UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State cross country team announces its 2023 competition schedule, including one home meet.
"We are very excited for the 2023 Penn State cross country season," said head coach John Gondak. "We return a veteran women's team and a men's team that gained some great experience last year. Due to scheduling conflicts, we will only host one home meet this fall: the Spiked Shoe Invite. We look forward to hosting some great teams on our home course in September."
Penn State opens its season at Lock Haven where they will run in the annual Dolan Duals on September 1 against the Bald Eagles. The Nittany Lions will then return to Happy Valley for their only home meet of the 2023 campaign, the Spiked Shoe Invitational on September 8.
A trip to Bethlehem, Pa. for the Paul Short Invitational will follow. Penn State will race the course at Lehigh on September 29, a little over a month before it returns for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet.
"We will preview the NCAA Regional course by attending the Paul Short Invite the last weekend of September," Gondak explained. "It will help us be prepared as we head back to Lehigh in November to race for a bid to the NCAA finals."
Penn State will travel to Wisconsin for the Nuttycombe Invitational on October 13, just two weeks before it will race in the Big Ten Championships on the same course.
"Wisconsin hosts the Big Ten Championships this year, and we have a great opportunity to compete on their course two weeks earlier at the Nuttycombe Invite," Gondak continued. "It is important for us to race on the course prior to the championship."
As previously mentioned, the Nittany Lions will race in the Big Ten Championships at Wisconsin on October 27, followed by the Mid-Atlantic Regional meet at Lehigh on November 10. At regionals, Penn State will compete for a chance to make the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
FULL SCHEDULE
Date Meet Location
Sept. 1 Dolan Duals Lock Haven, Pa.
Sept. 8 Spiked Shoe Invitational University Park, Pa.
Sept. 30 Lehigh Paul Short Invitational Bethlethem, Pa.
Oct. 13 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational Madison, Wis.
Oct. 27 Big Ten Championships Madison, Wis.
Nov. 10 NCAA Regional Championships Bethlehem, Pa.
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