UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 2012 calendar year was one marked by excellence and achievement from numerous Penn State teams.

As we close in on the final days of 2012, GoPSUsports.com wanted to take time and reflect on a tremendous year for Penn State Athletics.  The hiring of head coach Bill O'Brien on Jan. 6, in many ways, set a tone for the athletic department throughout the calendar year.  O'Brien's introductory press conference highlighted a clear vision for how the football program would try to do its part in helping the athletic department move forward as One Team.

The results speak for themselves, and all 31 Penn State teams across the University Park campus should be recognized for their efforts in 2012.  The list of achievements on the field of play, including one national title and seven Big Ten titles, and in the classroom, including more than 270 Academic All-Big Ten honorees, is tremendous.

The spring season included a Big Ten and NCAA title from the wrestling team for second-straight season.  Three Nittany Lion wrestlers - Frank Molinaro, David Taylor and Ed Ruth - won individual national titles.  The Lady Lions, who clinched a Big Ten title on the BJC hardwood in February, earned a spot in the Sweet Sixteen for the 12th time in program history.  The men's volleyball team earned a trip to the NCAA National Semifinals for the 27th time.  The women's lacrosse team reached the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Additionally, 171 Penn State student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades during the winter and spring seasons.  Men's gymnastics' Miguel Pineda was named a first Academic All-American.

The fall campaign was one for the Penn State record books.  Penn State won five Big Ten championships and had five coaches selected conference coach of the year.  The field hockey team (Char Morett) won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, the men's soccer team (Bob Warming), women's soccer (Erica Walsh) and women's volleyball (Russ Rose) teams all won Big Ten championships.  Additionally, after leading the Nittany Lion football team to an 8-4 campaign, including six Big Ten wins, Bill O'Brien was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

In postseason competition, the women's soccer team reached the NCAA College Cup Final for the first time in program history.  The women's volleyball team played in the NCAA National Semifinals for the 10th time in school history.  The women's cross country team captured the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional crown on its home course.

The story was much of the same in the classroom.  A fall record 100 Penn State student-athletes achieved Academic All-Big Ten recognition this semester, including a trio of 4.0 students - football's John Urschel, women's volleyball's Maggie Harding and women's cross country's Katie Rodden.  Football's Pete Massaro and Urschel earned first team Academic All-America honors.  Harding won the Elite 89 Award for the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship for having the highest cumulative grade point average of student-athletes participating in the championship.

With so many events to choose from, narrowing down the list of outstanding Penn State sporting events from 2012 to just 10 was a challenge, but here are your 10 nominees for the top sporting event of the outstanding 2012 calendar year for Penn State Athletics.

From now until Dec. 28, cast your vote for the top event of the year.

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - On an afternoon that presented perfect running conditions, the Penn State's women's cross country team raced to a first place finish in team standings at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, while the men's squad took fifth place.

Competing against 31 schools, the women edged out defending national champion Georgetown, 61-63 in points, while the men (147 points) finished behind Georgetown, Villanova, Princeton, and American University in that order.

For the women, the victory was extremely sweet, as the squad entered the race ranked behind Georgetown and had expected to battle Villanova and Princeton for the second spot.

Instead, they found themselves in first place, something head coach Beth Alford Sullivan stated she could not be more proud of them for.

"To beat the defending national champions is a big feather in the cap," said Sullivan. "It's a well earned victory for these gals."

Leading the way for the women's squad was junior Tori Perri, who finished fourth overall with a time of 20.31. The Nittany Lions also got top 25 finishes from senior Brooklyne Ridder (sixth), Junior Rebekka Simko (10^th), sophomore Leigha Anderson (20^th), and junior Emily Giannotti (21^st).

Perri, who stated that she was surprised to have finished so high, seemed more excited by her team's victory than her own impressive performance.

"I'm really happy with how our team ran today," said Perri. "It's really exciting to do as well as we did and that's definitely the best part."

Something that both Sullivan and Perri stressed was key to the squad's victory was their ability to run together in a pack at the front of the race.

"The way we ran is certainly the way to do it in cross country," said Sullivan. "You have to have a pack on top if you want to do well."

Perri agreed that her teammate's ability to stick together made a big difference during the course of the race.

"It always helps to have someone by your side," said Perri. "It keeps you comfortable and relaxed and makes you want to work hard for the girl next to you."

On the men's side, the star of the day was senior Sam Masters, who finished 12^th overall with a time of 30.48, and put himself in place to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

"I put everything I had into that last mile," said Masters. "This race meant a lot to me and it means a lot to make it to Nationals."

Masters stressed that the extra training he put in to prepare for the team's first 10K was what gave him the ability and confidence to perform well.

"I put in 120 miles a week for about a month straight," said Masters. "I knew that I was ready to go and I felt so confident."

While the longer course made the race more of a challenge for the men, their familiarity from running in it in practice gave them the strength to handle the extra mile.

"This is the first time for the entire field to run a 10K so it really becomes a grit race," said Sullivan. "It's a very difficult course but having the experience practicing on it really did pay off."

Being familiar with the course was a factor that helped play into the women's race as well.

"It's one of the more difficult courses we run," said Perri. "Having the opportunity to work out on it and get familiar with it really helps."

Overall, Sullivan stated she was thrilled with the efforts of both squads.

"I think we've had this kind of race in us all season," said Sullivan. "We've been building towards this and everyone really pieced together a great race."

The Nittany Lions will finish their season at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which take place Nov. 17 at the University of Louisville.

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - It's been two months since the Penn State cross country teams have had the opportunity to race on their home course.

That will change on Friday when the Nittany Lions play host to the 2012 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.

Both the men and women's squads have been looking forward to running on the Blue & White Golf Course, where they have not had the chance to compete since Sept 8.

"We're really excited to have another chance at home," said head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan. "It's an electric environment to compete at."

Not only are both squads looking forward to running in front of their own fans, they also believe their knowledge of the course gives them a strong home field advantage.

'We know this course, we practice on this course, and we own this course," said junior Emily Giannotti. "That makes it even more exciting."

Senior captain Tyler Corkedale agreed that being familiar with the course should benefit the team.

"It's a tough course but that benefits us because we run it so much," said Corkedale. "The teams coming in may have seen it once or twice but they don't know it like we do."

Another aspect that could play to the Nittany Lion's advantage is the distance of the race.

While the women will be running their usual 6,000 meters, the men will be running a slightly longer distance than usual at 10,000 meters, something they are accustomed to doing on the course in practice.

"We add a mile on which goes in our favor," said Sullivan. "As long as our guys stay tough and stay in a pack we should be able to close well since it's our course."

One factor that will potentially affect strategy is the amount of teams competing in the meet.

Coming off of the Big Ten Championships that featured just 12 schools, the Nittany Lion's will now be facing more than 30 schools on Friday.

Despite this, Sullivan believes her teams can make the race seem smaller by staying up at the front of the pack.

"Both of our squads are front end teams," said Sullivan. "It may be a lot of people but we should be able to make it a relatively small race up front."

Both squads enter the meet with the aspirations to qualify for the National Championships.

The women, who are currently ranked behind defending national champion Georgetown, will be looking for the automatic bid that comes with a top two finish.

While Sullivan knows her team will be challenged for the second automatic bid from schools such as Villanova and Princeton, she is optimistic about her team's chances.

"We got to really compete for it and we can't afford to fall asleep," said Sullivan. "We're going to fight a really good battle though and it should be really exciting."

The men's squad, who enter the race ranked behind Georgetown and Princeton, will be in tough competition with a number of schools including Villanova for an at-large bid.

"We're going to try to put ourselves in a position to upset somebody," said Sullivan. "Hopefully we can knock somebody off."

Between both their training and their experiences competing in meets both large and small this season, Sullivan believes her runners could not be more prepared to race on Friday.

"I think we've really come together well," said Sullivan. "We understand our goals, we're well prepared, and we're healthy and feeling good."

Since it is the team's last chance to compete at home this season, a pair of berths to National Championships would mean that much more to the seniors whose careers are winding down.

"It's going to be emotional," said Corkedale. "It could be my last cross country race and it's my last chance to run in front of our home crowd."

Sullivan agreed that the meet will be extra special because of the seniors.

"I'm very excited for our seniors," said Sullivan. "Having a second chance for them to compete at home is very important to us." 

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - They've been looking forward to this moment all season, and on Sunday both the Penn State women's and men's cross country teams get the chance to prove themselves against their conference at the Big Ten Championships.

The meet, which takes place at Michigan State,

 will feature all 12 teams that make up the Big Ten.

When asked about the meet, head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan couldn't contain her excitement about facing their competition.

"It's a great opportunity to go head to head with everybody," said Sullivan. "It's a rare sport that gets to do that and our kids and I are excited for it."

Sullivan was also quick to mention how her teams training in preparation for the meet has kept them in excellent shape.

"We've had a great cycle of workouts starting from the end of last week," said Sullivan. "Now we're trying to make sure their legs are good and fresh going into this weekend."

Along with making sure her team is in top physical shape, Sullivan wants to ensure that they are mentally prepared to handle the pressure of a big race as well.

"I just tell them to embrace the fun and get excited about what's at hand," said Sullivan. "It's all about keeping it relaxed, loose, and being confident.

Junior Nick Scarpello agreed with his coach and stated that the key to staying calm for a race of this magnitude is to keep your mindset the same as always.

"For a meet like this, we like to approach it like any other race," said Scarpello. "For us it's like business as usual."

One thing that Sullivan did stress is how the team's strategy changes with only nine runners competing from each school.

"The tactics change because the runners have a clear vision of the race," said Sullivan. "They can see their teammates better and run in a pack better so the strategy changes so they can team perform."

This is a factor that Sullivan believes could play into the Nittany Lions favor, as they have raced in both large and small meets this season.

"I think we're really ready," said Sullivan. "We've run the gamut on all the things that the sport produces and we've seen a lot of the Big Ten.

Junior Rebekka Simko agreed that the Nittany Lion's are prepared for the challenge, since they have already faced some of the best competition the country has to offer this season.

"We've been against the best in the country," said Simko. "We know we can run with these schools.

Both squads enter the race with high aspirations for themselves. Sullivan believes the men's squad can place in the top five.

"We finished sixth last year, so we're looking to crack that top five," said Sullivan. "That's the standard and hopefully we can get into the upper echelon.

Scarpello shared Sullivan's opinion on the goal for his team.

"We're standing by our goal at the beginning on the season which was to finish fifth," said Scarpello. "We're going to have to run well but it just means performing up to our capabilities."

Some of the schools that the men's squad will be sure to keep an eye on are the defending national champion Wisconsin Badgers, as well as Michigan.

"Wisconsin looks to be highly the favorites," said Sullivan. "Michigan has also been running extremely well lately."

On the women's side, the 13th-ranked Nittany Lion's will be in tough competition with seventh-ranked Michigan and 15th-ranked Michigan State for the title.

"Michigan State is the two time defending champs and they've got the home field advantage," said Sullivan. "Michigan is having a phenomenal season and they're the one team we haven't seen yet."

In Sullivan's opinion, the school that ends up winning will be the one that manages to get some unexpected breakout performances.

"The team that wins this weekend is going to be the one that pulls off some surprise performances," said Sullivan. "If someone comes through with a bigger race then they have all year and gives their team an extra punch then that could determine it."

The one factor that Sullivan believes will be huge for her runners is their ability to run together.

"Our girls have been running so tight amongst each other," said Sullivan. "If that pack can stay tight on the front end then we're going to be really dangerous."

Sullivan also expressed how much it would mean to see this group of girls win the title.

"This would be huge," said Sullivan. "We've been in contention every year and to pull off the win would really set the standard for the program."

Simko echoed her coach's sentiments on what winning would mean to the program.

"It would be unbelievable," said Simko. "It would be a great way for the seniors to end their careers."

Though the competition will be tough, the Nittany Lion's believe that can pull off their goal.

"We're looking at it as it's ours to steal, not ours to lose," said Sullivan. "If we keep that attitude we'll have a great shot."

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Four years ago, they were starry-eyed freshmen, honored to be apart of a team that won the Big Ten Championships.

Now as seniors, Brooklyne Ridder and Natalie Bower want nothing more than to lead the Penn State women's cross country team to that same goal in their final season.

"Winning the Big Ten Championships would be the perfect ending to our four years on the cross country team," said Ridder. "I couldn't imagine a better ending."

Bower couldn't have agreed more with her teammate's sentiments.

"It would be a dream come true," said Bower. "We would love to have that goal achieved."

With the Nittany Lions ranked 13th nationally and only trailing Michigan (seventh) in terms of Big Ten schools, the two senior captains know that their goal is attainable, and are extremely proud of their team's performance up to this point in the season.

"It's been really exciting to perform well and to run strong," said Ridder. "It's definitely giving us a lot of confidence."

After having both qualified for the NCAA Championships their first three years at Penn State, Ridder and Bower have continued to give strong individual performances this season, having both finished in the Nittany Lion's top five in every race they have run this year.

They maintained that they have welcomed the pressure of having the team count on them, since they have extremely high expectations of themselves, as well.

"Natalie and I have had good performances since freshmen year, so we knew expectations were going to be high," said Ridder. "We expect a lot out of ourselves too though."

Not only have they embraced the pressure of being among the team's top performers, but also the pressure of leading the team as captains.

"Being a captain you automatically put some pressure on yourself," said Bower. "But it's all part of being a senior on the team."

Ridder added that being a captain is easier knowing that she has both Bower and fellow senior captain Lindsey Graybill to count on.

"The three of us work together really well," said Ridder. "I know that the two of them always have my back."

Both Ridder and Bower also stated that the underclassmen on the team have made their job easier with their strong performances.

"The younger girls stepping it up have been a great help," said Ridder. "Being able to have a team that runs together as a pack has been amazing."

Bower was quick to add that the entire team's work ethic during the course of the season has also been a source of pride.

"We've been working really hard in both our workouts and our daily runs," said Bower. "Not just our mileage but also our strength and our core."

Along with their teammates, Ridder and Bower both made sure to credit head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan with their continued success.

"Every year she sets the expectations a little bit higher," said Ridder. "She's been great to work with and I love having her as a coach."

Bower also praised Alford-Sullivan on her ability to get the best out of her and her teammates.

"She realizes we need to work hard to achieve what we want to do," said Bower. "I really appreciate her working with me."

With their final season winding down, both girls have been trying to put their cross country careers in perspective.

"It feels like a few days ago that we were freshmen," said Bower. "It shows you got to make it count while it lasts."

Ridder shared her teammate's opinion on the subject.

"I look back and I feel like I was just starting," said Ridder. "It's definitely hitting me now that I have three races left in my senior year."

Whether or not this season ends in a Big Ten title, Ridder and Bower both cannot believe their time with the Penn State women's cross country team is coming to an end.

"It's sad that I only have three races left," said Ridder. "It would be great to end this season on a good note."

Bower agreed, and stated she will miss the camaraderie between her teammates.

"It's something special to have this many girls work together so well," said Bower. "It'll be sad to move on."

The Nittany Lions will compete at the Big Ten Championships on Oct 28 at Michigan State University.

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa- Last year, the Penn State men's cross country team finished the season with a bad taste in their mouths, after they didn't qualify for the NCAA Championships.

It is a feeling that redshirt sophomore Matt Fischer is not intent on repeating for the second-straight year.

"The biggest thing for us is to make it to Nationals as a team," said Fischer. "Its something that we missed out on last year, unfortunately."

Fischer and the team hopes to build on a strong outing at home earlier this season.

After sitting out the squad's first meet at Lock Haven, Fischer led the lions with a second place finish at the Harry Groves Spike Shoe Invitational, a performance that he expected from himself.

"I expected to do well," said Fischer.  "It's a small field and it came against guys that we race against pretty often so I knew what to expect."

With the Nittany Lions set to race again next Saturday at Louisville, Fischer stressed how excited he is to get back to competition.

"Its definitely exciting," said Fischer. "We get a chance to score some at-large points for later in the season."

One aspect about the remainder of the season that Fischer is particularly excited about is the opportunity to compete on a larger scale.

"It's exciting to get out there and see some bigger meets," said Fischer. "It's a fun way to start up the season again by traveling."

While Fischer has gotten off to a hot start this year, he maintained that he is looking to continue this type of performance for the rest of the season.

"I want to keep a level performance throughout the season," said Fischer. "I felt I was a little inconsistent last year."

While Fischer's redshirt freshmen campaign consisted of him finishing in the top seven for the Nittany Lions in every meet he competed in, he still feels as if he has made major strides entering this year.

"I have a lot more confidence this year," said Fischer. "I definitely have a better handle on the way to train."

Fischer was quick to attribute his ability to compete to the training he put forth this summer.

"Last season I trained too hard during the summer but this season I figured out how to have a better summer," said Fischer. "There's a fine line between quality and quantity."

Now entering his second competitive cross country season, Fischer feels as though he has a firm grasp on how to toe that line.

"You don't want to go too hard in the summer but you do want to keep your mileage up," said Fischer. "I think I did a good job keeping my training steady this summer."

Training was just one element that Fischer had to adjust to when he made the decision to redshirt his freshmen season.  Looking back, he feels as though he has come a long way.

"It's a whole different atmosphere with longer distances in college," said Fischer. "You just have to build on it every year and stay consistent and it'll take you to a higher level."

Along with making his own adjustments, Fischer credited head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan for the influence she has had on both him and his teammates.

"She brings a great atmosphere that reverberates to the rest of the team," said Fischer. "We build off of what she preaches."

This atmosphere has created what Fischer believes is a brotherhood among the cross country runners.

"I can't imagine any team in the NCAA being closer than we are," said Fischer. "We're just like a family."

Moving forward, Fischer believes the Nittany Lion's can be successful not just this season, but also for many seasons to come.

"We want to create a culture where we can compete at the National Championships every year," said Fischer. "We want to be the team that starts that tradition."

Though he wants to excel individually, Fischer is completely focused on the goals of the team, not his own personal ones.

"I just want to do whatever I can for the team to be as good as we can be," said Fischer.

However this season eventually turns out, Fischer is glad that he is a Nittany Lion.

"Penn State is the greatest," said Fischer. "I couldn't imagine going to any other school."

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In collegiate athletics, when an athlete goes from competing against the best in her conference to the best in the country, it is not surprising for the jump in competition to strike a chord with the athlete.

That is why junior cross country runner Rebekka Simko, who had the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Trials in the 800 meters this past summer, knew her experience competing against the best the United States had to offer would be a life changing one.

"It was a phenomenal experience," said Simko. "Just being there around world class athletes is unbelievable."

Although she had just set Penn State's school record in the 800 with a 2:03.09 during the outdoor track season, the Ohio native believes the trials completely increased her motivation after she placed 27th in the field. 

"It put everything in a different perspective," said Simko. "Running against the best gives you completely new goals and aspirations."

The experience not only revamped her desire to train for cross country season, but also her anticipation for it to begin.

"It really gave my summer training a boost," said Simko. "I couldn't wait for the first cross country meet."

Although Simko had grown accustomed to training for 800-meter races during track season, she maintained that the transition to the 6,000-meter for cross country has gone smoother than some would think.

"The training isn't too much different," said Simko. "There's just more miles and tempo runs instead of speed work."

Now more than two weeks into the season, Simko has wasted no time displaying how much her training has paid off, winning the Nittany Lion's first meet, and finishing fourth in their second.

"She's been doing great," said head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan. "She stepped into cross country this fall with a whole new confidence and level of ability."

Sullivan believes that Simko's performance last year during the outdoor track season, when she earned Second Team All-American Honors, has paved the way for her success at cross country.

"She really caught her stride last spring during the outdoor season," said Sullivan. "It's all really come together for her."

Simko agreed with her coach's sentiment, and stated that she expected this type of performance from herself.

"I have high expectations for myself," said Simko. "I hoping that I would do well."

Another role that Simko has embraced along with being a star runner is the role of team leader.

"I feel like my attitude coming in everyday has been better," said Simko. "It's been really fun helping everyone out."

Sullivan said that she expected Simko to be one of the team's leaders, and that she could not be more proud of her for stepping up.

"I told her to be herself and that kids would follow her because she's just a tremendous young person," said Sullivan.

One of the qualities that Sullivan believes makes Simko such a special leader and teammate is her sense of humor.

"She's just a wonderful girl but she's really funny," said Sullivan. "She has a real honest sense of humor."

Simko, for her part, has credited Sullivan's coaching as one of the biggest factors of her improvement and success.

"I have complete faith in Coach Sullivan," said Simko. "I give her all the credit and I trust everything she tells me to do."

Along with the guidance of Coach Sullivan, Simko also credits her teammates for the camaraderie that they have provided her.

"Training with these girls everyday has had an unbelievable impact on me," said Simko. "We all have different strengths and weaknesses so pulling for each other makes a huge difference."

Now two meets into the schedule, Simko stressed how excited she is about the rest of the season.

"I can't wait for the meets to start kicking up in intensity," said Simko. "It should be really fun."

Already having been named Big Ten Athlete of the Week for her opening meet performance, Simko believes that both her and teammates can achieve loftier goals this season if they keep up their dedication.

"As a team we want to win the Big Ten and get to Nationals," said Simko. "Individually, I'd like to be All Big Ten and All Region."

Simko and her teammates return to competition on Sept 29, when they race at Louisville at the Greater Louisville Classic.

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - As rain poured down at the Blue and White Golf Course Saturday morning, the Penn State women's cross country team surged to a first place finish in team standings at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational, while the men's team took third place.

Competing against a selection of schools that featured Princeton, Navy, West Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, Georgetown, Rutgers, Geneseo State, St. Joseph's, and St. Francis, the women's team placed five runners in the top ten to edge out Princeton 25-52 in points, while the men's squad finished behind Princeton and Georgetown in points at 25-57-78.

Afterward, head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan remained very positive about not only the winning performance of the women, but also the grittiness displayed by the men.

"The women really showed up today and had a great day," said Sullivan. "On the men's side we weren't perfect by any means, but we held our own."

Junior Tori Perri and Sophomore Matt Fischer led their respective squads with second place finishes, while the women's team also got top ten finishes from Senior Natalie Bower (third), Junior Rebekka Simko (fourth), Senior Brooklyne Ridder (sixth), and Sophomore Leigha Anderson (10th).

"Matt Fischer really had a breakout day," said Sullivan. "On the other side just great racing from Tori, Bekka, Natalie, and Brooklyne with Leigha really stepping up."

Perri, who finished second overall to Ohio's Julie Accurso with a time of 21:20, seemed to think her high finish was somewhat unexpected.

"I was pretty surprised," said Perri. "Everyone's in really good shape this year, so I wasn't sure which one of us was going to be up front."

One thing that Perri did attribute her strong showing to was the amount of dedication she showed in the offseason.

"I trained better this summer than I had before," said Perri. "The training is finally catching up with me."

Fischer, who made his season debut and finished second to Princeton's Alejandro Yamin with a 26:07, seemed confident in his ability to place high.

"I felt like I could do pretty well and give a good performance today," said Fischer.

After opening the season with a pair of victories against Lock Haven last Saturday, both squads knew they'd be in for a different kind of challenge competing against an assortment of schools instead of just one.

"In a race like this you really need to be able to run your team strategy and compete together," said Sullivan.

Although the meet was different from the one they had run a week ago, runners such as Perri felt as though the larger scale environment was a good experience for the team to encounter.

"This is more of what college racing is all about," said Perri.  "I like that we can get used to it early in the season and see what we can do."

Another prospect that both squads had to face was the rain, which began shortly after the women's race began, and ended midway through the men's race.

While the rain certainly didn't make anything easier, both teams maintained that it did not affect their performance.

"I honestly didn't even notice it," said Perri. "I was so in the mind set of racing that it wasn't a factor at all."

Fischer agreed that the weather was not a hindrance to the team.

"Rain really doesn't matter," said Fischer. "We workout in this rain and mud all the time so its kind of fun."

Not only were the squads unfazed by the weather, but they also enjoyed being back on their home course.

"Our knowledge of the course really paid off," said Sullivan.  "We had a nice home opener and I was very pleased."

The Nittany Lions do not race again until Sept. 29, when they travel to Louisville for the Greater Louisville Classic.

By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - As her teams continued to prepare for their home opener, Penn State cross country head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan couldn't contain her excitement for not only the upcoming meet, but also for the entire season as a whole.

"In general, I'm really excited about the season," said Sullivan. "The kids are really fit and prepared for a challenge."

Both the men's and women's squads will get their next challenge on Saturday when they open up their home schedule with the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational. The meet will begin at 10 a.m. at the Blue and White Golf Course.

"This weekend will be fun," said Sullivan. "Our course is a great spectator course and it's a really fun place to see our sport."

Sullivan hopes her runners can find the same success on Saturday that they had this past weekend, when both her squads were victorious against Lock Haven University at the Dolan Duals.

Although Sullivan was very pleased with the performance of both squads against Lock Haven, she was particularly impressed with the men's team.

"We felt were going to be strong on the women's side and handle them pretty well, but on the men's side we didn't run three or four of our top guys," said Sullivan. "We took some chances but we held onto it really well."

One thing that Sullivan attributes her team's fast start too is the dedication they displayed during the offseason.

"Their summer training has really paid off," said Sullivan. "They have to do a lot of independent training and log a lot of miles and they did that."

Senior captain Brooklyne Ridder shared her coach's sentiment regarding how much the team has benefited from their hard work.

"Coming in and racing the way that we did at Lock Haven definitely showed that everyone did their summer training and is in really good shape," said Ridder.

Another reason that Sullivan feels has gotten both teams off to a hot start is the leadership being displayed by senior captains Ridder, Natalie Bower, and Lindsey Graybill for the women's team, as well as Tyler Corkedale and Thomas Luff for the men's team.

"They've stepped up their game big time," said Sullivan. "They're physically very fit but they're also great chemistry people good at bringing the best out of the group."

While Sullivan has been thrilled with the performance of her captains, they themselves have been impressed with the hard work being displayed by the new freshmen.

"The new guys have been great," said Corkedale. "Sometimes freshmen come in without having done the training but these guys have done everything that they were supposed to and are in great shape."

Ridder agreed that the freshmen on the women's team have been equally strong.

"The freshmen have been keeping up with us and have definitely come in trained," said Ridder. "They fit in great with the team and we're really glad to have them."

If their hard work continues, Sullivan thinks both squads have the potential to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

"The women will be in contention to win the Big Ten Title and they'll want to qualify for the National Championships," said Sullivan. "Our men's team will look to crack the top five of the conference and try and get to the National Championships as well."

Sullivan acknowledged that these goals are a challenge, but maintained that she is looking forward to it.

"The whole season is going to be challenging," said Sullivan. "That's something that I love that about this sport."

The following is the tenth in a series of blog posts from senior Caitlin Lane. Lane is a team captain, Big Ten Champion and NCAA All-American in cross country.  The senior also holds a pair of school records on the track, including the indoor 1,000-meters (2:45.95), and outdoor 4x800-meter relay (8:39.44) outdoors.

This has been, without a doubt, the most memorable season I have ever experienced here at Penn State. There were highs and there were lows but I couldn't have asked for a better team. I started this season differently than the others, with more confidence and a better base. I set higher goals and worked as hard as I could to make sure I accomplished them. We set team goals, and although we fell short on some, we accomplished more than I think a lot of people thought we could. Finishing 16^th individually and 13^th as a team at the National Championships was the perfect ending to a great cross country career at Penn State. Top 15 was something that I knew we were capable of and I am so happy and so proud that I was able to be a part of this team.

It took me all Thanksgiving break to realize what had really happened at NCAA's. I raced, knowing that I was in contention to finish in the top 25 the whole way but I didn't think I would be able to hold the position until the end. As I rounded the bend to the home stretch, I saw my teammate Bekka Simko, shouting as loud as she could and I was somehow able to push myself past three, four, maybe five girls. Bekka has been my roommate a few times this season and I'm convinced she's my lucky charm. I crossed the finish line and even though I was exhausted, I looked for my teammates. I saw Kara and then Natalie, Brooklyne, Emily, Abbie and Lindsey cross the finish line. It was overwhelming watching all the girls stagger across the finish line and work their way through the crowd. We gathered up and headed back to the tent, feeling good even though we didn't know the end result yet. We just knew it was going to be good.

Parents were walking with us, congratulating us and hugging us. It was so great to have everyone be so proud. They knew how hard we had worked and it is so nice to have people there that are so encouraging and love everyone so much. I ran thinking of my dad, who at the last minute wasn't able to come watch. I thought about how proud he would have been if he had gotten to watch in person instead of online. After each kilometer mark that I passed I thought, 'dad would be here, yelling at me, and in a good way today!' As we walked back to the tent I thought about how much I wished my family could have been there, but how excited I was to get home and tell them all about it.

Throughout this season, blogging for gopsusports.com has been so fun for me. I love running and competing and I love being able to write about it. For those of you that have been reading and following us during the season, thank you! Although you might not be at our meets or cheering us on in person, having supporters all over is special and we appreciate it so much. To all of our track and field teammates who helped out at our home meets and cheered us on, thank you for being amazing people and the best teammates anyone could ask for. I would hate to be from another team with you guys cheering for us scattered throughout our home course. One word, intimidating! Thank you to our parents, coaches and friends for always being supportive and encouraging. And one last thank you, thank you to the girls and guys on the cross-country team. I'm thankful to have another two seasons with all of you before I have to say goodbye. You are amazing people and let's make these next two seasons even better than this one. WE ARE!