Oct. 29, 2007

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Erin Cranmer-Hart (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock Area) earned Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week honors on Monday after leading the Bucknell women's cross country team to its third consecutive Patriot League Championship title on Oct. 27 at Lafayette.

At the Patriot League Championships this past Saturday, Cranmer-Hart finished the 6K race in 21 minutes, 42.20 seconds to record the top finish for the Bison women, placing sixth of 86 runners and making first-team all-league.

Cranmer-Hart, senior Christine Totten (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), junior Gillian Nordquist (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston), freshman Sarah Moniz (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) and senior Offeibea Hanson-Hall (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) scored for Bucknell at the Patriot League Championships, to secure Bucknell's third straight title.

Prior to the league championship meet, Cranmer-Hart scored for Bucknell three times this season. On Sept. 22, at the Western Ontario International Invitational, she finished the 5K in 18:53.00 to take seventh and post the second-fastest finish for Bucknell. At the Paul Short Invitational on Sept. 28, Cranmer-Hart was the fifth-fastest runner for Bucknell, completing the 6K in 23:21.00. At the Lafayette Leopard Invitational, Cranmer-Hart and Totten both ran the 6K in 21:47.00 to tie for 15th place and to record the third-fastest Bison finish.

Last season, Cranmer-Hart was runner-up at the Patriot League Championships, taking second in the 6K with a time of 23:25.00. She also finished 27th at the 2006 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, running the 6K in 21:27.00.

Looking ahead for the Bison, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships are scheduled for Nov. 10 at Lehigh. IC4As for the men and ECACs for the women are set for Nov. 17 in Bronx, N.Y. The NCAA Championships will take place on Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind.