July 23, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Rising senior Emily Giannotti (Coudersport, Pa.), who has been one of the leaders of the Nittany Lion pack in cross country and track and field over the past three years, will get the chance to lead the College of Education at this summer's graduation ceremonies, after being selected as the College's student marshal. Giannotti will graduate this summer with a degree in rehabilitation and human services before pursuing her master's degree in counselor education. The Penn State Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, August 10.
Giannotti - a 2013 cross country team captain - has enjoyed an sensational three years at Penn State, standing out in the classroom, and on the track and cross country course. The rising senior has been a key member of the Nittany Lion squad over her career, ending the 2013 outdoor campaign with a fifth-place finish in the 10,000 meters, helping the Nittany Lions to the women's team title at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. She closed out the year with an appearance the NCAA Eastern Preliminary Round in the same event. Giannotti would also earn a top eight-scoring finish at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, taking eighth in the 5000 meters.
The Coudersport, Pa., native has been a consistent scorer on the cross country course, earning NCAA All-Region status in the Nittany Lions' team-title effort at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships last fall, helping the squad to its' fourth-straight appearance at the NCAA Championships. Giannotti herself has been a fixture at the national cross country meet, having qualified in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Should she qualify for the championships again this fall, she will become just the eighth woman in program history to make the national meet during all four years of competition.
In the classroom, Giannotti is a multiple-time Big Ten and United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) honoree, recently earning Big Ten Distinguished Scholar accolades. The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar citation is awarded to student-athletes with a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher during the 2012-13 academic year.
For more on Nittany Lion track and field and cross country, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com.