UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's and women's cross country teams took to the course on a rainy Friday morning at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet on the Penn State Golf Courses. The women's team finished in fifth place in the region (143 points) while the men's team surged into sixth (200 points) after entering the day ranked 12th.
Head Coach John Gondak expressed pride in his squad with the way they finished out the season in tough conditions on Friday morning.
"I'm very proud of the men's effort today," Gondak said. "They came into the meet ranked 12th in the region and finished sixth and beat a lot of teams that had actually thumped us pretty good earlier in the year. So, it was a great way for them to finish off the season and I'm proud of them stepping up over 10,000 meters today. The women came up a bit short—they've had a great season and were much improved from last year."
No. 13 Georgetown took the top spot in the women's race, placing four runners in the top ten overall and finishing with 37 total points. No. 29 West Virginia (75 points) finished as the runner-up in the region, leaving third-place Penn (106 points) just short of an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship Race.
No. 11 Villanova brought home the title on the men's side (36 points), with all five of their scorers placing inside the top 12 overall. RV Georgetown claimed the second NCAA Championship qualifying bid, recording 58 points with three runners in the top ten.
The Nittany Lion women were led by Faith DeMars (21st, 20:55.7) and Kileigh Kane (24th, 21:04.4) who both posted top-25 finishes in the region. Allison Johnson (29th, 21:17.2) slotted in third for Penn State, with Sophia Toti (35th, 21:24.6) and Madaline Ullom (37th, 21:27.4) rounding out the scorers.
Penn State maintained its top-five position throughout the entirety of the race, with Faith DeMars leading the entire field through the first 1,200 meters. The Nittany Lions battled it out the whole way through the sloppy course and finished in the top five in the region once again.
For the men's squad, Brandon Hontz finished 24th overall with a 10K time of 30:40.3. Brendan Colwell (35th, 31:00.2) crossed the line next for the Nittany Lions, followed closely by Behailu Bekele-Arcuri (41st, 31:15.6). Jonah Powell (48th, 31:24.6) and Christopher DeSousa (52nd, 31:28.9) finished out the top five.
The Nittany Lions found themselves in ninth place as they crossed 1,200 meters, but kept moving up until they came through the 8,800 meter mark in sixth. Penn State held onto its position and finished in sixth place in the region. Entering the race ranked 12th in the region, the Nittany Lions braved the wet weather and ran an excellent race that showcased the potential of the young core.
Penn State finished the day with three All-Region Honorees. Faith DeMars, Kileigh Kane, and Brandon Hontz all finished in the top 25 of their respective races to earn the honor. After a strong conclusion to the season for both teams, coach Gondak remarked on the bright future of both of his squads.
"We're still a very young team, and I'm really excited for the future with them. For both programs now, we'll take a break and move on to track season."
Penn State Women's Top Five Results (6K):
Points Runner Time
21 Faith DeMars 20:55.7
24 Kileigh Kane 21:04.4
28 Allison Johnson 21:17.2
34 Sophia Toti 21:24.6
36 Madaline Ullom 21:27.4
Penn State Men's Top Five Results (10K):
Points Runner Time
24 Brandon Hontz 30:40.3
35 Brendan Colwell 31:00.2
41 Behailu Bekele-Arcuri 31:15.6
48 Jonah Powell 31:24.6
52 Christopher DeSousa 31:28.9
For more coverage of Penn State men's and women's cross country and track and field, be sure to follow the program on Instagram (@PennStateTFXC) and Twitter (@PennStateTFXC) and "like" the Penn State Cross Country and Track & Field Page on Facebook.
