Cross Country set for NCAA Division III Mideast Regionals
11.8.06
  The Penn State Altoona men's and women's cross country teams will each compete in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championship this Saturday, November 11.  Following third places finishes in the AMCC Championships two weeks ago, the Penn State Altoona runners will now face the top teams from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia.  The championship will be hosted by Waynesburg College at the Greene County Airport in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.  The men's 8k race is at 11:00 AM and the women's 6k is at 12:00 noon.

  The Lady Lions' best finish ever in the regional meet came during their inaugural season of 2002 when they placed 18th.  Since that time, they have placed 29th, 27th, and 22nd in each of the last three years.  Freshman Lisa Herbert (Enfield, CT / Enrico Fermi) has led the Lady Lions in five out of six races this season, including a ninth place finish in the conference championship to earn All-Conference honors.  Fellow freshman Brooke Smith (Bedford, PA / Bedford) has also raced strong in recent meets including  a 12th place finish in her first conference championship.  Junior Cynthia Bernardez (Bronx, NY / DeWitt Clinton), sophomore Katherine Ladesic (Fairview, PA / Seneca Valley), and freshman Tara Sipe (Philipsburg, PA / Philipsburg-Osceola) will also go to the starting line for the Lady Lions on Saturday.  Finally, sophomore Emma Winslow (Lewisburg, PA / Lewisburg) will return to the line-up after sitting out the last three meets with an injury.  Winslow, who led the Lady Lions in her last race on September 30, finished 129th in last year's regional meet. 

  The best finish ever for the men's team came last year when they took 22nd place.  Prior to that, they had finished 34th, 26th, and 27th.  The Lions expect to be led by sophomore Jonathan Barthelemy (Deer Park, NY / Half Hollow Hills East).  Two weeks ago, Barthelemy became the first Penn State Altoona man ever to earn All-Conference honors, as he took third place at the championship.  Last year, he posted the best finish ever for a Penn State Altoona runner at the regional meet when he took 41st, earning Freshman All-Region First Team honors in the process.  Five men will work to close the two and a half minute gap to Barthelemy:  freshman Zachary Berger (Easton, PA / Wilson), freshman Christopher Bradigan (Tryone, PA / Tyrone), sophomore Richard Hanlon (Pittsburgh, PA / Carrick), sophomore Alan Kerstetter (Lewistown, PA / Lewistown), and senior Richard Merritts (Altoona, PA / Altoona).   Last year Hanlon finished 227th and Kerstetter finished 253rd in the first regional appearance for each of them.  This will mark Merritts' fourth and final appearance in the regional meet for the Lions.  He has previously finished 174th, 169th, and 125th in each of the last three years, showing consistent improvement.