Penn State Worthington Scranton's cross country teams ended a very successful year this past weekend, concluding their seasons at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's (USCAA) National Championship meet at Southern Virginia University on October 31.
At the USCAA Nationals, which was the first-ever appearance there for the women's team, the team finished third in the 6K race and some team members were individually recognized.
Samantha Snead finished second overall, with a time of 25 minutes, 2 seconds -- earning USCAA All-American honors. Robin Schafer and Justyna Thomas were named to the USCAA National All Academic Cross Country Team. As a team, three runners placed in the top 12 and five in the top 30.
The men's team finished sixth in the national competition.
One week before, in a championship meet on October 25 with Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Worthington Scranton's Women's Cross Country team came away with its second consecutive Penn State University Athletic Conference Championship (PSUACC).
Snead led the team to the victory, setting a course record for the 3.1-mile race, with a time of 17 minutes, 51 seconds. Fellow team member Elizabeth Jones finished third, with a time of 19 minutes, 37 seconds.
The women defeated PSUAC teams from Penn College, Mont Alto, Dubois and Lehigh Valley. They also defeated Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association (PCAA) teams from Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, Community College of Philadelphia, and Johnson College, Scranton, ending their PSUAC season with an overall record of 29 wins and 4 losses.
The team's victory not only earned the women their second consecutive PSUACC championship title, it also paved the way for their appearance representing the PSUAC at the USCAA national championship.
Also during the October 25 championship meet, Worthington Scranton's men's cross country team finished second, losing only to Penn College. Their second place Conference finish earned them an at-large bid to the national meet, with the top 10 runners moving on to the nationals. The men finished their PSUAC season with an overall record of 36 wins and 5 losses.
