Oct. 12, 2011
2011 PSU National - Men's Program
2011 PSU National - Women's Program
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: October 12, 2011 - In their final home appearance of the 2011 season, the Nittany Lion cross country teams will play host to the highly competitive Penn State National, Friday at the Blue/White Golf Courses. Headlining the women's field will be No. 19 West Virginia, along with the 20th-ranked Nittany Lions, and the Blue Devils of Duke, who come in ranked 26th overall. The Nittany Lion men, who have hovered just outside the national top 30 all season, will be among the favorites on the men's side, as well as Grand Valley State, which currently stands No. 3 in Division II.
The Nittany Lions have been highly successful over the opening weeks of the fall season, including a fourth-place effort from the women's team at the Notre Dame Invitational earlier this month. The Lions, who were led by a 11th-place individual finish from senior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) managed to knock off several heavily-touted programs in South Bend, including Princeton and BYU. The Nittany Lion men have also been running well over the past month, with Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) pacing the Lions to a fifth-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational at Minnesota last month. Dawson would place eighth individually in a national-caliber field.
Dawson is the highest returning finisher from last year's event, as the Coatesville, Pa., native turned in a runner-up effort as a junior, while West Virginia's Sarah-Anne Brault, who placed 11th a year ago, is the highest returning place winner from the 2010 women's race.
The races will also be the last home appearance for the Nittany Lion senior class including, Millhouse and teammate Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) on the women's side, and Dawson, Vince McNally (Paoli, Pa.), Chris Cipro (Harmony, Pa.), and Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) from the men's team.
About the Penn State National:
When: Friday, October 14
Where: Penn State Blue/White Golf Courses
Results: www.GoPSUsports.com; or www.runhigh.com at the conclusion of the races.
Directions to Course/Parking:
Take 322 Business/Atherton St and follow to campus. The Red A Park Lot is located at the Intersection of Atherton St and White Course Drive - Directly across from Rec Hall. Parking will be available in Red A, until the lot reaches capacity. Spectators are asked to park in Nittany Parking Deck (next to the Nittany Lion Inn).
Race Day Timeline:
8:00-9:30 AM Course Open for Inspection
8:30 AM Packets/Timing Chips Available for Pick Up
9:45 AM College Men's 5.2 Miles Called to Start
9:55 AM National Anthem
10:00 AM College Men's 5.2 Miles Begins!
10:45 AM College Women's 6K Called to Start
11:00 AM College Women's 6K Begins!
~ 12:00 PM College Awards (Near Finish Line)
Follow Penn State Cross Country:
On Facebook - www.facebook.com/pennstatecrosscountryandtrackandfield
On Twitter - @PennStTFXC
Participating Teams (Men and Women unless otherwise noted):
Akron
Bucknell (W)
Buffalo
Carnegie Mellon
Cleveland St. (W)
Colgate (W)
Connecticut (W)
Duke (W)
Duquesne
Ferris State
Florida Int'l
Grand Valley St.
Hofstra
Indiana (Pa.)
Lehigh
Lock Haven
Loyola (Md.)
Mansfield (W)
Marist (M)
Miami (Ohio)
Montana State
Penn
Penn State
Rider
Robert Morris
Temple
Towson (W)
West Virginia (W)
Wofford
Youngstown St.
Nittany Lion Notes ...
At the 2010 Penn State National: Then-juniors Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) and Vince McNally (Paoli, Pa.) posted second and third-place finishes, respectively, leading the 23rd-ranked Nittany Lions to a second-place finish in the team standings, last fall at the Penn State National at the Blue and White Golf Courses. On the women's side, then-sophomore Brooklyne Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio) paced the Nittany Lions to a third-place effort, finishing 20th individually.
At the Notre Dame Invitational: Running in rainy and windy conditions, senior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) turned in a 12th-place finish individually, leading the Nittany Lion women's squad to a fourth-place standing at the Adidas Notre Dame, Friday at Notre Dame Golf Course. The women's squad also knocked off a pair of ranked teams in the effort, upending No. 22 and regional foe Princeton, as well as No. 29 BYU. The Nittany Lions finished 14th in the men's standings, paced by a 27th-place effort from senior Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.).
At the Roy Griak Invitational: Led by top 10 efforts from seniors Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) and Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.), the Nittany Lion cross country squads both tallied solid finishes in a national-class field, on September 24, at the Roy Griak Invitational at Les Bolstad Golf Course, at the University of Minnesota. Both Nittany Lion number ones improved upon their 2010 Griak finishes, with Lane turning in a seventh-place effort to lead the women, and Dawson taking eighth overall in a talented men's field. Dawson's finish would propel the Nittany Lion men to a fifth-place finish in the team standings, while Lane paced the women's contingent to an eighth-place standing.
At the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational: The Nittany Lion cross country squads hosted a quartet of competitions last Saturday, including college and high school races, at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at the Blue-White Golf Courses. Sophomore Lucia Sofo (State College, Pa.) was the top finisher on the women's side, while junior Colin Anderson (Northport, N.Y.) led the men's efforts. Sofo paced the women's team, placing 25th in team scoring with a time of 22:51 over the 6,000-meters course. Sophomore Marta Klebe (Chesterbrook, Pa.) finished on her heels, coming in 26th in team scoring - also crossing in 22:51. Anderson scored a top 10 finish in the men's 5.2-mile race, covering the course in 27:07, as the Nittany Lions' number one. Sophomore Colin Baker (Haddonfield, N.J.) also raced for the Nittany Lions, coming in 23rd in 27:34. Redshirt-freshman Shawn Quinn (Ambler, Pa.) crossed as Penn State's number three, placing 27th overall in 28:09.
At the Lock Haven Dolan Duals: 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 now head into the championship portion of their season, with the Big Ten Cross Country Championships on the schedule for Sunday, October 30, in Champaign, Ill.