campus Fitness Center opened, the men’s intercollegiate basketball program resumed, and intramural opportunities for student health and wellness increased. Upon his retirement, the John Friend Scholarship was established by friends and colleagues to honor his contributions to Purdue Calumet.  

The Jennie Hamilton Scholarship’s namesake was a 2003 graduate of Purdue Calumet, who devoted her short-lived life to health and fitness. At the time of her death in 2006, she was training for the Ironman Triathlon and considering a return to school to study nursing. This scholarship was initiated by her family and friends to honor her memory.

Other information can be obtained by contacting Purdue Calumet’s Department of Health, Recreation and Sports at 219/989-2540 or 800/HI-PURDUE, ext. 2540.