UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; September 23, 2006 ¨C The Penn State women¡¯s cross country team finished second at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational Saturday afternoon with freshman Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) taking the top spot for Penn State. Syracuse captured a first place finish at the newly renamed meet.

The freshmen lead the way for Penn State in the 6,000 meters, after Franek and Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) finished in the Top 10 runners. Franek took fourth in 21:22.35, and Spring finished eighth in 21:46.50.

Sophomores Claire Percival (Sarnia, Ont.) and Janelle Young (Lemoyne, Pa.) took 16th (22:21.75) and 18th (22:27.05), respectively.

¡°We had a great weekend. I'm very pleased with the results and I thought we represented very well,¡± said Head Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan. ¡°We have a lot of life left for the rest of the season and the postseason."