For the second consecutive year Penn State men's cross country will send redshirt sophomore Dan Mazzocco to the NCAA Championships but he would be happier about his return trip if senior Joel Moceri accompanied him.

It was a weekend where the Nittany Lions came up just short. Needing to finish in the top two in hopes of winning an automatic berth into the NCAAs, they finished seventh because the inexperienced freshman could not adjust to the longer 10k race.

And then there's senior Joel Moceri, who was confident he was going to the NCAAs had the intricacies of the point system work against him as he will instead be bound for the Intercollegiate Association of the Athletes of America (ICAAAA) Championships.

Mazzocco's fifth place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships earned him a trip to Indiana. Moceri, who finished 16th, will not be accompanying Mazzocco to the NCAA Championships.

"He's a cliffhanger," said Penn State men's cross country coach Harry Groves following the race with Moceri's future in doubt.

It just didn't work out. LaSalle and the University of Pennsylvania would've had to go for Moceri to earn a trip to the Big Dance.

Moceri and the rest of the Lions will run in ICAAAAs, regarded as the NITs of cross country, will be held this Saturday in Van Courtland, NY while Mazzocco will run Monday in Indiana.

Mazzocco was the lone Lion to attend the NCAAs last year, where he finished 80th after winning the Mid-Atlantic Regionals.

After last year's race he feels that having a teammate beside him would've been an edge mentally.

"You line up in the blocks without a teammate there, you feel kind of lost," Mazzocco said.

"Every time I have a teammate there with me I feel more confident. No matter how good your team is, if you have a teammate with you, you feel at home."

The ICAAAs is a Penn State stronghold. Last year the Lions finished in a field of 105 teams and they won it a few years ago.

For Moceri, this was the last time he'd feel at home on a cross country course. Finishing second for the Lions for the first time all year he gave himself a shot at going to the NCAAs.

"It was pretty emotional," Moceri said. "After the race I gave hugs and thanked everybody."

At the time he was uncertain which race he'd be going to next weekend.

After the race, he enjoyed the support of friends, family, and teammates, which is exactly what Mazzocco will be missing when he lines up next Monday in Indiana.