Head Coach: Harry Groves (38th Year)
Last Year¡¯s Record: 12-4, 9th at Big Ten Championships
Significant Competitions: With only five regular season competitions on the schedule, every home meet is very important to the Nittany Lion runners. Penn State opens the season Sept. 17 at the Lock Haven Invitational. The Penn State runners will have their first chance to show their home fans what they can do at the Penn State Spiked Shoe Meet on Sept. 24. After another important test away at the Paul Short Invitational on Oct. 15, the team will lace up their spikes at home once again for the Penn State National on Oct. 1. The Nittany Lions will end their season with the Big Ten Championships (Oct. 30), NCAA Regionals (Nov. 12), and NCAA Championships (Nov. 21).
Starters Returning: Dan Mazzocco (Sr.-Jr.), Matt Lincoln (Sr.), Edward Quinn (So.), Oskar Nordenbring (So.)
Other Runners Returning: 10; Kyle Berseth (Sr.), Mike Fudeman (So.), Brian Fuller (So.), Jeffrey Haines (So.), Ian McCann (Sr.), Patrick Murphy (Sr.), Chris Nirschel (Sr.), Ben Neibel (Sr.), Edward Quinn (So.), Michael Symick (Fr.)
Prime Newcomers: Dennis Pollow (Wilson High School / Ransomville, N.Y.), Tim Johnson (Cedar Cliff High School / Pa.) PIAA AAA State Champion, John Mahoney (Council Rock North High School / Pa.), John Iannaconne (Transfer- Haverford College) Grad School Student (One year of eligibility remaining)
Special Players to Watch: The Nittany Lion runner to watch will once again be Dan Mazzocco. He was a 2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Champ and an NCAA Qualifier in 2003 and 2004. He was named 2003 Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Athlete of the Year. In 2004, he claimed All-Regional honors once again by placing fifth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship.
Coach¡¯s Outlook: "Success will come from a gradual development process. Our guys will have to buckle down and try to climb the up the ladder this year. If they do that, then we can be successful."
Key to Season: "It is the second year for most of our younger runners. So we have the depth, but it has to be converted into quality depth."
