Sports
Updated December 4, 2008 4:48 AM
With the Penn State men's cross country team's 25th place finish at the NCAA championship last week, it meant a lot of things for the Nittany Lions.
Updated December 3, 2008 4:48 AM
After helping the Lions to a 25th place finish at the NCAA Championship, senior Tyler McCandless awoke the next morning to a much-appreciated surprise. While checking his e-mail, he found his inbox flooded with messages of congratulations and support from all types of fans.
Updated November 24, 2008 10:04 PM
On a course in Terre Haute, Ind. the Penn State men's cross country team said goodbye to the past and hello to its future in one day at Monday's NCAA championships, where its freshmen led the way. Updated 10:04 PM
Updated November 21, 2008 4:50 AM
After years full of disappointing finishes and seasons ending with unsatisfying performances, the Nittany Lions are looking for redemption. Being one of the top 30 teams in the country was an early season goal, and finishing with a ranking is where they want it to end.
Updated November 20, 2008 4:52 AM
Standing at the Blue and White golf courses after the completion of the Penn State National in October, coach Beth Alford-Sullivan congratulated her seven seniors.
Senior John Mahoney remembers the bus rides home after competitions last year. Mahoney remembers the disappointment, he remembers how "awful" those trips home were.
For a team with seven seniors on its roster, few would expect to find the top finishers being freshmen. For the Penn State men's cross country team, the goal of making the NCAA Championships was set by the seniors, but was solidified with help from two underclassmen.
Updated November 19, 2008 4:00 AM
It all started with a team meeting in April.
Updated November 17, 2008 4:50 AM
While jogging short cool-down laps in the area of their team tent, the Nittany Lions were anxiously trying to add up their individual places. The coaches told them the preliminary results were close, but waiting for the official word took 45 agonizing minutes.
Updated November 16, 2008 11:10 AM
The Penn State men's cross country team finished in second place at Saturday's Mid-Atlantic Regional. The second place finish earned the Nittany Lions an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, the program's first appearance since 1994. Updated 11:10 AM
Updated November 14, 2008 4:00 AM
Prior to the start of the season, no one thought the Penn State men's cross country team was a serious threat.
Updated November 13, 2008 4:00 AM
When thinking about a rematch with Villanova at the regional championship meet on Saturday, two words immediately came to coach Beth Alford-Sullivan's mind.
Updated November 12, 2008 4:00 AM
For a team that relies on its base training which consists of running 100 miles per week and works all season long to peak at the end, the additional mileage of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional is an advantage.
Updated November 7, 2008 4:00 AM
If it were up to the Penn State men's cross country team, it would race 12 runners at the regional meet next weekend, that's just how confident the Nittany Lions are in their depth.
Updated November 6, 2008 4:52 AM
After finishing 4th at the Big Ten championship, the Penn State men's cross country team added to their list of accomplishments late Tuesday night.
Updated November 5, 2008 4:00 AM
All season long, the Penn State men's cross country team has seen itself as an underdog.
Updated November 3, 2008 4:48 AM
Senior Brian Fuller said the athletes erupted with cheers when they saw the results posted on the scoreboard, and knew they accomplished something Penn State had not done in a long time.
Updated October 31, 2008 4:00 AM
Even through the Penn State men's cross country team doesn't expect to walk away with a victory at Sunday's Big Ten championship, the team still would walk away all smiles with a top-five finish.
Updated October 30, 2008 4:00 AM
With its roster set for Sunday's Big Ten championship, the Penn State cross country team feels it has a few advantages. Not knowing the course it is running and having tremendous team depth allows it to head into Ann Arbor with an edge.
When the runners take to the starting line Sunday morning, don't expect Penn State men's cross country senior Tyler McCandless to exchange pleasantries with his opponents.
Updated October 29, 2008 4:00 AM
For the first time in senior Teddy Quinn's career, he feels like the Penn State men's cross country team is dangerous headed into the Big Ten championship.
Updated October 23, 2008 4:00 AM
The past two years, when the Penn State men's cross country team headed to the Big Ten championship, it was intimidated. When the Nittany Lions make the same trip next week, that won't be the case.
Updated October 22, 2008 4:00 AM
Two weeks ago, when the Penn State men's cross country team traveled to Eugene, Ore. for the Bill Dellinger Invitational, the Nittany Lions finished in last place and mentioned they were overmatched by the field, which featured five teams ranked in the top 30.
Updated October 21, 2008 4:00 AM
While standing at the water fountain outside of the Multi-Sport Facility early last week, Teddy Quinn spoke of the importance of the Penn State National. For a team coming off of a last place finish at Eugene Ore., Quinn knew his team needed to respond, and in a big way.
Updated October 20, 2008 4:48 AM
While cleaning up the remnants of the team tarp and gathering water bottles, spikes and clothes, the Penn State men's cross country runners smiled from ear to ear. As the runners and coaches walked over to the awards ceremony, they made it known nothing anyone said or did could possibly cause them to lose their excitement.
As Penn State senior John Mahoney crossed the finish line, he saw his teammates, freshmen Kyle Dawson and senior Tyler McCandless, hugging each other and ran to join them.
Updated October 17, 2008 10:50 PM
When the Penn State men's cross country team stepped up to the starting line Friday morning, it was looking for respect. Twenty minutes later, the athletes had earned it. Updated 10:50 PM
Updated October 16, 2008 4:44 AM
On Friday afternoon, after every runner has crossed the finish line and the results are posted, the seven seniors of the Penn State men's cross country team will have ran the last home race of their careers.
But in the days headed up to the Penn State National, the seniors are trying to keep the thoughts of the finality of Friday's meet out of their minds.
After spending his freshman year as one of the Nittany Lions consistent top 5 finishers, sophomore Lucas Zarzeczny is looking to put his early season struggles behind him. Hampered by injury and illness, Zarzeczny looks to turn his season around at Penn State National on Friday.
Updated October 15, 2008 4:00 AM
When thinking about the overall health of the Penn State men's cross country team, senior Tyler McCandless paused and said "we're healthy, impressively healthy."
The health of this year's squad is a stark difference from past teams which have lost runners to injury, most notably last season, when senior Teddy Quinn injured his knee, which led to an eventual redshirt.
Read more stories in our back issues.
