A distance runner -- a dedicated athlete who combines strength, speed, skill and intense training to become successful in events such as the mile. This athlete also works out twice a day and sometimes sacrifices spare time to practice.

And during the current indoor season, two Penn State distance runners have turned in outstanding performances in the mile against world class competition. So well, in fact, they have both provisionally qualified for the NCAAs.

The two runners are both 5'11"; they have the same majors; and they battle side-by-side during the cross country season.

Introducing two sport All-American Doug Walter and All-America candidate Aidan O'Reilly. These athletes were simply born to run.

But Walter, a fifth-year graduate student, and O'Reilly, a junior, possess heritage and track experience that literally reside on completely opposite sides of the spectrum.

Consider 1974, when Walter, a Chambersburg native began running long distances.

"My father introduced me to the sport when I was six. He'd run and I'd follow, but not very seriously," Walter said. "I kept running and running, but it wasn't until the ninth grade when I moved on in the sport."

Walter became a state champ in the mile for Chambersburg High School and after being heavily recruited, he chose Penn State over Maryland and North Carolina.

"The competition was a lot harder at first," Walter said. "It took a lot of adjustment."

And after four cross country seasons (two of them as an All-American), Walter has blossomed into one of the nation's better distance runners.

Back to 1990, a banner year for Walter.

During his senior year Walter qualified for the NCAAs in the mile during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. In the outdoor NCAA meet last May, he finished 10th to earn All-America status.

"That was probably my biggest race," Walter said.

But this season, Walter is a week behind last year's schedule because he hasn't yet qualified automatically for the meet where only the very best collegians gather.

Coach Harry Groves said Walter is running "at least as well as last year." But the fifth-year senior is still a bit concerned.

"I wouldn't say my season has been great. I'm hoping to do better and get my time down from a 4:05 to a 4:02 to get into the meet," Walter said.

At this point, 4:05 is Walter's best time. He accomplished that three weeks ago against many of the world's best milers at the USAir Invitational, where he finished eighth overall and second among collegiate runners.

While Walter has been through the ropes, O'Reilly has just begun. But at Penn State, he has had to adjust to another variable besides competing in the NCAA: living in America.

The Dunboyne, Ireland native has been in the United States for three years, but he said the cultural differences haven't been that drastic. O'Reilly followed in the footsteps of his brother Jerry, an Olympic runner in the mile who presently attends Villanova.

"In Ireland, running is very popular. I started when I was nine years old. It was something to do," he said.

After seeing Jerry O'Reilly compete at Villanova, Groves wrote Aidan a letter about attending Penn State. The two kept in contact, and the junior received a scholarship to the University once he met the University's academic standards.

"Recruiting foreign athletes is a very common process as long as they have the academics," Groves said.

"I've had to discipline myself more and get used to the tougher training and stricter coaches in America than in Ireland," O'Reilly said.

In Ireland, the coaches will gear a runner towards one event whereas in America a runner has to run several. O'Reilly has run the mile and the 3000 meters.

"I prefer the mile because it has more glamour attached to it," he said.

While the training regimen may be more difficult, adapting to life in State College was not that difficult.

"I like the environment here. It's great for a distance runner"" he said. "But life is much faster paced here. Americans need to learn how to relax more. Socially there isn't much of a problem because I've been going to pubs since I was nine years old."

Like Walter, O'Reilly is also a borderline case for the NCAAs. He posted the best time of his career at the Millrose games, finishing third in the prestigious invitational mile in 4.04.32.

"I'm right on schedule," O'Reilly said.

While the two runners have different racing tactics, they both owe a lot of their success to Groves.

"He's very straightforward. You always know where you stand with him," O'Reilly said.

For Walter, his days as a Lion are numbered as his eligibility expires after the indoor season.

"I will try to run for a club, maybe Reebok and then I will train for the Olympic Trials," he said.

"I won't rule the Olympics out, but I'll take it one year at a time," O'Reilly said.