The Big Ten Championship race is a new experience for the rookies of the Penn State women's cross country team. For freshman Molly Ritter, however, this competition holds another challenge: the successful completion of her first airplane ride.

"I'm nervous, but I'm really excited," Ritter said.

While she may be nervous about flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet, her biggest concern is how the team's performance will match up against the other Big Ten schools the runners will meet this weekend. The Nittany Lions will take the top nine women from the squad to Minnesota to compete in the race, which is set to begin noon Sunday.

Penn State women's cross country coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said she has a great team that is excited and very well prepared for this meet.

The Lions are the underdogs in the Big Ten lineup this year, largely due to the team's youth and inexperience.

"We're not trying to race [No. 1] Michigan," freshman Janelle Young said.

The Lions want to be in the middle of the pack, but they must overachieve at this race in order to meet their goals.

"Sixth or seventh place would be really good knowing we're mostly freshmen and sophomores," Young said.

Ritter has set some personal goals for herself, which include dropping 20 seconds off her 6K and placing in the top 50 to 65.

Alford-Sullivan has maintained the team's workout schedule but eased up on the intensity, allowing two days of recovery between workout days. The women are also taking special care of their bodies by stretching, ice bathing and massaging regularly.

Alford-Sullivan has mentally prepared her squad for this prestigious race by imparting useful tactics and outlining her expectations for each runner.

"Coach is really good at motivating us," Young said.

On Wednesday night, Alford-Sullivan had a Halloween party for the team at her house. Parties and regular team dinners are great opportunities for the runners to bond and have some downtime.

Ritter said she dressed up as Miss Canada, influenced by her Canadian teammate, while another member of the team represented the red, white and blue by dressing up as Miss America.

As exciting as Halloween can be, the parties are over for the Lions, and they are ready to focus on this weekend's race.

Young said that the upperclassmen have seen the course before and describe it as rolling hills on a golf course. The challenge level is medium, but the course is relatively smooth.

The Lions will leave for the meet tomorrow to ensure that they have ample time to rest and go for a practice run on Saturday.

As for Ritter, she thinks she will be fine on the airplane because she doesn't fear heights and she loves roller coasters.