Sept. 18, 2008
BRONX, N.Y.: - After posting impressive finishes at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational last weekend, the Nittany Lion cross country teams will face another solid field on Saturday, traveling to the John "Paddy" Doyle Meet of Champions, hosted by Iona College in historic Van Cortlandt Park.
The Nittany Lion women topped Meet of Champions field in 2007, while the Penn State men recorded an outstanding third-place finish. Both Lion squads have been solid in the early stages of the 2008 campaign, with the women taking second at last weekend's Spiked Shoe Invitational and the men finishing third. Junior Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) captured the individual gold medal at the event, while freshman Vince McNally's (Smoketown, Pa.) seventh-place finish was the best among the Penn State men.
About the Meet:
What: John "Paddy" Doyle Meet of Champions
Where: Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, N.Y.
When: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Race Distance: Women - 6,000m; Men - 8,000m
Race Schedule:
9:30 a.m. - College Women
10:15 a.m. - College Men
The Competition:
Men's Field (Regional Rank)
Bloomsburg University
Boston College
California University of Pennsylvania
LIU-CW Post
University of the District of Columbia
Dowling College
Hofstra University
Iona College (NE No. 1)
Kent State University (GL No. 14)
University of Kentucky (SE No. 15)
Lehigh University (MA No. 13)
Manhattan College
Marist College
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Mercy College
University of Michigan (GL No. 1)
United States Naval Academy (MA No. 5)
University of Pennsylvania (MA No. 1)
Penn State University (MA No. 8)
Providence College (NE No. 2)
Ramapo College
Saint Joseph's (Pa.) University (MA No. 12)
Southern Utah (MT No. 13)
Stonehill College
Stony Brook University (NE No. 10)
University of Toledo
Women's Field (Regional Rank)
Bloomsbug University
Boston College (NE No. 2)
California University of Pennsylvania
Cornell University (NE No. 5)
LIU-CW Post
University of the District of Columbia
Dowling College
Hofstra University
Iona College (NE No. 9)
Kent State University
University of Kentucky (SE No. 4)
Lehigh University
Manhattan College
Marist College
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Mercy College
University of Pennsylvania (MA No. 7)
Penn State University (MA No. 4)
Providence College (NE No. 1)
Ramapo College
Southern Utah (MT No. 11)
Stonehill College
Stony Brook University (NE No. 3)
University of Toledo (GL No. 10)
2007 Recap:
The Nittany Lion women's cross country team posted a first-place finish, while the men's team managed a third-place effort at the John "Paddy" Doyle Meet of Champions in 2007. Leading the way for the Lions were sophomore Bridget Franek and freshman Lucas Zarzeczny. Franek finished the 6000-meter course in 21:51.0, good for fifth overall and third in the team scoring. Turning in an outstanding effort was redshirt-freshman Leah Rosenfeld, who ran 22:17.6 in her first collegiate 6K, to finish ninth. The Lion women went three, six, 11, 12, and 16 in the team scoring, tallying 48 points - eight points ahead of second-place Cornell (56). Brown took third with a total of 62. Zarzeczny ran a sensational race in his first-career 8000-meters to place eighth overall with a time of 25:35.2. Tyler McCandless and Dennis O'Connor ran two-three for the Lions, finishing in 17th, and 19th, in 25:58.2, 26:00.2, respectively. The Penn State men tallied 93 points for third, just behind host Iona in first with 72, and Brown in second with 77. Regional competitors Navy (93) and American (109) finished fourth and fifth.
Results:
Check www.ICGaels.com for results; and www.GoPSUsports.com for a full Penn State recap on Saturday afternoon.
In the Rankings:
The Nittany Lion women's squad finds itself on the national radar with the release of the season's first USTFCCCA rankings, as the Penn State harriers appear just outside the top 30 in the also receiving votes category. The Nittany Lion women were tabbed fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region behind Princeton, West Virginia and Georgetown, while the Penn State men were rated eighth in the year's first poll.
Last Time Out:
The Nittany Lion cross country teams turned in impressive finishes in their first home competition at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational last Saturday, with the Penn State women taking runner-up honors, and the men's squad earning a third-place finish. Junior Cheryl Spring led the way for the women's team, posting her first collegiate victory, while freshman Vince McNally earned the top placing on the men's squad with a seventh-place standing.
At the Lock Haven Dolan Duals:
Freshman Caitlin Lane and senior John Mahoney led the way with individual wins as the Nittany Lion cross country teams opened their 2008 campaigns on August 29, competing at the Dolan Duals at Lock Haven University. Holding out several of their frontrunners, the Nittany Lions successfully displayed the depth within their squads, coming away with team wins in both the men's and women's races.
Lane Wins Big Ten Athlete of the Week:
Thanks to a winning performance at the Dolan Duals at Lock Haven, freshman Caitlin Lane was been named Big Ten Athlete of the Week on Sept. 3. Lane is the first Nittany Lion freshman to win the cross country citation since Bridget Franek captured the honor as a rookie in 2006. Lane shares this week's honor with Michigan's Danielle Tauro, who also posted an individual win over the weekend.
Next Up:
The Nittany Lions are set to travel to the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Ore., on October 4. This will be the Lions' first appearance at the highly anticipated Oregon showdown which is set to include standout squads from Oregon, Portland, Arkansas (W), Alabama (M) and UTEP.