IUP senior Nicole Blaesser has been named the PSAC Runner of the Week for the second straight week and third time overall this season.

Blaesser (Oxford/Oxford) finished in fifth place in a field of 172 runners with a time of 21:31 on the 6K course at the Penn State Invitational.  Her time was best among all Division II runners and helped IUP to a fifth place finish out of 16 in the team standings.  Blaesser was just 13 seconds behind the winner, Bridget Franek of Penn State.

With its showing at Penn State, the IUP women moved up to seventh in the nation in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll.  IUP is first in the East Region for the third consecutive week.

Blaesser has earned spots on the All-East Region team each of her first three seasons at IUP, including a fourth place finish in 2005.  She has twice competed at the NCAA Division II national meet, with a best finish of 49^th a year ago.

Both IUP cross country teams will be competing at the Slippery Rock Invitational on Saturday.

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