March 14, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark - Junior Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) and sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) hauled in top eight finishes and All-America honors on the opening day of the NCAA Indoor Championships, Friday at Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center. Barber grabbed an eighth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles for her third-career All-America performance, while Franek posted a seventh-place effort in the 5,000-meters, good for her first NCAA certificate. Barber and Franek are the 56th and 57th indoor All-Americans in the history of the Nittany Lion women's program.
"It was a great first day for the Nittany Lions with two All-America finishes," said Director of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan. "Aleesha is running the best she ever has, and Bridget gave a tremendous effort in her first NCAA appearance in the 5K. We're glad to have some points on the scoreboard and we're looking forward to another great day tomorrow.
Barber clocked 8.19 in the hurdle final, tying her own school record and personal best for the second time of the evening, earning her first-career top eight finish as an individual. Barber, who is the first Nittany Lion in program history to record an All-America placing in the 60 hurdles, claimed the eighth and final spot in the final with an identical 8.19 to finish fifth in her preliminary heat and guarantee an All-America finish.
After eventual champion Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech separated herself from the field from the gun, Franek coolly found a spot in the chase pack and more than held her own in an outstanding field. Franek finished in a time of 16:18.92 for seventh place, laying down a gutsy last lap to hold off several hard-charging competitors. Franek's outstanding effort is the first top eight finish by a Nittany Lion in a distance event (mile, 3K, 5K) since Kim McGreevy took seventh in the mile in 1997, and the first Penn State athlete in the 5K since 1993.
Senior Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.) is in position to add more hardware to the Nittany Lion collection, advancing to Saturday's 400-meter final. Cox cruised to her third-straight appearance in the NCAA indoor final, with a qualifying time of 53.37 - the sixth-fastest mark of the evening. Classmate Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.), despite being tripped up during the opening lap, clocked 54.40 to finish 17th overall.
Junior Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) will get the action started for the Lions on Saturday, beginning the pentathlon at 11:30 a.m. Also set to compete tomorrow are Franek in the 3,000-meters, and the 4x400-meter relay.