Going into the Big Ten Championships yesterday, the Penn State women's cross country team knew it had to put in its best performance of the season just to compete.

Led by freshman Bridget Franek, Penn State finished in eighth place at the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind. Franek posted the top time for the Nittany Lions at 21:16, placing her in the 17th position. Fellow freshman Cheryl Spring finished 40th overall.

"I feel it went very well. It was just what we expected going into the competition," Penn State coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "It was an excellent race."

National power Michigan, ranked No. 3 in the official women's cross country poll, won the conference meet for the fifth consecutive season. The Wolverines actually had the top two individual times as well, with junior Erin Webster winning the meet. Rounding out the top-5 teams were Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan State and Illinois. All of the top-5 finishers are currently ranked in the top 15 in the nation.

But, for the Lions, it is important to look at the big picture. Eight of the nine women who ran for Penn State were either freshmen or sophomores. The youthful Lions figure to get their fair share of kicks this season before returning the favor over the next couple of years as the team continues to get more big-meet experience.

"It was a learning experience for them. Outside the national championships, it's the best race level they've experienced," Alford-Sullivan said. "They're just going to get better."

Expecting to defeat Michigan and the other top-10 ranked teams would be asking a lot from such a young group.

"We're actually not focused on the competition. We are more focused on our own execution," Alford-Sullivan said before the meet.

Before yesterday's meet, many of the runners said that they were more intent on improving their own times than worrying about the other competitors.

In fact, not even the travel aspect concerned them.

"We're not worried much. Although it is in Bloomington, we are going to fly into the same airport [for the Pre-Nationals]. We're used to the travel," sophomore Meghan Noecker said prior to the meet.

Penn State will now have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Regionals, held Nov. 11 at Lock Haven.

That will mark the second time the team will run in a meet at Lock Haven this year. The Lions finished second at the season opener at the Lock Haven Invitational. That familiarity should only benefit the team as it looks to make a mark on the national scene.

"We are a good regional team. We want to improve our finish. We have two runners who could finish in the top 25," Alford-Sullivan said.