University Park, Pa. — Junior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) has earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season, this time thanks to an NCAA automatic-qualifying performance in the 5,000-meters at the Washington Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., last Saturday (Feb. 14).
Franek clocked a personal-best 16:03.40 in an outstanding field at the Husky Classic, finishing second in a field that featured 10 NCAA qualifying marks. Franek's performance is ranked fourth nationally, and tops among Big Ten competitors. Franek has been on a tear in 2009, as she is an NCAA automatic qualifier in the 3000 and 5000-meters, and a provisional qualifier in the mile run. The junior has also set school records in the mile and 3K.
Franek wasn't the only Nittany Lion to excel in the distances at Washington, as a total of five Penn State athletes achieved provisional marks, including Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio), Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) and Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas).
Franek and the Nittany Lions will take a weekend off before traveling to the Big Ten Women's Indoor Championships at the University of Indiana on February 28 and March 1. The men are set to host the Men's Indoor Championships at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.