UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State cross country returns to action at the Notre Dame Invitational Friday. The women kick things off at 10:30 a.m. with a 5,000-meter race, and the men follow at 11:15 a.m. running five miles.
In arguably the toughest field of any races in the nation this weekend, the men square off against six nationally ranked teams and 13 others slotted in their respective regional rankings. The women's squad takes on five top-25 teams and 13 others placed in regional rankings.
COURSE MAPS | LIVE RESULTS
Women's Field: No. 10 Alabama, Boise State (No. 9 in West Region), Bradley (No. 6 in Midwest Region), Butler (No. 9 Great Lakes Region), Charlotte (No. 8 in Southeast Region), RV Florida State (No. 3 in South Region), RV Liberty (No. 6 in Southeast Region), No. 1 NC State, Navy (No. 6 in Mid-Atlantic Region), No. 3 New Mexico, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 27 Oregon State, Purdue (No. 8 in Great Lakes Region), SMU (No. 5 in South Central Region), RV San Francisco (No. 7 in West Region), Southern Utah (No. 9 in Mountain Region), RV Toledo (No. 6 in Great Lakes Region), UC Santa Barbara and Vanderbilt (No. 6 in South Region).
Men's Field: No. 25 Alabama, Boise State (No. 8 in West Region), Bradley (No. 5 in Midwest Region), No. 24 Butler, Cal Poly (No. 9 in West Region), RV Charlotte (No. 6 in Southeast Region), Eastern Kentucky (No. 10 in Southeast Region, RV Florida State (No. 2 in South Region), Liberty (No. 9 in Southeast Region), No. 27 Michigan, No. 22 Montana State, RV NC State (No. 4 in Southeast Region), Navy (No. 7 in Mid-Atlantic Region), New Mexico (No. 10 in Mountain Region), No. 14 Notre Dame, Pitt (No. 5 in Mid-Atlantic Region), Purdue (No. 10 in Great Lakes Region), Southern Utah (No. 12 in Mountain Region), RV Tennessee (No. 3 in South Region) and UC Santa Barbara.
PENN STATE OUTLOOK
- The women are receiving votes (11) in the national poll with and No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic Region, up a spot from its preseason ranking.
- The men have held firm at No. 6 in the Mid-Atlantic Region for the last three weeks.
- Both teams last competed as hosts of the Spike Shoe Invitational on Sept. 9, where the women finished second in 6,000 meters and the men fourth in 5.2 miles.
- Sophia Toti led the females with a fourth overall finish at 21:09.2 and was also third in the Nittany Lions' other meet, Dolan Duels.
- Madaline Ullom has been Penn State's second-place finisher in both meets, turning in a time of 21:13.9 at home.
- Brendan Colwell has led the men in both meets this season, finishing first in the Dolan Duels at 18:01.2 (6,000 meters) and 25th in the previous meet at 26.16.0 in University Park.
- In his Nittany Lions' debut, Jonah Powell recorded the squad's second-best time in the previous meet at 26:21.0.