Nov. 19, 2007
Results
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.: November 19, 2007 - Nittany Lion sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) finished 57th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Monday at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course at Indiana State University. This race was Franek's second-career appearance at the national event, as well as her highest finish.
Franek finished the 6,000-meter race in 21:14.4, in a field of well over 200 runners. The national meet caps off an already outstanding season for the sophomore, who finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships, and fourth at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, which guaranteed her spot at the national championships.
So far in her early career, Franek has advanced to the national championships in every season of competition, including appearances at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships last year.
Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego dominated the competition, winning her second-straight NCAA title with a time of 19:30.9. Jenny Barringer of Colorado was the runner up, finishing in 19:47.8. The Big Ten's highest finisher was Iowa's Diane Nukuri, who placed fourth in 20:07.0.
Stanford won the women's team crown with 145 points, taking the title for the third-straight year, and the fourth time in the last five years. Oregon and Florida State rounded out the top three. Michigan State, which finished fifth, was the Big Ten's highest representative.
Franek and the rest of the Nittany Lions will train until the upcoming track and field season, which begin with the Penn State Relays on January 12.