UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Like the rest of the Nittany Lion football team, Shane McGregor woke up in the 4 a.m. hour on Friday to be ready for the team's 5:30 a.m. run on the turf practice field next to Lasch Building.

From there, the quarterback participated in his Friday lifting session at 7 a.m. in the Penn State weight room.  With two hours and 30 minutes of vigorous physical conditioning down, the team settled in for a weekend off before lifting begins again on Monday.

Not McGregor, though.

The Ebensburg, Pa., native's work for the next two days had barely even begun on Friday morning.  McGregor will stand 46-straight hours on his feet at the 40th annual Penn State Dance Marathon, otherwise known as THON.  He will be one of more than 700 dancers on the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday.  THON will end on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.  McGregor (pictured in the weight room on Friday to the right) will then resume lifting with the team on Monday.

Since 1977, THON has partnered with The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital with one goal in mind: conquering childhood cancer.  To date, more than $78 million has been raised by THON.

McGregor is one of several Penn State student-athletes slated to dance in the annual dance marathon.  In all, 10 members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board will be dancing in THON this year.  Maddy Evans, Krissy Tribbett, Meghan Gill and Kristin Hartmann from the women's soccer team, Vernon O'Garra from the men's fencing team and Brigid Frey from the women's fencing team will all be dancing.

Additionally, Alyssa Esposito and Chris Held from Penn State cheerleading and Natalie Sarver and Amy Duray from the Lionettes squad will be dancing in THON.

We would also like to wish Penn State Athletic Communications student assistant Laura Bologna the best of luck as she dances over the weekend, and the several student assistants actively involved with THON.

Look for updates from McGregor on GoPSUsports.com as he dances 46 to help conquer pediatric cancer.


Follow GoPSUsports.com Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony