Last weekend, the Penn State women’s cross country team won the Spiked Shoe Invitational, beating 18 other top collegiate teams.

In the process, five of the squad’s runners finishing in the top 10, including freshman Tracey Brauksieck, who claimed the title and along the way picked up the Big Ten’s Cross Country Runner of the Week honor for her efforts.

However, the squad will get its first real test of the year tomorrow, when it takes on No. 2 Georgetown University and Yale University in the Georgetown Invitational at 9 a.m. in Washington, D.C.

For the Nittany Lions, Brauksieck is expected to continue her strong debut season.

Besides Brauksieck, the team is hoping to receive strong contributions from sophomores Molly Landreth, Chelsea Lenge and Michelle Wale, along with juniors Katy Hillard and Maureen Thomas.

“I think that in order for us to succeed, we need to just strap on our spikes and run hard,” Penn State women’s cross country coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said.

“We just need to run the best we can, and see how we do.”

The Hoyas are the defending NCAA Div. I Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Champions, and seniors Marni Kruppa, a three-time All-American, and Jill Laurendeau shared the individual title.

Junior Nicole Lee is expected to continue her strong collegiate campaign after placing fifth at the 2002 Junior National Championships in Stanford, Calif.

The squad’s heavily recruited freshman class includes Erin Henry, who placed fifth at the New Jersey meet of champions.

Additionally, the squad claimed the 2001 Big East Championships title, en route to placing third in the NCAA Championships.

“Georgetown is returning everyone from last year’s team,” Alford-Sullivan said. “They are great and will give us a great race.

“Their talent levels are what we are aiming our program towards, and a race this early in the season against this talented of a squad will give us a great opportunity to see what we are made of.”

The Yale Bulldogs placed seventh at last year’s NCAA Championships, and also return a solid core of runners, including senior twins Kate and Laura O’Neill, both two-time All-Americans who finished 11th and 26th, respectively, at last season’s NCAA’s. The squad also has a talented group of five freshmen, including Melissa Donais, a 1999 Footlocker finalist and 2002 Millrose Games High School captain.

Julia Pudlin, who finished eighth at the 2001 Footlocker meet, should also contribute.

The meet promises to provide the Lions with a chance to determine where they measure up against two of the nation’s top collegiate squads.

It should also provide added motivation for the remainder of the season.

“We are really looking forward to the meet,” Alford-Sullivan said. “One of our goals is to continue to compete to the best of our abilities.”