State College, Pa., Nov. 16, 2002- Freshman running sensation Tracey Brauksieck (Homer, N.Y.) has qualified for the NCAA Championships after placing second at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship. Brauksieck's time of 20:41.3 on the 6K course was also a major contributor to Penn State's third place finish.

#7 Georgetown won the meet with a total of 50 points. #16 Villanova placed second with 57 points and #24 Penn State was third with 111 points. West Virginia's Megan Metcalfe captured the women's title with a time of 20:32.0 and will be joined at the NCAA Championships by Brauksieck, Julie Culley of Rutgers who ran a 20:49.3 for third place and Villanova's Marina Muncan who finished in a time of 21:03.1 for fourth.

Other Penn State scorers included sophomore Molly Landreth (Newburyport, Mass.) placing 20th in a time of 21:42.3 and last year's NCAA qualifier sophomore Michelle Wale (Pine Bush, N.Y.) who ran the 6K course in a time of 22:20.5 for 31st place.

Freshman Jenny Stevens (Hookset, N.H.) came in at 33rd with a 22:18.4. Junior transfer Tara Johnson (Glenolden, Pa.) and junior captain Katy Hillard (Turbotville, Pa.) placed 35th and 36th finishing in times of 22:20.1 and 22:21.1, respectively. Junior Maureen Thomas (Bethlehem, Pa.) rounded out the placing for the Lions coming in at 56th in a time of 22:53.3.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional was hosted by West Virginia for the first time and saw 188 women from 27 schools compete at the Canaan Valley Golf Course in Davis, W. Va.

The top two teams and the top four individuals have now qualified for the NCAA Championships, which will be held on Nov. 25 in Terre Haute, Ind. The at-large bids will be announced Mon., Nov. 18 at 5:00 p.m.