UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 11, 2006 - The Penn State Nittany Lions¡¯ men¡¯s and women¡¯s cross country teams will compete this Saturday at the Pre-National Invitational, hosted by Indiana State University. Races are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

The meet will be stocked with top-notch competition, including all 11 Big Ten women¡¯s teams and top-ranked women¡¯s team Stanford. Arizona, BYU, Colorado, Michigan, and William and Mary will represent the men¡¯s top 25, among others. A total of 90 teams will compete in the women¡¯s division and 87 teams will run in the men¡¯s. The athletes will be divided between three races for each gender.

Both squads have run extremely well so far this season, with each team posting a streak of top-three finishes. Freshman Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week after her first-place performance at the Penn State National Invitational. The men¡¯s side will once again be led by senior All-American Dan Mazzocco (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who has run extremely well this season and will look to burst into national prominence in this race.

Live results will be posted on Indiana State¡¯s athletics site, and full results will be posted on GoPSUsports.com as they become available.