UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Nov. 15, 2006 - Two of Penn State¡¯s finest cross country runners will compete at the 2006 NCAA Men¡¯s and Women¡¯s Cross Country Championships. The duo received bids at the NCAA Mid Atlantic Regional Championships held this past Saturday. Freshman Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) and senior All-American Dan Mazzocco (Pittsburgh, Pa.) will represent Penn State Monday, November 20 in Terre Haute, Ind. Indiana State University will serve as host.

The women¡¯s 6K race begins at noon, followed by the men¡¯s 10K race at 1:15 p.m. The awards ceremony will cap off the championships at 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Lavern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Complex in Terre Haute, Ind.

Franek garnered Big Ten Runner of the Week accolades Oct. 10, 2006 after finishing first at the Penn State National. She finished fifth overall at the 2006 NCAA Mid Atlantic Regional, setting a new personal best in the 6K (20:43.6). She was the first freshman to cross the line. Franek led the way at the 2006 Big Ten Championships, capturing a 17th place finish, just shy of All-Big Ten status. In addition, Franek was the third-fastest freshman in the field.

This year¡¯s championships will mark the fourth time Mazzocco has competed at the NCAA Championships. He finished 43rd at the 2005 NCAA Championships, earning him All-America honors. He was the first men¡¯s runner to earn such an honor since 1993. At the Mid Atlantic Regional, he took fourth place with a time of 30:24.1. At the 2006 Big Ten Championships, Mazzocco took 15th in the 8K with a time of 24:56.

Head Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan is ready to see how the duo will perform on the national level.

¡°We are looking forward to representing Penn State at the 2006 NCAA Championships,¡± said Alford-Sullivan. ¡° We are both excited and ready to see how Bridget [Franek] performs on the national level and how Dan [Mazzocco] will cap off a great career here at Penn State.¡±

Nine Big Ten teams and eight individuals qualified for the championships. All nine conference squads are ranked in their respective polls.

Results will be posted as they become available on Penn State¡¯s official athletic Web site, www.GoPSUsports.com. For more information on the event, please visit the following Web site dedicated to the 2006 NCAA Championships, http://www.indstate.edu/athletic/cross/championship/2006ncaa.html.