I'm in ND

So I have been gone for four days now...on my own...no kids, no camera - just me, my wallet and April.  Why?  We had our first ever university endorsed Track and Field reunion so I decided it was time to come out and meet April's little boy and see all the people I miss so dearly. It has been homecoming weekend so there is a lot going on...including the home cross country meet.

Coach invited all the alumni to run in the race if we wanted to.  This is the group of girls I used to run with who were also running in the race.

I'm trying to avoid putting lots of pics of people you don't know on here but I did want to show you that the boys were in fact there...April just didn't take too many pics of them.  Just the important ones - the girls.  :)

These guys used to be called the "Sioux Crew"...the kids who show up to all the events all painted up and cheering like crazies.  There were lots of them there, not sure why this group got singled out since they don't even spell anything but oh well.  Now that we have to change our school name, I think they are called the "Nodak Nation".  For those who do not know, the UND Fighting Sioux are no more.  Until further notice, we are just UND, with no nickname.

Okay, more of the women running.  The event was made more fun because of the number of eras of track represented.

The start.  Why am I in tights and a long sleeve and no one else is?  It was cold!  Well, to me.  I think it was somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees.  Yes, I am a sissy socal girl now!  Everyone else was apparently fine but I never got too hot, so I got it right.  :)

Jess gets all my respect...she was a 400m runner in college but she ran the 5k with the rest of us.  This was her first ever cross country race.  Good job Jess!!

I took it very seriously.  :-)

Someone had to get hurt, I mean, after all, we are all old now!!  So KT took the hit for the rest of us.  Thanks girl!  She has always been the clown of the group to make the rest of us laugh and keep us sane, so it was appropriate in the end.

This is Ron Pynn...yes, see the sign behind us?  He is the guy the meet is named after.  He's from back in our day and even taught a bunch of us.  Great guy!

In the football arena they have a bar called "The All-American" and they have all the UND All-Americans on the wall.  Missy and I were in the same class and were captains together for several years.  She was a stellar 400m hurdler and part of the 4x400m team.  We are on the same section of the wall so if you look carefully, you can see we are pointing to our names.  Yeah, Leppard, that was my name before the Erickson's.

The others finding their names.

There were over one hundred people there and coach tried to cram us into this small space.  We put up with it but it was loud and LOUD!

So, Jess, Missy and Jackie...you have seen these guys probably every time I head back to MN.

KT and April

Jacks, JoAan and me.

Well, it was a very FUN time for me and awesome to see lots of old teammates.  I really enjoyed catching up with teammates from my freshman and sophomore years whom I have lost contact with.  I forget how much I miss being near such near and dear friends.  We have so much history together!  Wish I could stay, but unfortunately the winters here make me want to die!  :-)  I get one more day here with April and baby boy so I will post some pics of him when I get home.  And yes, the girls are with Dad...he has the camera too so he better have taken pics!!

God Bless!