McDonough joining Mars Athletic HOF
This is the fourth in a series of seven articles profiling the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2017.MIDDLESEX TWP — Encouragement can have a heavy impact on an athlete's career and Larry McDonough received a heavy dose of it.He was positively influenced by high school and college coaches and his father. Before graduating from Mars High School in 1982, McDonough earned nine varsity letters in cross country (four), basketball (two) and track (three) before going on to leave his mark at Indiana (Pa.) University as a competitive long-distance runner.McDonough will be inducted into the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 8, along with six others.“My introduction into distance running came about from my desire to spend time with my father, Bob McDonough,” he said. “He was a cross country and track coach at Richland High School (now Pine-Richland). Starting when I was 8- or 9-years old, I can remember running up to my dad's practices after school.”When he reached high school, Larry McDonough encountered another mentor — Planet cross country and track coach Clem Papik.“I wasn't a great athlete, but as a runner, I was very consistent,” said McDonough. “I competed in several events for the track team. Coach Papik would put me in events, wherever we needed points, but my best were the distance events. I matured as I went through high school and dedicated myself.”All the while, McDonough's father was there to offer “a quiet influence,” as the former described it.“He would never say, 'Larry, did you run today,' but he would always ask me how was my run. Out of guilt, I never wanted to tell him that I didn't run that day.”His time on the varsity basketball team under head coach Dave Skurcenski also left an impression with McDonough, who received the Eyth/Williams Award, given annually to a senior male at Mars who demonstrates dedication in the classroom and in athletics.“My brothers played basketball, too, and to this day, I'm still very close with my basketball teammates. Coach S had such a positive attitude and he influenced a lot of kids.“I had the luxury to spread myself across several sports,” added McDonough. “That's not the case for most kids today. It was a great experience. I learned a lot from my involvement in sports.”While it was tough to leave basketball behind, McDonough joined both the cross country and track programs at IUP.Enter another impactful person into McDonough's life — IUP cross country and track coach Ed Fry.“Like my father, he motivated me with a quiet influence on my way to success. All of my coaches believed in me,” said McDonough, who was named All-Conference in cross country in the fall of 1985 and won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title in the 10,000-meter run the following spring.Following his graduation from college, McDonough spent four years in Washington, D.C. He returned to Butler County in 1991 and has maintained an active lifestyle, including running in several marathons.McDonough turned 53 on Wednesday. He celebrated by swimming 5,300 yards at the Rose E. Schneider YMCA in Cranberry Township.“I run, swim and bike on a regular basis,” he said. “If I don't keep that kind of routine, my day just doesn't seem to go as well. It's something I think I've been able to pass on to my kids, Kelsey (Mars Class of 2012) and Reed (2015).McDonough works in sales for a software company. He is humbled at the thought of joining other great athletes from Mars' past.“I think about all the other folks involved and to be part of that, it's a great honor,” he said.
