As Penn State men's cross country coach Harry Groves looked through the weather reports last week for Waterloo, Iowa, he noted the temperature was going to be in the low 40s with a chance of rain and snow for the NCAA Cross Country Championships yesterday.

While there ended up being no precipitation, the below freezing weather reigned havoc on redshirt freshman Dan Mazzocco's All-America hopes.

Fighting his asthma, the weather and a fast lead pack, Mazzocco finished in 80th place at the championships with a time of 30:44, one minute and 30 seconds behind the leaders.

"We just got to suck it up and try again next time," Groves said.

Coming off his rousing first place finish at the NCAA Regional meet in Lock Haven two weekends ago that helped him qualify for the championship, Mazzocco was primed to be the Nittany Lions first All-American runner in cross country since 1993.

However, the weather and the competitio was different on this day than the clear skies and 50 degree weather Mazzocco ran in at Lock Haven.

Running in weather that Groves said was about 15 degrees, Mazzocco went out with the lead pack of runners as usual.

However, unlike all other times this season, Mazzocco fell back, largely due to his asthma that flared up in the cold weather.

"Things like that happen. His body just shut down. He went out with the lead group and all of a sudden, bam it hit him," Groves said.

The disappointment did not stem from the fact that Mazzocco had problems with his asthma but rather the company that Mazzocco had been keeping -- and usually dusting -- all season earned All-America status.

Wisconsin freshman Chris Solinsky and Michigan junior Nathan Brannen, who finished 15th and 17th respectively, both finished only a second ahead of Mazzocco at the Big Ten Cross Country Championship on Nov. 2.

Mazzocco, soft spoken and humble when he speaks, let his running do the talking this season, placing first for the Nittany Lions in every meet he competed in on his way to two Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors.

His work earned him the Mid-Atlantic Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year at the NCAA Pre-Championship Banquet last Saturday, a feat Groves said was well deserved.

"He had a great years that's what I told him. He just couldn't hit it today under these conditions," Groves said.