Nov. 12, 2011
Men's Results | Women's Results | USTFCCCA Regional Championship Central
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Paced by top 10 finishes by seniors Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.), and Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), both Nittany Lion cross country squads turned in fourth-place efforts in the team standings, Saturday at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Along with Lane and Dawson, a total of seven Nittany Lions finished in all-region status, including senior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.), and juniors Brooklyne Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio), and Natalie Bower (Pleasant Unity, Pa.) on the women's side, and seniors Vince McNally (Paoli, Pa.) and Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) in the men's race.
As both squads came up just shy of earning one of the two automatic-qualifying positions to the NCAA Championships, the Nittany Lions will be left to wait until the NCAA announces 13 at-large bids on Sunday evening. The announcement is scheduled to appear on NCAA.com by 7:00 p.m., on Sunday evening.
Despite an officiating error that caused the women's race to run approximately 800 extra meters, Lane held her own in the national-class field including eventual winner and last year's NCAA Champion Sheila Reid. The senior would place sixth overall, clocking 21:40 for her second-consecutive all-region finish. With her place finish, Lane is guaranteed an individual berth to the NCAA Championships. Millhouse would also turn in a top 15 effort, as well as her second-career all-region effort, placing 11th in 22:04.
Ridder and Bower also posted top 25 finishes for the second-straight campaign, with Ridder finishing in 20th as the Nittany Lions' third runner in 22:21, and Bower coming in 22nd in 22:31, as Penn State's number four. Sophomore Emily Giannotti (Coudersport, Pa.) covered the Lions' fifth and final scoring position on the afternoon, placing 32nd in 22:53.
Penn State's sixth and seventh finishers would also finish in the top 50, with freshman Abbie Benson (Elma, N.Y.) in 45th, and junior Lindsey Graybill (Macungie, Pa.) in 49th.
In the individual standings, Reid crossed first in 21:32, followed closely by Georgetown's Emily Infield in 21:34. Wildcat Bogdana Mimic finished as Villanova's number two in third, while Princeton's Alex Banfich, and West Virginia's Kate Harrison rounded out the top five. No. 1 Villanova, and No. 7 Georgetown tied for the top spot in the women's standings, both scoring 57 points. No. 13 West Virginia narrowly missed an auto-qualifying berth, finishing third with 64, while the Nittany Lions followed in fourth with 90.
Also assured a spot on the national starting line is Dawson, who placed ninth overall in the men's race, finishing the 10,000-meter course in 30:47. Placing just two spots behind Dawson was classmate McNally, who turned in an 11th-place effort, clocking 30:50. Senior Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) would also finish in all-region status, placing 25th overall in 31:14. McNally has recorded top 25 and all-region finishes in all four of his NCAA regional appearances, while Kyle Dawson earned his third career-certificate and Owen Dawson claimed his first on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions saw their fourth, finish, and sixth finishes turn in top 40 efforts, led by junior Tyler Corkedale (West Windsor, N.J.) in 36th in 31:27. Sophomore Nick Scarpello (Jamison, Pa.) and senior Chris Cipro (Harmony, Pa.) followed in 38th and 39th, respectively, finishing in 31:32, and 31:33. Redshirt-freshman Matt Fischer (Kennett Square, Pa.) was the Lions' number seven, placing 61st in 32:03.
The NCAA Cross Country Championships are set for Monday, November 21, in Terre Haute, Ind.