Sept. 15, 2011
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion cross country squads will kick off a grueling three-week slate of racing action, this Saturday at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at the Blue-White Golf Courses. The annual competition, which will also feature girls' and boys' varsity high school races, is set to start with the college women's 6,000-meters at 10:00 a.m., with the men's 5.2-mile contest set to follow at 10:45 a.m. Following Spiked Shoe, the Nittany Lions will hit the road to take on a pair of outstanding fields, beginning with the Roy Griak Invitational at Minnesota on September 24, and following up with the Notre Dame Invitational at Notre Dame on September 30.
As for the race in Happy Valley, Director and Head Coach of Cross Country/Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan and the Nittany Lions - ranked 18th on the women's side, and sit just outside the top 30 in 31st in the latest USTFCCCA poll - will be joined by a host of quality competition, including top-ranked Georgetown on the women's side. The field includes solid squads from across all divisions, with Division III program SUNY Geneseo fielding its sixth-ranked women's team, and eighth-ranked men's roster. Fellow Division III member Dickinson will also be on hand with a pair of top 15 teams, as the Red Devil men's squad currently rates sixth, while the women rank 14th.
About the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational -
When: Saturday, September 17
Where: Blue-White Golf Courses (starting line directly across the Atherton Street, adjacent to Rec Hall)
Results:www.GoPSUsports.com, or www.RunHigh.com
Meet Coverage: Follow Penn State Cross Country on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pennstatecrosscountryandtrackandfield) and Twitter (@PennStTFXC)
| Race Times: | |
| 10:00 a.m. | Women's 6,000-Meters |
| 10:45 a.m. | Men's 5.2 Miles |
| 11:45 a.m. | HS Girls' 5,000-Meters |
| 12:30 p.m. | HS Boys' 5,000-Meters |
| National Rank | Region Rank | |
| Women's Field | ||
| Cortland St. | D III, No. 26 | Atlantic, No. 5 |
| Dickinson | D III, No. 14 | Mideast, No. 2 |
| Geneseo St. | D III, No. 6 | Atlantic, No. 1 |
| Georgetown | D I, No. 1 | Mid-Atlantic, No. 1 |
| Mansfield | NR | Atlantic, No. 5 |
| Ohio U. | NR | Great Lakes, No. 14 |
| Penn State | D I, No. 18 | Mid-Atlantic, No. 3 |
| Westfield State | NR | NR |
| Youngstown St. | NR | NR |
| Men's Field | ||
| Cortland St. | NR | Atlantic, No. 9 |
| Dickinson | D III, No. 6 | Mideast, No. 2 |
| Geneseo St. | D III, No. 8 | Atlantic, No. 2 |
| Ithaca | NR | Atlantic, No. 8 |
| Mansfield | NR | NR |
| Ohio U. | NR | NR |
| Penn State | D I, ORV | Mid-Atlantic, No. 4 |
| Westfield State | NR | NR |
| Youngstown St. | NR | NR |
Nittany Lion Notes ...
2010 Spiked Shoe Results: Georgetown won the Spiked Shoe title a year ago, scoring a total of 25 points, while Princeton won the men's team race with 48 points. Hoya Emily Jones took top honors, crossing the finish line in 20:59. Then-junior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) paced the Lions to a third-place finish in the team standings, thanks to seventh-place effort overall. Princeton's Donn Cabral was the men's champion, going 25:13 for the 5.2-mile course, while Nittany Lion Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) placed third overall in 25:19. The Nittany Lions placed fourth on the men's side.
Last Time Out: Seniors Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) and Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) both captured individual titles, leading the Nittany Lion cross country squads to a pair of one-through-five perfect scores at the annual Dolan Duals at the Lock Haven University on September 2. Both Nittany Lion captains also posted course records in the effort, with Lane breaking the tape at 13:26.52 over the 4,000-meter women's course, and Dawson running 17:36.40 to win the men's 6,000-meters. Lane also recorded her fourth-straight victory at Lock Haven, completing a four-year sweep at the Dolan Duals.
Big Ten Honors: Seniors Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) and Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) have been named Big Ten Runners of the Week following winning efforts at the Dolan Duals, on September 2, at West Branch Cross Country Course, at Lock Haven University. Both seniors paced their respective Nittany Lion squads to 15-50 "perfect" score victories over Lock Haven, each setting course records in the process. Dawson was also named Penn State Athlete of the Week for his efforts.
Next Up: The Nittany Lions will take on a national-class field at the Roy Griak Invitational at Minnesota next week. The competition is slated to include Big Ten foes Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan State, as well as No. 10 Arizona, and No. 11 Washington on the women's side, while No. 13 North Carolina looks to headline the men's race.