Possible key to immortality found… in asexual worms

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LONDON - Who wants to live forever? Some flatworms do, even if it means no sex.

British scientists have found that a species of flatworm can overcome the process of ageing to become potentially immortal and say their work sheds light on possibilities of alleviating ageing and age-related characteristics in human cells.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal on Monday the researchers found that the flatworms, known as planarian worms, can continuously maintain the length of a crucial part of their DNA, known as telomeres, during regeneration.

"Our data satisfy one of the predictions about what it would take for an animal to be potentially immortal," said Aziz Aboobaker, who led the research at Britain's University of Nottingham. "The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and to understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal."

Planarian worms have long fascinated scientists because they have an extraordinary ability to regenerate. A planarian worm split lengthwise or crosswise will regenerate into two separate living worms.

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Possible key to immortality found... in asexual worms

Flatworms could reveal secret of immortality

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A species of flatworm has been discovered to be potentially immortal - raising hopes that the ageing process in humans could be combated.

"We've been studying two types of planarian worms; those that reproduce sexually, like us, and those that reproduce asexually, simply dividing in two," says Dr Aziz Aboobaker from the University of Nottingham's School of Biology.

"Both appear to regenerate indefinitely by growing new muscles, skin, guts and even entire brains over and over again."

Usually, when stem cells divide — when wounds are healing, or during growth and reproduction — they start to show signs of ageing. They lose their ability to divide, and so become less able to replace exhausted specialised cells in body tissues.

However, according to Aboobaker, planarian worms and their stem cells are somehow able to keep their cells dividing and avoid the ageing process.

The team believes the key to this effective immortality lies in telomere length. As cells divide to replace those lost, copies of the genetic material must pass on to the next generation.

Protecting the ends of the chromosomes, telomeres prevent them from fraying or sticking to other strands. But each time a cell divides, the telomere cap gets shorter, eventulally preventing the cell fromdividing.

The planarian worms, Aboobaker believes, actively maintain the ends of their chromosomes in adult stem cells, leading to theoretical immortality.

Previous work has shown that telomeres can be kept in good shape through the activity of an enzyme called telomerase. However, in most sexually reproducing organisms, this is only really active during early development, after which telomeres start to shrink.

The Nottingham team says it's identified a planarian version of the gene coding for this enzyme, and found that asexual worms dramatically increase the activity of this gene when they regenerate. This allows stem cells to maintain their telomeres as they divide to replace lost tissues.

Weirdly, though, sexually reproducing planarian worms don't appear to maintain telomere length in the same way - surprising, since both types appear to have an indefinite regenerative capacity.

The team believes that sexually reproductive worms will eventually show effects of telomere shortening; or elseare able to use another mechanism to maintain telomeres that doesn't involve the telomerase enzyme.

"Asexual planarian worms demonstrate the potential to maintain telomere length during regeneration. Our data satisfy one of the predictions about what it would take for an animal to be potentially immortal and that it is possible for this scenario to evolve," says Aboobaker.

"The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and to understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal."
 

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Flatworms could reveal secret of immortality

Why flatworms may hold the secret to immortality

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British scientists believe they may have identified how humans could potentially live forever- and it’s all about flatworms

Experts at Nottingham University have been examining how two species of flatworms are able to regenerate themselves again and again – raising hopes that scientists could find ways of alleviating the effects of ageing in human cells.

Flatworms, known as planarian worms, have long fascinated scientists with their apparently limitless ability to regenerate.

During the study 20,000 new and fully-formed flatworms were created from just one original worm by splitting it into tiny pieces.

The research team studied how the flatworms manage to replace aged or damaged tissues and cells in a bid to understand what drives their longevity.

Dr Aziz Aboobaker, who led the study, said: “We’ve been studying two types of planarian worms; those that reproduce sexually, like us, and those that reproduce asexually, simply dividing in two.

“Both appear to regenerate indefinitely by growing new muscles, skin, guts and even entire brains over and over again.”

                                               [Related link: The world’s longest living animals]

Key to a flatworm’s immortality lays in its telomeres – tiny sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions linked to ageing.

Each time a cell divides the protective telomere ‘cap’ gets shorter. When they get too short, the cell loses its ability to renew and divide. According to the study an immortal animal would expect cells to be able to maintain telomere length indefinitely so that they could continue to replicate. Dr Aboobaker predicted that planarian worms actively maintain the ends of their chromosomes in adult stem cells, leading to theoretical immortality.

Speaking about the findings, Dr Aboobaker said: “Our data satisfy one of the predictions about what it would take for an animal to be potentially immortal.

“The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and to understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal.”

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Video: Joe Ayoob achieves paper airplane throwing immortality

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Joe Ayoob is finally known as something other than being the bust that replaced Aaron Rodgers at Cal - he's now a world record holder.

(Paul Sakuma/AP)On Monday, Ayoob threw a paper airplane 226 feet, 10 inches to break the world record by 19 and a half feet. Watch the video, it's impressive and a grade school teacher's worst nightmare.

The measurement still needs to be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records before Ayoob can start making T-Shirts and signing book deals.

The only thing better than the throw itself is the commentary on the video and the pure elation after the thing lands. You'd think Ayoob had just led Cal to an 8-4 season. Oh wait

This had to be a pretty proud moment for Ayoob (though he didn't really dress for a momentous occasion, did he?), who didn't exactly pan out as the highly touted San Francisco Community College transfer everyone expected him to be. Ayoob started nine games after Nate Longshore suffered an injury. Ayoob was 5-4 in 2005 and threw for 1,707 yards and 15 touchdowns. However, 2006 was less than spectacular. As a backup, he completed 9-of-22 passes for 187 yards and a score. He went undrafted and ended up in the arena league until 2010.

[Related: New coaches, wild offenses in Pac-12 spotlight this spring ]

That must have been when he honed his skills as an expert paper airplane hurler. It's not just about randomly tossing the thing into the air, folks. Ayoob threw the plane at the perfect angle to reach maximum height and maximum speed on its decent. I sound like I know what I'm talking about, right? All those aeronautical engineering classes really paid off.

So, congrats to Ayoob, who is now a hero to fourth graders everywhere.

- - - High-five to Kegs 'N Eggs. "Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

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Worming our way to immortality

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A flatworm parasite found on the gills of a fiddler ray caught off Mandurah, WA. Picture: Ian Whittington, SA Museum Source: Supplied

THE key to immortality could be in flatworms, scientists say. The worms hold the remarkable ability to regenerate time and time again - effectively living forever.

If one is cut in half, the head portion grows a tail and the tail portion grows a head.

Cut it into 20 pieces and 20 new worms, each an exact copy of the first, are created.

This has been exploited by Nottingham University scientists who have created a colony of more than 20,000 worms - which, in the wild, live in lakes and ponds - all from one original, whose bodies and organs do not appear to age.

They are confident a single worm which did not divide would live forever unless it catches an infection or another illness.

Researcher Dr Aziz Aboobaker said: "In my opinion, they are immortal."

It is hoped that the research will help develop treatments that allow humans to stay fit and healthy long into old age.

The experiments focused on Schmidtea mediterranea, a relative of an African parasite.

The flatworm has a simple brain, which can be regenerated by stem cells found elsewhere in the body. In contrast, an earthworm would die if cut in two.

Key to the flatworm's immortality are telomeres - tiny biological clocks that cap the ends of chromosomes. In the flatworm, the telomeres stay intact, allowing cells to divide many times and stopping ageing in its tracks. 

Dr Aboobaker and colleague Dr Thomas Tan said: "The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal."

Knowing more about how the worms safely do this could help stem cell scientists achieve their Holy Grail - the growth of new hearts, livers or brain cells in a dish. It could also speed the development of drugs that stave off diseases of old age.

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Flatworms could hold key to immortality

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Flatworms, known as planarian worms, have long fascinated scientists because they have an extraordinary ability to regenerate.

A planarian worm split lengthways or crossways will regenerate into two separate living worms.

The researchers found that flatworms can continuously maintain the length of a crucial part of their DNA, known as telomeres, during regeneration.

Dr Aboobaker's team studied two types of planarian – those that reproduce sexually, like humans, and those that reproduce asexually by simply dividing in two.

Both types appear to regenerate indefinitely by growing new muscles, skin, guts and even entire brains again and again, but the asexual ones also renew their stocks of a key enzyme which may mean they can be immortal, the study said.

Scientists know that one of the key factors associated with ageing cells is telomere length.

Telomeres are sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions linked to ageing.

Shorter telomeres are thought to be an indicator of faster ageing.

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Minecraft Maps – Fountain of Immortality w/ ChimneySwift11 – Pt. 3 – Video

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11-02-2012 16:01 Ratings are Appreciated! ChimneySwift's Channel: youtube.com Map Download: bit.ly My Texture Pack: bit.ly Secondary Channel: youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: tinyurl.com Twitch.TV: twitch.tv The music comes from the in-game Minecraft soundtrack. If you would like to listen without having Minecraft playing, you can download it here: c418.bandcamp.com

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Girls Swimming: Kinnelon Girls Swimming fall in state regional semifinal

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'This is the best team I've ever coached. I told them its like a cooking recipe that makes good teams, talent you need that, come together as a team, [and] have all the stars align and it did, eight teams are swimming today and we're one of them and we are happy that we are one of them, I was proud of them.'

Kinnelon Head Girls Swimming Coach

Brian Boardman

After a herculean run at a state title, including a sectional championship, the Kinnelon girls swim team's run at swimming immortality came to a dramatic end following an 87-83 loss to Haddonfield on Tuesday.

"Our girls swam the best meet they've ever swam before and that team is obviously the better team," said Kinnelon Head Coach Brian Boardman.

Haddonfield started strong taking first and second place in the initial 200-yard medley relay staking them to an early 10-4 lead.

"We took it in the chin, they came out and they were flying [and] then we fought back like a good fighter we got right back up and we started taking it to them," said Boardman.

Kinnelon turned to junior Captain Abby Fisher who helped turn the momentum in the Lady Colts favor. Fisher's first place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:58.75 turned the tide in the Kinnelon's favor as they began to dominate in individual races.

"The team more than ever before is a family, everybody knows that you're here for yourself but more importantly you're here for the team," said Fischer. "I think that when your team is losing you can tell just by how much faster [your teammates] swim seeing that it is a team sport and we are here for each other."

The Lady Colts were able to continue to dominate after the 200 yard individual Medley gave Kinnelon their first lead of the afternoon. Mackenzie Heffernan and Christina Cirillo's first and second place finish netted the Lady Colts a much-needed ten points which when coupled with Rene Bogda's finish gave the Lady Colts a 24-22 lead.

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Girls Swimming: Kinnelon Girls Swimming fall in state regional semifinal

Scientists find key to immortality for asexual worms

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LONDON (Reuters) - Who wants to live forever? Some flatworms do, even if it means no sex.

British scientists have found that a species of flatworm can overcome the process of ageing to become potentially immortal and say their work sheds light on possibilities of alleviating ageing and age-related characteristics in human cells.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal on Monday the researchers found that the flatworms, known as planarian worms, can continuously maintain the length of a crucial part of their DNA, known as telomeres, during regeneration.

"Our data satisfy one of the predictions about what it would take for an animal to be potentially immortal," said Aziz Aboobaker, who led the research at Britain's University of Nottingham. "The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and to understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal."

Planarian worms have long fascinated scientists because they have an extraordinary ability to regenerate. A planarian worm split lengthwise or crosswise will regenerate into two separate living worms.

Aboobaker's team studied two types of planarian - those that reproduce sexually, like humans, and those that reproduce asexually by simply dividing in two.

Both types appear to regenerate indefinitely by growing new muscles, skin, guts and even entire brains again and again, Aboobaker explained in a statement about the work, but the asexual ones also renew their stocks of a key enzyme which may mean they can be immortal.

Scientists know that one of the key factors associated with ageing cells is telomere length. Telomeres are sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions linked to ageing. Shorter telomeres are thought to be an indicator of faster ageing.

Previous research -- which won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2009 -- has shown that telomeres can be maintained by the activity of an enzyme called telomerase.

In most sexually reproducing organisms the enzyme is most active during early development, but Aboobaker's team found that in the asexual worms, the planarian version of the enzyme is dramatically increased during regeneration - a factor that allows stem cells to maintain their telomeres as they divide to replace missing tissues.

Douglas Kell, chief executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council which part-funded the study, described the finding as "exciting" and said it "contributes significantly to our fundamental understanding of some of the processes involved in ageing."

The work also "builds strong foundations for improving health and potentially longevity in other organisms, including humans," he said in a statement.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Scientists find key to immortality for asexual worms

Minecraft Maps – Fountain of Immortality w/ ChimneySwift11 – Pt. 2 – Video

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10-02-2012 03:23 Ratings are Appreciated! ChimneySwift's Channel: youtube.com Map Download: bit.ly My Texture Pack: bit.ly Secondary Channel: youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: tinyurl.com Twitch.TV: twitch.tv The music comes from the in-game Minecraft soundtrack. If you would like to listen without having Minecraft playing, you can download it here: c418.bandcamp.com

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Dmitry Itskov on "Project ‘Immortality 2045’ — Russian Experience" at Singularity Summit 2011 – Video

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25-10-2011 16:37 The Singularity Summit 2011 was a TED-style two-day event at the historic 92nd Street Y in New York City. The next event will take place in San Francisco, on October 13 and 14, 2012. For more information, visit: http://www.singularitysummit.com

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Fountain of Immortality w/ AntVenom #1 (HD) – Video

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08-02-2012 15:12 Swifters be sure to leave a LIKE if you enjoyed the video! AntVenom's Channel: http://www.youtube.com Map Download: bit.ly My Twitter: http://www.twitter.com My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com 2nd Channel: http://www.youtube.com Special thanks to the map creator for putting me on his list of people he wanted to play this map!

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Minecraft Maps – Fountain of Immortality w/ ChimneySwift11 – Pt. 1 – Video

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08-02-2012 12:12 Ratings are Appreciated! ChimneySwift's Channel: youtube.com Map Download: bit.ly My Texture Pack: bit.ly Secondary Channel: youtube.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: tinyurl.com Twitch.TV: twitch.tv The music comes from the in-game Minecraft soundtrack. If you would like to listen without having Minecraft playing, you can download it here: c418.bandcamp.com

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Fast Foodie: Big Bob's Burgers

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Veronica Luna

A seriously stacked bacon cheeseburger with fries and onion rings from Big Bob's Burgers.

Can a chef with CIA creds achieve immortality with an onion ring batter? (More on that later.) Robert Riddle, the Bob of the Big Bob moniker, has relocated his burger shack from a dump near Fort Sam to a relative palace on Hildebrand just west of the railroad tracks. It's at the very least light and airy, and there's an emergently pleasant sliver of backyard patio that must really reverberate on live-music nights. All told, it's a definite step up for a chef who has flirted with fine food and Cajun cuisine over a checkered past.

At least the bacon cheeseburger doesn't bite it. The sesame bun is good and toasty (mm, mm, mm, mm, mm), the bacon is crisp (just the way I like it), the patty is tasty enough (yes, it's more done than we would do at home), and the rest of "the works" is all in very good balance (a fancy term for a burger, but we are talking CIA here). In short, it's a very good burger, and chances are that Bob may even have cooked it himself. Just as good are the skin-on fries, well-done and glossed with just a sheen of grease. No floppy, wilty here. But even better are the onion rings in a tempura-like beer batter lightly sweetened with honey and scented with caraway. Loved 'em, great crunch, even though I admit to missing the caraway. If you ask correctly, Bob will do a mixed basket of fries and rings.

Other options include the usual litany of burgers (including the Big Filthy with too much on it for any first-timer, according to Bob), plus chicken fingers, a Buffalo chicken sandwich, and a dog duo. On occasion there are smoked items such as pulled pork from Bob's patio smoker. And there is chili. It's a decent chili with a reasonably coarse grind and lots of tomato — but better characterized by what's not in it (beans, for example, and a serious chili base) than what is. We suggest Bob put his chef's hat back on, if only briefly, to come up with a more cookoff-worthy product — without beans, of course.

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Fast Foodie: Big Bob's Burgers

Fox & Weeks: Family business's success crosses generations

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Few Savannah companies qualify for immortality.

One just happens to deal with the business of death.

Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors is celebrating their 130th year of operation in 2012.  Leaders of the family owned business shared the secrets to longevity Wednesday at the Savannah Morning News auditorium during a BiS Forum sponsored by Hancock Askew, the HunterMaclean law firm, Abshire Public Relations and Marketing and Business in Savannah. Click here to view phots from the forum.

The “cornerstones” of Fox & Weeks’ business model include service, attention to detail, integrity, generosity, flexibility, adaptability, compassion and a sense of responsibility to the community, according to fourth-generation co-owner Jim Weeks.

“Each generation has played an integral part in the company’s success and have shown those same qualities that have helped us thrive,” Weeks said.

Responsibility is foremost, Weeks said. The Weeks family sold ownership of the business for a 16-year period, and the parent company’s approach nearly made the fourth generation of the family the last to work in the industry.

Jim and his brother, Steve, continued to manage the business following the sale in 1987. Then the new owners, based in Connecticut, sold the Fox & Weeks operation in 1991 to Service Corporation International (SCI), a giant in the funeral industry. Twelve years into that relationship, Jim and Steve became fed up with SCI's lack of interest in the family's "cornerstones"  and decided to either buy the company back or retire.

SCI agreed to sell the business to the Weeks in 2003. The family has spent the years since building on the reputation established by the first three generations.

Jim and Steve Weeks and their sons, Matt and Scott, have adapted the business to changing times. Fox & Weeks began offering live streaming video of funerals and burials. started utilizing social media tools for obituaries and restructured their service charges because of the impact of recession on clients.

Matt and Scott – the fifth-generation – recently launched a new service for the company: Pet memorial and cremation services.

Known as Pets at Peace, the service is committed  to serving pets with the same standards of dignity, respect and care Fox & Weeks shows to human family members, Scott Weeks said.

“People really do see pets as part of the family, and sometimes pets are their families,” Scott Weeks said. “It seemed like a natural for us to extend services to pets.”

The Weeks family entered the undertaking business in 1882. John Fox, who was married to a Weeks, started the company along with his brother-in-law James S. Weeks in a house on Liberty Street.

Weeks’ son took over when his father and uncle retired – Fox had no children – and the business remained downtown for a century, including a stint in the large estate on Drayton Street that today is home to the Mansion on Forsyth Park.

Jim and Steve Weeks expanded the business in 1986, opening a southside chapel on Hodgson Memorial Drive. The company grew again in 1998 with the addition of a Whitemarsh Island chapel.

“Fox & Weeks is a tribute to business longevity due to good leadership and the ability to adapt,” Savannah Morning News Publisher Michael Traynor said in introducing Jim Weeks to the audience.

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Fountain of Immortality w/ AntVenom #2 (HD) – Video

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09-02-2012 06:26 Swifters be sure to leave a LIKE if you enjoyed the video! AntVenom's Channel: http://www.youtube.com Map Download: bit.ly My Twitter: http://www.twitter.com My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com 2nd Channel: http://www.youtube.com Special thanks to the map creator for putting me on his list of people he wanted to play this map!

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LoL Moments – League of Legends – Immortal Caitlyn ! – S2 #4 – Video

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04-02-2012 19:34 I will now be doing $20 RP Monthly giveaway for my LoL Moments series! Refer to this video for more info: http://www.youtube.com DONT FORGET TO WATCH IN HD AND SUBSCRIBE! Don't forget to comment, thumbs up, and subscribe!! Also do not forget to like me on FACEBOOK. Welcome to my LoL Moment series, this is where I will be showcasing funny, awesome, fail moments done by me, my friends, or the subs! I will be trying to upload these daily, so be sure to send in your clips to get featured! Help bump this thread for me : na.leagueoflegends.com **************************************************************************************** HOW TO SUBMIT CLIPS: Submit all LoLReplay files to: redmercy1991@gmail.com Be sure to include the start/end time of the moment, your summoner name, the champion you played, and a short description of what happens! Keep in mind I put properly submitted e-mails first, also a catchy title will UP your chances! **************************************************************************************** LoL Sign-up Link: signup.leagueoflegends.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com Skype: redmercy1337 Check out the previous LoL Moments: http://www.youtube.com My Stream: http://www.own3d.tv Music in intro: http://www.youtube.com Hope you enjoy and please sub rate and comment!!! 🙂

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Kittanning sophomore faces difficult path to immortality

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For almost all freshmen wrestlers in the WPIAL, hopes of a perfect career record disappear in a matter of days.

History shows that a flawless four-year stretch is nearly impossible. But every once in a while there's an exception.

With the WPIAL individual postseason set to begin Saturday, Kittanning sophomore 120-pounder and defending Class AA state champion Jason Nolf remains unbeaten with a 75-0 career record. His success serves as a reminder of those who never lost and those who came close.

"I haven't really thought about (the streak)," said Nolf, who will wrestle in the Section 3-AA tournament next weekend. "I don't really talk to anybody about it. I just go with it."

Nolf is ranked No. 3 in the nation in his weight class by InterMat. Not surprisingly, he has a few gems on his resume.

During a 44-0 freshman season, Nolf, wrestling at 103 pounds, defeated Bethlehem Catholic sophomore Darian Cruz, 2-1, in the ultimate rideout period of their PIAA semifinal match. Cruz was ranked the top 103-pounder in the country by USA Wrestling and InterMat earlier that season.

In December, in the finals of Central Mountain High School's King of the Mountain tournament and the Southmoreland Holiday Classic, respectively, Nolf beat defending PIAA champions: Council Rock South senior Billy Rappo (103-pound title winner in Class AAA) and North Star senior Nick Roberts (112-pound winner in Class AA). Nolf defeated Rappo, 3-2, and prevailed, 11-6, in overtime against Roberts, a two-time state champion who, based on InterMat rankings, entered the match as the country's top-ranked 120-pounder.

"I really wasn't thinking about anything (long-term) because my dad was always telling me how tough it'd be," Nolf said, "so I didn't know what it was going to be like."

Between 1940 and 1961, three wrestlers went undefeated en route to four state titles -- the first was 1943 Waynesburg graduate Jim Conklin. None of the three wrestled more than 84 matches in their career, though.

The standard for high school perfection in Pennsylvania went to another level in the early 1990s, when Jefferson-Morgan graduate Cary Kolat finished his career 137-0. He had 80 pins and 36 technical falls. According to a Sports Illustrated story on the four-time Class AA state champion, Kolat allowed just five reversals and never surrendered back points.

"The fans always went crazy if somebody was within three points," he said. "You'd have thought I'd lost out there."

Kolat, who wrestled in the 119-, 125-, 130- and 135-pound weight classes, won PIAA titles in 1989 through 1992 and was named Outstanding Wrestler each time.

"I didn't just want to be a great wrestler; I wanted to be the best," said Kolat, who remains the state's most recent undefeated four-time champion. "And to be the best, you had to knock off some records along the way. If somebody won four titles, you had to win four titles in a more dominating fashion. ... I probably didn't focus on (the streak) as much as people would think. It didn't consume me."

Before Kolat, the undefeated streak buzz belonged to North Allegheny's Ty Moore.

Moore, who started as a 98-pound freshman in 1987, became the first wrestler in state history to win his first 100 matches.

The streak lasted through his sophomore season, when he claimed a PIAA title at 105 pounds. But in the 112-pound finals of the 1989 WPIAL Class AAA tournament, Moore, a junior, finally lost, as his 105th bout went to Connellsville's Jeff Stepanic, who won, 4-3, after trailing by two with 30 seconds left.

"At that moment, I wasn't thinking it would be a positive," said Moore, who considered Stepanic a friend. "It kind of got the monkey off my back, though."

Moore finished with record of 146-1 and won four state titles.

"For me, at least, (the loss) happened at the right time," he said. "I don't know if I would've won the state title if I hadn't lost in the WPIAL finals. It was a good smack in the head that made me realize that if you take care of the small details, everything else will work out."

McGuffey's Jeff Breese joined the ranks of the elite when he went 41-0 on the way to a PIAA title as a 103-pound freshman in 1999. But, during the fall of his sophomore year, he tore his right ACL while playing soccer, and the dream of a perfect record began to derail.

Breese decided to rehabilitate his knee rather than undergo surgery. He headed into the season opener against Keystone Oaks with a brace.

"I just needed to know," Breese said. "I'd gone through all of practice up to the first dual of the year fine. The doctor basically told me it was a 50-50 shot."

Breese had a comfortable lead over Keystone Oaks' Jim Regan when his knee gave out. The pain was too much to bear. Breese lost by injury default and sat out the rest of the season. He finished his career with two PIAA championships and a 103-9 record.

"There's a lot of luck that goes with being good," Breese said. "No matter how hard you work at something, there's no guarantee that just because you did everything right, you're going to get what you want. The other guy is trying, too, and probably has done everything right, too."

There's no way to predict Nolf's fate. As Moore, Breese and others know, the path toward perfection twists and turns. But Kolat isn't sure why his accomplishment remains so rare.

"I kind of thought someone would've come along and duplicated it by now," Kolat said. "It's probably only a matter of time before it's broken."

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Kittanning sophomore faces difficult path to immortality