- UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Feb. 19, 2014- The Nittany Lion women's cross country squad has earned United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic standing for the 2013 cross country season. Garnering All-Academic status individually were junior Matt Fischer (Kennett Square, Pa.), seniors Emily Giannotti (Couders Port, Pa.) and Marta Klebe (Chesterbrook, Pa.), and juniors Leigha Anderson (Carlisle, Pa.) and Katie Rodden (Ardmore, Pa.)
Placing 25th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the women's squad posted a cumulative GPA of 3.44 for the fall season. The Nittany Lions are one of 217 women's teams to earn All-Academic Honors.
Anderson paced the Nittany Lions with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, leading Penn State to an at-large bid to the National Championships. Also posting top finishes at the regional championships were Klebe and Giannotti, who placed 14th and 18th, respectively. Giannotti would then lead the Lions at the NCAA Championships, finishing 111th overall.
Fischer had a stellar junior campaign, qualifying individually for the NCAA Championships via a 4th-place standing at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Fischer also put up a history setting performance at the Big Ten Championship, with his 3rd place effort being the highest finish by a Nittany Lion in men's program history.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have either earned USTFCCCA All-America status or finished in the NCAA region's top 15 (or top 10 percent) in 2013. To earn All-Academic Team status, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five runners at their respective NCAA regional championship.
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