Lehigh returns to action at Penn State this weekend

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In its final tune up before the Patriot League Championships in two weeks, Lehigh returns to the trail this Saturday morning, as the Mountain Hawks travel to University Park to compete in the Penn State National Cross Country Meet. Lehigh has been off since hosting the 32nd Paul Short Run on October 1, in which the Mountain Hawk men finished in a tie for tenth place, and the Lehigh women raced their way to a 17th place finish. Saturday’s meet features many strong men’s and women’s teams from across the country and region, including league foes American and Bucknell, Buffalo, Duke, James Madison, Penn, Penn State, and Texas A&M. Lehigh’s women enter the day ranked ninth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, while the men check in at number-ten.

The Mountain Hawk men are enjoying one of their best seasons in head coach Debbie Utesch’s nine-year reign, which includes a jump up to number-seven in the region, the program’s highest ever, which came in late September. Lehigh opened the season with a win at the Lehigh Valley Championships, and followed that up with a dominating 17-46 victory over archrival Lafayette in Easton on September 17. The Brown and White then traveled to the Bronx to compete in the prestigious Iona Meet of Champions, finishing sixth out of a 25-team field, which included 11-time National Champion Arkansas and perennial powers Iona, Cornell, Brown and Army.

Senior captain Rob Hampson, who captured Patriot League Runner of the Week honors earlier this season, is the Mountain Hawks top runner, finishing first for Lehigh in each race except one, where he crossed third. Hampson is joined by other seasoned runners, including juniors Brendan Glover, Victor Vientos, and Steve Rosinski, seniors Dave Merola and Tyler Spencer and fellow captain Scott Duryea.

The Lehigh women have had just as impressive a start as the men, winning their first two meets, and finishing ninth at the Iona Meet of Champions, defeating league power Army, and Big-12 member Texas. On the strength of their top-20 finish at the Paul Short Run, in which the Mountain Hawks defeated Rhode Island, Rutgers, Buffalo, Penn State and Auburn among others, Lehigh vaulted into the top-ten of the regional rankings.

Senior Andrea Luebbe and junior Jen Schappert have both earned league Runner of the Week accolades thus far, and along with junior Sarah Seiler form a strong trio at the front of the Brown and White pack. Junior Carolyn House and senior co-captain Tracie Fails gives Lehigh another pair of strong upper classmen to help lead the promising freshmen class, led by Shannon Alejandro, Jen Filiberto and Katie McClernand.

In last year’s edition of this race, the men finished in sixth place, racing past the likes of Boston College, Kentucky and Duke, while the women were led by Schappert’s top-50 finish.

Saturday’s women’s race gets underway at 10:00 AM, followed by the men’s portion of the day, slated for an 11:00 start.

Completed Event: Cross Country at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Qualifiers on November 14, 2009 , , Men: 15 of 28<br> Women: 16 of 27

Completed Event: Cross Country at Patriot League Championship on October 31, 2009 , , Men: 4 of 8<br>Women:7 of 8

Completed Event: Cross Country at Lafayette Invite on October 17, 2009 , , Men: 2 of 12<br>Women: 4 of 9

Cancelled Event: Cross Country at Penn State National Invite

Completed Event: Cross Country versus Lehigh Paul Short Run on October 2, 2009 , , Men - 32 of 42<br>Women - 30 of 40

Completed Event: Cross Country at Lafayette on September 19, 2009 , , Men: Won 19-44<br>Women: Won 28-31

Completed Event: Cross Country versus Lehigh Valley Championship on September 4, 2009 , , Men: 1 of 5<br>Women: 1 of 7

Lehigh University Athletics

Lehigh returns to action at Penn State this weekend

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