Nov. 5, 2008
USTFCCCA Rankings
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: November 5, 2008 - Following their highest Big Ten finish since the 2000 season, the Nittany Lion men's cross country team entered the national top 30 for the first time this season, entering the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) rankings in 29th. The Nittany Lion women are also holding strong among the nation's best, appearing in 25th in this week's poll.
The Nittany Lion men, who are on the national radar for the first time in eight years, are coming off a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, where freshman Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) led the Lions with a fifth-place finish individually. Also running strong at the conference meet were freshman Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.) and senior Brian Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.), who both record top 25 finishes, taking 22nd and 24th, respectively. The Lions' also posted victories over then-No. 19 Indiana, and a solid squad from Michigan State.
The Nittany Lions are also in position to vie for their first NCAA bid since the 1994 as they are second among Mid-Atlantic Region teams in the rankings, trailing only No. 9 Georgetown.
The Penn State women, who recently turned in a seventh-place standing in the deepest women's conference in the country, appear in the USTFCCCA top 30 for the fifth-consecutive week. Junior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) paced the Lions with a ninth-place effort at the Big Ten Championships, where the field featured an unheard-of seven ranked teams. Sophomore Leah Rosenfeld (Ridgefield, Conn.) also recorded a top 20 finish, placing 16th in top competition.
The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships are set for next weekend, November 15, at Princeton University. The top two squads in the team standings will advance to the national meet.