Oct. 6, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: October 6, 2009 - Following a seventh-place finish in an outstanding field at the Notre Dame Invitational last Friday, senior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) has been named Big Ten Runner of the Week. Franek is the third Nittany Lion to earn conference honors this fall, as sophomore Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) and senior Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) each nabbed the Big Ten citation last month. Franek, who has won the award on eight occasions in track and field and cross country, shares this week's award with Indiana's Wendy Robinson.
Franek, who placed 23rd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2008, impressed in her first appearance of the 2009 season, completing the 5,000-meter course in South Bend in 16 minutes and 52 seconds.
Franek's performance headlined a sensational effort from the entire Nittany Lion top seven, which yielded a fourth-place finish in a stacked team competition. The No. 22 Nittany Lions scored 152 points for fourth place, upending No. 13 Arizona State, No. 25 New Mexico, No. 3 Florida State, No. 12 Providence, Southern Methodist, and No. 24 Notre Dame.
The Nittany Lions will take this weekend off before hosting the always competitive Penn State National on Friday, Oct. 16, at the Blue-White Golf Course. The Nittany Lions will also play host to the 2009 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, set for Sunday, Nov. 1.