Nov. 10, 2007
BETHLEHEM, Pa.: November 10, 2007 - Sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) earned her second-career trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, thanks to a fourth-place effort at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, held at Lehigh University. Franek led the No. 28 Nittany Lion women to a fourth-place standing in the team competition, bolstered by top 30 finishes from five runners, and All-Region finishes from three Penn State athletes.
Franek, who finished fifth at the 2006 regional, clocked an impressive 20:13 over the rolling hills of the 6,000-meter course, setting a personal-best 6K time for the second competition in-a-row. Franek's outstanding finish was the best regional standing by a Lion since Molly Landreth took fourth in 2003. Franek ran an outstanding race in elite company, finishing behind national players Melissa Grelli of Georgetown - the individual winner - Princeton's Liz Costello, and West Virginia's Marie-Louise Asselin.
Redshirt-freshman Leah Rosenfeld (Ridgefield, Conn.) was also sensational, earning her first-career All-Region certificate with a 14th-place finish in 20:39 - also the fastest 6K time of her young career. Rosenfeld proved to be one to watch in the future, as she finished as the second newcomer in the entire field. Sophomore Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) turned in a 23rd-place effort (20:58), picking up her second-career All-Region finish.
Junior Claire Berryman (Morgantown, W.Va.) was the Lions' fourth finisher, running an outstanding second half of the race to finish 27th-overall in 21:08, also a lifetime-low for 6K. Classmate Claire Percival (Sarnia, Ontario) followed on her heals, running 21:14 to finish 29th. Junior Megan Noecker (Reading, Pa.) and senior Sonja Hinish (Williamsburg, Pa.) also ran outstanding races, placing 46th and 60th, respectively, in 21:48, and 22:01.
The Nittany Lions totaled 93 points to take fourth, behind No. 4 Princeton (56), No. 14 West Virginia (77), and No. 21 Georgetown (79). Both Princeton and West Virginia will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, thanks to top-two finishes. Georgetown and Penn State still have a chance to earn one of 13 at-large slots at the national meet, which will be announced on Sunday evening. Franek is guaranteed an individual appearance at the Nov. 19 competition.
The Nittany Lion men finished eighth in a very difficult field, behind junior Tyler McCandless (Bath, Pa.), who finished as the Lions' number one for the second-straight race. McCandless finished the 10,000-meter course in 31:04, good to 26th-overall - just one spot from making the all-region team.
Dennis O'Connor (Philadelphia, Pa.) and freshman Lucas Zarzeczny (Pittsburgh, Pa.) provided a bang-bang finish as the Lions' second and third runners, placing 43rd and 44th - both clocking 31:24. The time was a cross country personal best for O'Connor, and an outstanding effort from Zarzeczny, who took on the grueling distance for the first time in his career.
Junior Brian Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.) finished as the Lions' fourth, turning in a 50th-place standing in 31:30. Classmate Dennis Pollow (Ransomville, N.Y.) rounded out the Penn State scoring, placing 69th in 31:50. Also competing for the Lions, were junior John Mahoney (Richboro, Pa.), who took 76th (32:04), and senior Mike Syrnick (Philadelphia, Pa.), who placed 86th (32:12).
Georgetown cruised to victory in the men's race, scoring 42 points. Villanova (70), Princeton (74), American (176), and Navy (184) completed the top five. Villanova's Robert Curtis was the individual victor, covering the course in 30:08.
Top Five/Penn State Finishers
Women
1. Melissa Grelli, Georgetown (19:50)
2. Liz Costello, Princeton (19:58)
3. Marie-Louise Asselin, W. Virginia (20:00)
4. Bridget Franek, Penn State (20:13)
5. Christy Johnson, Princeton (20:18)
14. Leah Rosenfeld (20:39)
23. Cheryl Spring (20:58)
27. Claire Berryman (21:08)
29. Claire Percival (21:14)
46. Megan Noecker (21:48)
60. Sonja Hinish (22:01)
Men
1. Robert Curtis, Villanova (30:08)
2. Matt Debole, Georgetown (30:18)
3. Andrew Bumbalough, Georgetown (30:24)
4. Dave Nightingale, Princetown (30:24)
5. Brendan Fennell, American (30:25)
26. Tyler McCandless (31:04)
43. Dennis O'Connor (31:24)
44. Lucas Zarzeczny (31:24)
50. Brian Fuller (31:30)
69. Dennis Pollow (31:50)
76. John Mahoney (32:04)
86. Mike Syrnick (32:12)
Team Scoring
Women
1. Princeton (56)
2. West Virginia (77)
3. Georgetown (79)
4. Penn State (93)
5. Villanova (115)
6. Penn (185)
7. La Salle (248)
8. Maryland (275)
9. Bucknell (314)
10. Navy (332)
Men
1. Georgetown (42)
2. Villanova (70)
3. Princeton (74)
4. American (176)
5. Navy (184)
6. La Salle (185)
7. Duquesne (204)
8. Penn State (232)
9. Maryland (235)
10. Penn (257)