Getting to Furman, SC., has been a goal since mid- August.
Tomorrow, the Penn State women's cross country team has the opportunity to fulfill their goal of getting to NCAA Championships with a strong performance at the Mid-Atlantic Regional on the campus of Lehigh.
The top two teams from each regional receive an automatic bid, plus there are 13 at-large bids that make the journey.
It will be anything but easy for the Nittany Lions to attain the automatic bid as Big East teams No. 3 Georgetown and No. 21 Villanova stand in their path. But Penn State revels at the opportunity of being the underdog.
"It's a lot of fun being the underdog," freshman Chelsea Lenge said. "It gives you the opportunity to go in and surprise some people that aren't expecting anything. We're not ranked but we will open some people's eyes this weekend."
Georgetown enters the Mid-Atlantic Regional as the heavy favorite to win. The Hoyas have dominated its competition all season long, especially in the past month. Georgetown won the Pre-NCAA Meet three weeks ago against 34 of the nation's elite teams in a romp, by over 70 points. Georgetown rolled to victory two weeks ago at the Big East Championship.
The only question left to be answered for Georgetown is whether they will place one through five. As their top five has only been broken up once all year.
Any one of a few teams could finish second, with Villanova leading the pack. The Lions find themselves closely behind the Wildcats. Bucknell is also a team in the upper echelon, and lurking to make the jump into second.
"The Mid-Atlantic is a very weak region," Georgetown women's cross country coach Ron Helmer said. "I don't see a team with five strong runners. Villanova is probably the team with the next most talent, although there are two or three other teams with a chance to earn the other automatic bid."
The individual race should be hotly contested, as there are many individuals with the opportunity to win. Penn State's Michelle Wale will compete for the crown after finishing second at the Paul Short and National Invitational, and recording the fastest 6,000-meter time in the Big Ten this year.
Marni Kruppa leads the extremely talented pack of Hoyas, and finished fourth in the regional last year. Freshman Kalin Toedebusch of Villanova should find herself in the lead pack, as she is the only one to break up the Hoyas' top five. Bucknell's Becki Marshall will be in contention after winning the Patriot League and finished ninth in the region a year ago.
The Lions have run, and run well, on this course earlier in the year. Lehigh was also the site of the Paul Short Invitational, where Penn State won its first dual meet in four years.
"It gives us a lot of confidence, knowing what we're racing on," Penn State women's cross country coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "It's one thing you don't have to worry about, and brings about a certain comfort level."
The Lions will have to put it all on the line and hold nothing back, or it will be over.
"I don't think we're ready for season to be over quite yet," Alford-Sullivan said. "Right now we're healthy and excited. Our intention is to stretch the season out for one more race."
