UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – For the first time in nearly two years, the Penn State cross country team is set to compete in a regular season meet when the team's 2021 slate gets underway on Thursday in Lock Haven.
The annual Dolan Duals at the West Branch Cross Country Course is slated to begin at 6 p.m. with the women's competition followed by the men's competition at 6:30 p.m. Results can be found following the meet on GoPSUSports.com.
The Nittany Lions last competed at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in January, the team's only competition of the 2020-21 school year after the cancelation of the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team returns its top five finishers from that race on both the men's and women's side. Among the returning Niittany Lions are NCAA track qualifier Evan Dorenkamp, who led Penn State with a 34th place finish at the conference meet, and three-time NCAA Cross Country qualifier Alison Willingmyre.
Penn State also welcomes 14 new members to the cross country roster, with 12 freshmen and two graduate transfers set to join the Nittany Lions this fall.
The meet will be the first of four regular season competitions for Penn State, as the Nittany Lions are scheduled to host the Spiked Shoe Invitational at the Penn State Golf Course on September 10.