Brandywine Qualifies Two For Nationals At PSUAC Cross Country Championships
FAYETTEVILLE, Pa. – Two Penn State Brandywine cross country runners earned a spot at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships after posting qualifying marks at the Penn State University Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday morning.
Sophomore Christian Dzema (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) will represent the Brandywine men's team, while freshman McKenna Loney (Drexel Hill, Pa./Haverford) will represent the Lions' women.
Dzema ran to all-conference honors after placing sixth during the men's 8K race at Norlo Park. He clocked in at 30:50, a personal-best mark as he trimmed 1:17 off his previous benchmark.
Loney also ran to a sixth-place showing to land all-PSUAC accolades. During the women's 6K, Loney ran to a time of 27:52, one of the top-10 times in team history.
Also competing Saturday for Brandywine were Victoria Anyiam (Swarthmore, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and Jalin Haskins (Philadelphia, Pa.). Anyiam placed 12th in the women's field with a personal-best time of 36:21, while Haskins also turned in a personal-best 8K time of 34:59.
Penn State Fayette swept both team championships and featured the men's and women's individual champions. Mitchell Minda (28:36) was the men's titlist, while Nicole Walker (25:26) claimed women's medalist honors.
Dzema and Loney will compete at the USCAA National Championships on Friday, November 12 in Virginia Beach, Va.
