July 9, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After leading the Nittany Lion track and field season to the most successful season in program history, Director of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan will get the chance to lead the United States on the international stage this summer after being named head coach of the U.S. women's squad for the North American, Central America, and Caribbean (NACAC) Athletic Association Under-23 Championships, set for July 18-20, in Toluca, Mexico. Another Nittany Lion standout will also make the trip, as All-American Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) has been selected to compete in the steeplechase.
Sullivan led the Lions to unparalleled success in 2008, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the team standings at the NCAA Outdoor Championships - the highest finish in program history. The Lions were on fire throughout the entire postseason, starting with the program's first-ever victory at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, and following up with a second-place effort at the NCAA East Regional - just one point shy of a team title. The Lions' impressive standing at the NCAA Championships featured an even dozen All-America finishes, including wins from standout Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.) in the 400-meters, and Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.), Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) and Cox in the 4x400-meter relay. The Lions' podium charge also included a third-place effort from Franek in the steeplechase, and fourth-place showing from Barber in the 100-meter hurdles, and fifth-place finishes from Hunter in the long jump and heptathlon.
At the conference championships, Sullivan oversaw winning performances from Cox in the 200-meters, and 400, Barber in the 100 hurdles, Franek in the steeplechase, Briene Simmons (Decatur, Ga.), Blake, Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.), and Cox in the 4x400, and freshman Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio) in the 1500-meters to go along with a bevy of silver and bronze medal finishes from both the Nittany Lion men's and women's squads.
Franek, who just completed her sophomore season, is on pace to go down in history as one of the greatest Nittany Lions to hit the track in the distance events. Indoors, Franek notched dual All-America finishes at the NCAA Championships, placing seventh in the 5,000-meters, and 10th in the 3,000-meters. Outside, Franek reset her own school record in the steeplechase with a speedy 9:58.56 to dominate the field at the conference meet, before providing another impressive performance to win the same event at the NCAA East Regional. Franek's third-place effort at the national championships was the highest-event finish from a Nittany Lion woman in an NCAA distance event. Franek recently concluded her 2008 campaign with an appearance at the US Olympic Trials, where she finished 16th overall.
Over 30 nations are eligible to compete in NACAC events, including the United States, Canada, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba. Competing athletes must be 20, 21, or 22 by December 31, 2008, according to NACAC regulations.
More information on the NACAC Championships can be found at www.USATF.org.