Oct. 9, 2008

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sophomore running back Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va.) and junior cross country runner Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week.

Sophomore tailback Royster posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and fifth of his career in the Nittany Lions' victory over Purdue last weekend. He tied his career high with (141 yards) on 18 carries (7.8). Royster scored his eighth rushing touchdown of the season on a four-yard run in the third quarter to give Penn State a 17-0 lead. Royster set career-highs with four catches and 53 yards for a career-best 194 all-purpose yards. He had a 23-yard catch and run to set-up Kevin Kelly's 20-yard FG early in fourth quarter for 20-0 lead. - Purdue held a 10:23 to 4:37 time of possession edge after the first quarter, but thanks in large part to Royster, Penn State owned a 32:48 to 27:12 advantage in final time of possession.

Evan Royster

Junior Franek earned Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week after she opened her 2008 campaign last Saturday with an impressive fifth-place finish at the Oregon Bill Dellinger Invitational at Springfield Country Club. Despite wet and muddy conditions, Franek finished in 20:43.96 over the 6,000-meter course - more than holding her own in an NCAA caliber field. Franek led the Nittany Lion women to a third-place finish in an outstanding field, finishing third to only No. 1 Oregon and 11th-ranked Arkansas; and upending No. 17 Colorado State, No. 23 BYU, as well as solid squads from Wake Forest and Portland.

2008-09 Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week
September 3, 2008 - Derrick Williams (football), Allison Scola (field hockey)
September 10, 2008 - Evan Royster (football), Arielle Wilson (women's volleyball)
September 17, 2008 - Deon Butler (football), Christa Harmotto (women's volleyball)
September 23, 2008 - Navorro Bowman (football), Nicole Fawcett (women's volleyball)
Septenber 30, 2008 - Derrick Williams (football), Daneen Zug (field hockey)
October 6, 2008 - Evan Royster (football), Bridget Franek (cross country)

--NITTANY LIONS--