University Park, Pa.-- The Penn State women's cross country team travels to the University of Illinois this weekend for the 2001 Big Ten Cross Country Championships. The women's 5,000 meter race kicks off at 10:45 a.m. from the University of Illinois Golf Course in Savoy, Illinois.

Penn State will be looking to improve on their eighth place finish at last year's Big Ten Championships. The Nittany Lions are coming off an impressive fall season and are "peaking at the right time," according to third-year coach Beth Alford-Sullivan. Penn State started the season with a second place finish at the Monmouth Invitational and followed that up with a 21st place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational against a field of talented teams from throughout the nation. The Lions finished the season strong, finishing first at the Paul Short Invitational and taking second place two weeks ago at the National Invitational.

Coach Beth Sullivan brings a talented squad to Illinois, including freshman Michelle Wale (Pine Bush, N.Y). Wale is coming off of a second place finish at the National Invitational on October 12, and has been the Nittany Lions' top finisher in each meet this season. Other youngsters to watch for the Lions include Chelsea Lenge (Fr., West Hartford, Conn.) and Maureen Thomas (So., Bethlehem, Pa.), who have finished in the top five for Penn State in every meet this year. Kim DeNovellis leads the Lion veterans. The senior from Clarion, Pennsylvania started off the season hot with a fifth place finish at the Monmouth Invitational.