Nittany Lions Run to Fifth Consecutive Top-20 FinishNittany Lions Run to Fifth Consecutive Top-20 Finish
Walt Middleton Photography 2019

Nittany Lions Run to Fifth Consecutive Top-20 Finish

Opens in a new window NCAA Womens Results

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Penn State women's cross country team ran to its fifth consecutive top-20 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 23. Penn State finished 18th with 482 points on a cold and rainy afternoon in Terre Haute.

A pair of Nittany Lions finished in the top 100 at Satruday's championship. Alison Willingmyre was the top finisher for the Nittany Lions, running 21:05.6 and placing 73rd at the championship meet. Senior Katie Munks was the second Nittany Lion to cross the finish line with a time of 21:07.2 to finish 80th.
 



Danae Rivers was the third Nittany Lion finisher. Rivers clocked a time of 21:35.6 to finish 144th. Julia Paternain finished 151st with a time of 21:38.5 and Megan Ciasullo rounded out the top-five finishers for Penn State. Ciasullo ran 21:52.1 to place 177th.

Penn State's 18th-place finish marked the third time in the last five seasons that the Nittany Lions have finished 18th.

NCAA FINISHES SINCE 2015

2015 - 16th
2016 - 18th
2017 - 18th
2018 - 20th
2019 - 18th

SEASON IN REVIEW

The Nittany Lions women's cross country team won three meets in 2019 including their fourth Mid-Atlantic Regional championship in the last five years. Penn State also placed fourth at the Big Ten Championship in 2019. This marks the fifth-straight year finishing in the top five at the Big Ten Championship meet.

Katie Munks earned All-Big Ten honors by finishing 11th to earn second-team plaudits. Along with Munks all-conference honor, four Nittany Lions earned all-region awards.

Katie Munks, Danae Rivers, Julia Paternain and Alison Willingmyre ran in the top-15 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to earn all-region honors. 

Head coach John Gondak earned the fourth Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year award of his career. It was the fourth time in the last five years Gondak has won the award. Gondak and associate head coach Angela Reckart have led Penn State to four Mid-Atlantic Regional crowns and a Big Ten Championship in 2015.