State College, Pa., Nov. 18, 2002 - The Penn State Women's Cross Country team is heading to the NCAA Championships for the first time in six years following their third place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional last weekend. The Nittany Lions took home third place out of 27 teams Saturday in Davis, West Virginia, the teams highest finish since 1997, and received an at at-large bid into the NCAA Championships today.

Freshman running sensation Tracey Brauksieck (Homer, N.Y.) automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships after placing second, the highest finish for a Penn State women's cross country runner since the Lions joined the Big Ten. Brauksieck ran the 6K course in a time of 20:41.3. Sophomore Molly Landreth (Newburyport, Mass.) placed 20th in a time of 21:42.3 and joined Brauksieck on the All-Regional team.

Seventh ranked Georgetown won the regional with a total of 50 points and No. 16 Villanova placed second with 57 points. Penn State was third with 111 points. West Virginia's Megan Metcalfe captured the women's individual title with a time of 20:32.0.

Other Penn State scorers included. Last year's NCAA individual qualifier Michelle Wale (Pine Bush, N.Y.). The sophomore ran the 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.) placed 35th and junior captain Katy Hillard placed 36th (Turbotville, Pa.) 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 NCAA Championship meet will be held Monday, Nov. 25, in Terre Haute, Ind. The the race will be held on a 6,000-meter course and is set to start at 12:00 p.m.