The top-ranked team in the country warms up every day yards away from a busy intersection. No cars stop, drivers don't bother to watch and pedestrians pass by without a second glance.

That's because the team is Penn State club cross country, and the intersection lies on a campus preoccupied with varsity sports. Considering the recent success of both the men's and women's teams, however, the clubs think it's time for people to start paying attention.

The women's team, which won last year's inaugural National Intercollegiate Running Club Association (NIRCA) Championship, sits atop the latest NIRCA rankings after a dominating victory in the James Madison University Invitational. In that meet, the Penn State women took five of the top six spots, even without defending NIRCA individual national champion Ruth Mick, who is still recovering from longer, individual races.

The men have experienced similar success, placing second at the James Madison University Invitational despite resting the majority of their top runners. The team was buoyed by a win from club secretary Sean Clark and was awarded with the No. 5 spot in the latest NIRCA rankings.
Still, no one seems to be giving notice, Clark said.

"I thought we'd be getting more [recognition]," he said. "The girls are unreal, and the guys aren't far behind. We could be getting more recognition from the university."

The team is unfazed by the lack of attention, however, and some members seem not to care about it at all.

"We're not D-I athletes," club social chair Shawn Henderson said. "We're just here because we love to do it."

It's this love of running that has created such a tight bond between the nearly 150 club members.

"I think we're really close," treasurer Corinne Thompson said. "We're not only teammates, we're friends."

That does not mean, however, that they are not competitive.

"There's a little competition between the men and the women," club member Ben Holmes said. "[The women] talk a little trash."

If the Penn State women continue their dominance, though, a little bragging would be well-deserved. The next meet, for both the men and women, is the NIRCA East Regional Championship at the University of Pennsylvania on Oct. 20.

"Typically when we're in all-club meets we do really well," Thompson said of the upcoming event. "I would like to put money on the women keeping their No. 1 status."

The men also feel confident -- Holmes believes they could contend for the top spot in the East Region.

If the club can live up to its own expectations, it will be even harder to ignore its success. Tommy Otterbine, who is a 2007 Penn State graduate and the marketing director of NIRCA, feels Penn State has set a great example in what he deems a growing sport.

"Penn State is probably the largest club team in the country," Otterbine said. "The standard is usually the Penn State program in terms of club development. ... The potential [for growth] is definitely there because so many people run."