University Park, Pa.-The Penn State women's cross country team continued their impressive season on Saturday, as they raced to a second place finish in their only home meet of the season, the National Invitational.

James Madison won the event with a score of 35, followed by the Nittany Lions, who scored 56 points on the day. William and Mary took third place with 71 points, while the Gators of Florida finished fourth with 89 points. Lehigh took fifth place, scoring 141 points, while Mount St. Mary's and St. Joseph's rounded out the field with 178 points apiece.

"This was our best race of the season," said Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan. "James Madison has a fantastic team. I'm very pleased with how our runners were able to hang right with them until the end."

Individually for the Lions, the freshmen continued their hot running, nabbing three out of Penn State's top four spots. Michelle Wale, (Pine Bush, N.Y.) took second place overall, finishing in a time of 21:37.79. Also cracking the top ten was Maureen Thomas (So., Bethlehem, Pa.). Freshman Chelsea Lenge (West Hartford, Conn.) finished strong in 11th place with a time of 22:23.24. A trio of Nittany Lions took places 18 through 20. Molly Landreth (Fr., Newburyport, Mass.) crossed the line in 22:45.53, Caitlin Deeble (Jr., Limekiln, Pa.) finished in 22:47.99, and Jess Riden (So., Reedsville, Pa.) wrapped up with a time of 22:48.93.

"I'm pleased with our freshman class," said coach Sullivan. "They're so relaxed out there, and running so confidently."

In the individual overall standings, Erin Mertin of Florida won the title in a time of 21:24.83. After, Michelle Wale's second place finish, Mollie DeFrancesco and Cindy Dunham of James Madison crossed the line with times of 21:52.34 and 22:01.25 respectively. Rounding out the top five was Maura McMahon of William and Mary, finishing in a time of 22:10.99.

The Penn State women's cross country team will take next week off to prepare for the Big Ten Championships on Sunday, October 28 at Champaign, Illinois.

 Pennsylvania State University Hy-Tek's MEET MANAGER 10/13/01 11:02 AM 17th Annual Penn State Open National Inv. Page 1 Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses University Park, PA - Saturday 10/13/01 Event 1 Women's 6,000 Meter Run WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES Rank School Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9 ==== ======================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== 1 James Madison 35 3 4 7 8 13 14 16 Total time: 1:50:48.10 Average: 22:09.62 2 Penn State 56 2 6 11 18 19 20 24 Total time: 1:51:47.00 Average: 22:21.40 3 William & Mary 71 5 12 15 17 22 31 33 Total time: 1:52:44.18 Average: 22:32.84 4 Florida 89 1 10 25 26 27 28 34 Total time: 1:53:05.90 Average: 22:37.18 5 Lehigh 141 9 23 35 36 38 42 47 Total time: 1:56:04.31 Average: 23:12.86 6 MT ST Mary's 178 21 29 41 43 44 48 49 Total time: 1:59:35.78 Average: 23:55.16 6 ST Joseph's 178 30 32 37 39 40 45 46 Total time: 1:58:42.92 Average: 23:44.58 Pennsylvania State University Hy-Tek's MEET MANAGER 10/13/01 11:04 AM 17th Annual Penn State Open National Inv. Page 1 Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses University Park, PA - Saturday 10/13/01 Event 1 Women's 6,000 Meter Run Results by Order of Finish - Saturday 10/13/01 RANK COMP# ATHLETE NAME SCHOOL AVG MILE TIME SCORE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 207 Merten, Erin Florida 5:44 21:24.83 1 2 339 Wale, Michelle Penn State 5:48 21:37.79 2 3 217 DeFrancesco, Mollie James Madison 5:52 21:52.34 3 4 218 Dunham, Cindy James Madison 5:54 22:01.25 4 5 482 McMahon, Maura William & Mary 5:57 22:10.99 5 6 338 Thomas, Maureen Penn State 5:57 22:12.45 6 7 221 Hutchins, Suzie James Madison 5:57 22:14.24 7 8 222 Lapetoda, Jennifer James Madison 5:58 22:14.72 8 9 253 Hull, Lucinda Lehigh 5:58 22:18.37 9 10 201 Cookingly, Carling Florida 5:59 22:21.11 10 11 329 Lenge, Chelsea Penn State 6:00 22:23.24 11 12 488 Toscani, Lara William & Mary 6:00 22:24.58 12 13 214 Burauski, Lauren James Madison 6:00 22:25.55 13 14 225 Romano, Brett James Madison 6:02 22:30.32 14 15 470 Addison, Jeannie William & Mary 6:02 22:33.16 15 16 212 Baker, Kelly James Madison 6:04 22:38.46 16 17 471 Baadj, Nadia William & Mary 6:06 22:45.08 17 18 328 Landreth, Molly Penn State 6:06 22:45.53 18 19 320 Deeble, Caitlin Penn State 6:06 22:47.99 19 20 334 Riden, Jess Penn State 6:07 22:48.93 20 21 291 McCarty, Kari MT ST Mary's 6:07 22:49.21 21 22 478 Kosakowski, Jackie William & Mary 6:07 22:50.37 22 23 252 Hull, Claudin Lehigh 6:07 22:50.96 23 24 321 DeNovellis, Kim Penn State 6:08 22:54.78 24 25 411 Roundtree, Julia Southern Illinois 6:09 22:56.11 26 410 Meehan, Katie Southern Illinois 6:10 23:01.85 27 208 Newton, Jessica Florida 6:11 23:05.14 25 28 210 Walker, Kelly Florida 6:11 23:06.72 26 29 203 Dunn, Mallory Florida 6:12 23:08.10 27 30 337 Sharkey, Beth Penn State 6:12 23:09.19 31 204 Lennon, Kay Florida 6:12 23:10.03 28 32 230 Vigliotti, Beth James Madison 6:14 23:14.52 33 330 Matrunick, Kayla Penn State 6:14 23:14.81 34 324 Hillard, Katy Penn State 6:14 23:17.21 35 295 Wenzel, Erika MT ST Mary's 6:15 23:19.15 29 36 326 Kempton, Beth Penn State 6:15 23:20.05 37 428 Flanagan, Colleen ST Joseph's 6:16 23:23.19 30 38 316 Anthony, Jennifer Penn State 6:16 23:25.16 39 486 Romanski, Claire William & Mary 6:17 23:27.22 31 40 436 Weber, Karen ST Joseph's 6:17 23:28.12 32 41 484 Miller, Korin William & Mary 6:17 23:29.10 33 42 209 Vega, Norma Florida 6:18 23:29.46 34 43 226 Thomas, Waynitra James Madison 6:18 23:30.31 44 254 Luebbe, Andrea Lehigh 6:19 23:33.55 35 45 249 Ackers, Megan Lehigh 6:19 23:36.22 36 46 475 Henderson, Ali William & Mary 6:20 23:37.51 47 427 Fergus, Denise ST Joseph's 6:20 23:38.66 37 48 325 Hughes, Kati Penn State 6:21 23:41.41 49 250 Brady, Edann Lehigh 6:22 23:45.21 38 50 223 Lewis, Alisha James Madison 6:22 23:46.20 Pennsylvania State University Hy-Tek's MEET MANAGER 10/13/01 11:04 AM 17th Annual Penn State Open National Inv. Page 2 Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses University Park, PA - Saturday 10/13/01 Event 1 Women's 6,000 Meter Run Results by Order of Finish - Saturday 10/13/01 RANK COMP# ATHLETE NAME SCHOOL AVG MILE TIME SCORE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 317 Bradley, Katy Penn State 6:23 23:48.39 52 319 Curran, Mary Kate Penn State 6:23 23:51.19 53 215 Burkett, Sarah James Madison 6:25 23:58.45 54 327 Kotulka, Karli Penn State 6:26 24:00.30 55 431 Limbach, Katie ST Joseph's 6:26 24:00.92 39 56 322 Gahagan, Krista Penn State 6:26 24:01.83 57 479 Loyer, Ruth William & Mary 6:27 24:02.95 58 423 Bright, Sarah ST Joseph's 6:29 24:12.03 40 59 336 Serrano, Thais Penn State 6:29 24:12.94 60 335 Scottoline, Lindsay Penn State 6:30 24:17.44 61 205 Mariani, Jacqueline Florida 6:31 24:20.11 62 294 Rafeedie, Michelle MT ST Mary's 6:32 24:23.47 41 63 255 Rallo, Stacy Lehigh 6:32 24:24.56 42 64 490 Wells, Sarah William & Mary 6:33 24:27.05 65 409 Carducci, Christine Southern Illinois 6:33 24:28.34 66 292 Moran, Devon MT ST Mary's 6:34 24:28.99 43 67 480 Masterson, Erin William & Mary 6:34 24:30.83 68 216 Davis, Erin James Madison 6:35 24:33.02 69 323 Gilliland, Megan Penn State 6:35 24:34.57 70 289 Dutcher, Brynn MT ST Mary's 6:35 24:34.96 44 71 424 Choromanski, Emily ST Joseph's 6:36 24:37.76 45 72 435 Victory, Kelly ST Joseph's 6:37 24:43.52 46 73 491 Williams, Tracy William & Mary 6:38 24:45.94 74 487 Saylor, Drew William & Mary 6:39 24:48.08 75 251 Chrissy, Boyd Lehigh 6:40 24:51.95 47 76 485 Roessler, Sarah William & Mary 6:40 24:54.00 77 489 Velard, Becca William & Mary 6:40 24:54.77 78 220 Gregory, Michelle James Madison 6:43 25:04.93 79 426 Crossin, Mary ST Joseph's 6:44 25:09.41 80 425 Conway, Sarah ST Joseph's 6:46 25:16.13 81 224 Payne, Ashley James Madison 6:46 25:16.44 82 151 Reyes, Aileen CC OF Philadelphia 6:47 25:18.54 83 318 Connell, Colleen Penn State 6:47 25:19.18 84 477 Holaday, Meredith William & Mary 6:49 25:25.27 85 308 Seward, Christine Penn College OF Te 6:52 25:36.33 86 331 McFadden, Sarah Penn State 6:52 25:37.11 87 229 Ural, Emily James Madison 6:52 25:38.91 88 430 Lacovera-Switze, Erika ST Joseph's 6:54 25:44.01 89 290 Haslbeck, Leanne MT ST Mary's 6:55 25:49.88 48 90 213 Bryan, Jackie James Madison 6:58 25:59.09 91 227 Turton, Anna James Madison 7:01 26:12.41 92 437 Wynne, Megan ST Joseph's 7:11 26:48.37 93 476 Herrell, Katie William & Mary 7:15 27:04.00 94 412 Simone, Erin Southern Illinois 7:17 27:12.73 95 429 Gallagher, Megan ST Joseph's 7:20 27:23.39 96 246 Henneforth, Rachel Keystone College 7:21 27:26.27 97 309 Snyder, Becky Penn College OF Te 7:31 28:02.16 98 307 Decker, Jessica Penn College OF Te 7:35 28:16.68 99 286 Bender, Melanie MT ST Mary's 7:36 28:22.62 49 100 368 Krulick, Hester Psu Berks 8:05 30:10.96 Pennsylvania State University Hy-Tek's MEET MANAGER 10/13/01 11:04 AM 17th Annual Penn State Open National Inv. Page 3 Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses University Park, PA - Saturday 10/13/01 Event 1 Women's 6,000 Meter Run Results by Order of Finish - Saturday 10/13/01 RANK COMP# ATHLETE NAME SCHOOL AVG MILE TIME SCORE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101 396 Acker, Becky Psu Worthington Sc 8:08 30:20.23 102 391 Chang, Kathy Psu Schuylkill 8:23 31:17.76 103 366 Halpern, Sharon Psu Berks 8:27 31:30.45 104 398 Walsh, Rebekah Psu Worthington Sc 8:28 31:35.67 105 390 Benner, Stacey Psu Schuylkill 9:19 34:46.81 106 401 Beaver, Sara Psu York 9:22 34:55.58 107 1283 Dries, Jenn Central Penn 9:23 35:01.82 108 153 Turner, Kellee CC OF Philadelphia 9:32 35:33.99 109 371 Schweitzer, Amber Psu Berks 9:33 35:38.52 110 148 Beckley, Leonora CC OF Philadelphia 9:46 36:27.32 111 367 Johnson, Alicia Psu Berks 9:49 36:38.05 112 383 Mator, Kimberly Psu New Kensington 9:56 37:03.21 113 392 Shook, Jennifer Psu Schuylkill 10:13 38:06.65 114 397 Heather, Marcy Psu Worthington Sc 10:34 39:26.40