Sat Nov 21 2009
Special to the Record-Courier
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The college career of Bridget Franek continues to get more and more memorable.
Franek is already recognized as a running legend in Ohio for her star-studded results with Crestwood High School. Now Franek is attempting to conquer Pennsylvania.
The senior cross country star won the Big Ten individual championship on Sunday in a winning time of 20:03. Led by Franek, the Nittany Lions captured the program’s first-ever Big Ten team championship.
Franek’s winning time was the second-fastest ever run on the Blue/White Golf Course.
“It was awesome,” said Franek. “It’s truly amazing to be on the team that won, and win the individual race. I think it’s a testament to being on our home course and knowing it really well, and feeling comfortable at home. I think that helped a lot.”
Franek also finished with All-Big Ten First Team honors, is the second Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten individual crown along with Kim McGeevy — the 1996 Big Ten Champion and current assistant cross contry coach at Michigan State
“Going into the race, I really tried to not focus so much on results but on just taking advantage of the competition and seeing what I could do against it,” said Franek of her race plan. “I just tried to prepare myself for the race to the best of my ability, and hoped that that was enough to pull off the win.”
“Bridget was absolutely flawless today,” said director and head coach of track and field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan. “She set the tone for this championship drive, and everyone came out and the fought and it really did come down to a homestretch kick.
“(Sunday) was amazing,” said Alford-Sullivan. “You couldn’t have scripted it any better. We came into this thinking that we had a shot at a championship, but so did Minnesota and so did Illinois. We just knew that we had to execute at 100 percent.”
In a two-woman battle with NCAA 5,000-meter champion Angela Bizzari of Illinois for much of the race, Franek took full advantage of the challenging hills on the latter half of her home course, pulling away from her Illini foe and speeding down the home stretch to win her first career conference cross country title.
Running second for the Nittany Lions was freshman Nicole Lord, who finished ninth overall in 20:52. Lord’s impressive effort, which was the highest finish among rookies in the entire field, was good for Second Team All-Big Ten accolades.
Classmate Brooklyne Ridder was the next Lion finisher and the third freshman in the field, scoring a 16th-place effort in 21:16.
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