University Park, PA, Nov. 9, 2005 - The Penn State Men¡¯s cross country team is gearing up this week for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic regional, scheduled for Saturday, November 12 at 11 a.m. The event will be hosted by Lehigh University.

The 10,000 meter race serves as the qualifier for the NCAA Championships, with the top two finishing teams receiving an at-large bid. ¡°That¡¯s as good a system of selection as I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± said head coach Harry Groves.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a tough 9th place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Although the team did not score well, junior Dan Mazzocco posted an impressive 15th place finish in what is arguably the toughest conference in the nation.

Although perhaps not a cross country powerhouse on the level of the Big Ten, competition in the Mid-Atlantic region is stiff. American and Georgetown are the teams to beat, with Providence displaying impressive talent as well. ¡°Those are the teams to beat,¡± said Groves, ¡°along with a half dozen others.¡±

The Lions have already run against American and Providence. At the Penn State National Invitational, American finished second and Providence took fifth, led by a first-place finish by Martin Fagan.