BRONX, N.Y.: September 20, 2008 - For the second time in as many weeks, a member of the Nittany Lion women's cross country team captured an individual victory, this time with redshirt sophomore Leah Rosenfeld (Ridgefield, Conn.) topping a competitive field at the John "Paddy" Doyle Meet of Champions at historic Van Cortlandt Park. Entering the meet as the defending champions, the Nittany Lion women didn't disappoint, totaling 40 points to capture the runaway victory. Senior Tyler McCandless (Bath, Pa.) led an impressive second-place effort from the Penn State men, turning in a 14th-place standing.
"It was a very exciting day for Penn State cross country," said Director of Track and Field/Cross Country and head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan. "Both teams have given good indication that they are preparing well for the championship season."
Running in a tightly-grouped lead pack for much of the race, Rosenfeld, who earned her first collegiate cross country victory on the day, made a late-race move to break the tape in 21 minutes, 54 seconds - finishing as only competitor under 22 minutes on a course that is widely considered one of the nation's most difficult. Rosenfeld's supporting cast was just as impressive with junior Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) - the individual champion at last weekend's Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational - placing fourth overall in 22:07 as the Lions' number two. Senior Claire Percival (Sarnia, Ontario) would also turn in a top 10 finish, recording a seventh-place effort in 22:22.
"I was definitely surprised," said Rosenfeld of her individual win. "I was hoping we'd win as a team, but I wasn't sure how I was going to feel going into my first race because I've been a little up and down lately. As a team I think this performance sets us up well for the rest of the season. We've had three different people win races this year, and I think that's a good confidence booster for all of us, and will make us continue to push each other."
Penn State dominated the field with a 36-point margin over second-place Cornell with 76. Boston College finished third with 117 points, while Kent State took fourth with 170. Senior Janelle Young (Lemoyne, Pa.) provided a solid effort as the Lions' fourth, placing 11th in 22:26, while freshman Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) finished 17th in 22:40 to complete the Lions' 40-point total. Senior Kathryn Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) were the Lions' sixth and seventh, finishing 21st and 22nd in 22:50 and 22:51, respectively.
"I was impressed with the win from Leah in her opening race of the season, and the top ten finishes from Cheryl and Claire," continued Sullivan. "Janelle has worked hard all summer and has earned her spot back in the top seven, and we're very happy to see her running so well in her senior season."
The Nittany Lion men impressed in a solid field, finishing second to only Big Ten rival Michigan, which easily topped the field with a 39-point total, followed by the Lions with 121. Host Iona finished third with 153 points, while regional foes Navy and Lehigh rounding out the top five.
McCandless starred in his first appearance of the 2008 campaign, finishing 14th in 25:06. Freshman Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.) crossed second for the Blue and White, placing 21st in 25:18. Seniors Dennis O'Connor (Philadelphia), Brian Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.), and John Mahoney (Richboro, Pa.) all provided outstanding finishes to claim spots in the top 30 and round out the Penn State scoring effort, taking 27th, 29th, and 30th, respectively, in 25:24, 25:27, 25:28.
"I was very happy with my race since its been 10 months since I've had the jersey on," said McCandless, who redshirted the indoor and outdoor seasons last year. "It was exciting to represent Penn State again. As a team, we ran extremely well. We were hungry and aggressive. I think this puts us in a good stop with a lot of momentum to keep the ball rolling for the rest of the season."
Running a stellar second half of the race, the Lion top five provided a strong display of pack running, finishing with a 22-second spread between their first and fifth finishes and a 28-second gap between first and seventh. Senior Teddy Quinn (Rush, N.Y.) finished as the Lions' sixth man, placing 37th in 25:33, while classmate Dennis Pollow (Ransomville, N.Y.) took 40th in 25:34.
"The men were outstanding with a spread of 22 seconds," said Sullivan. "They executed their race plans very well and competed throughout the entire race. This is undoubtedly the best the men have looked in recent history."
The Nittany Lions will take a weekend off before heading to the highly anticipated Bill Dellinger Invitational at the University of Oregon. Competition is set for Saturday, October 4.
"Now we'll go back home, train hard in preparation for our trip to Eugene and continue pressing for improved results as we progress," said Sullivan.