MIDDLETOWN, PA - Fall 2008 was a season of distinction for five different Penn State Harrisburg sports teams - men´s and women´s cross country, men´s and women´s soccer, and women´s volleyball.

In only their third year as a program, men´s and women´s cross country has seen its share of mental and physical victories on the course and this year proved to be no more different. Hosting, the first ever, Penn State Harrisburg Invitational, the Lions were able to strut their stuff with the men winning the overall team race with Mark Minns (Northern York/Lemoyne, PA), RJ Wawrzyniakowski (Williams Valley/Tower City, PA), Scott Sinner (Central Dauphin/Harrisburg, PA) and Kenton Alston (Steelton-Highspire/Steelton, PA) placing in the top five as well as women runners, Ashley Gruber (Central Dauphin/Harrisburg, PA) and Christi Renno (East Juniata/Richfield, PA), placing in the top five in their respected race.

This year´s women´s volleyball team welcomed eight new players along with three returners from last year´s squad.  With the two volleyball power houses leaving the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), the conference title looked to be up for grabs. Although there was much promise, the 2008 season brought many hard fought matches that did not end in the Lions favor; losing five matches that went to five games. Even though the blue and white did not make the conference tournament, they still had several bright spots,Ashley Huth (Central Dauphin/Dauphin, PA), sixth in the NEAC in kills, make 3rd team All-Conference alongside with Amanda Wade (Cedar Cliff/Mechanicsburg, PA), fourth in the NEAC in assists, receiving 3rd team All-Conference honor as well.

After a slow start, going 1-5 record in their first six games, the women´s soccer team looked to turn their season around. Sophomore Adrienne Stine (Northeastern/York, PA) and Junior Lindsey Stauffer (Bishop McDevitt/Harrisburg, PA) lead the way in route to a three game winning streak were the blue and white outscored their opponents fourteen to two. Battling up the NEAC standings, the Lady Lions clawed their way to a 7-9 record in route to the NEAC quarterfinals, where they would play SUNY Cobleskill. Although the Lady Lions did not get the win versus SUNY Cobleskill that day, the blue and white were proud of their season and the promise of seasons to come. The NEAC honored Stine and Stauffer, by awarding them 2nd team All-Conference honors and 3rd team All-Conference honors respectively.

Coming off an impressive season last year, the men´s soccer team looked to make it pass the NEAC semi-finals and take their first conference championship. Half way through the season, the Nittany Lions´ record was 5-3 and they were on their way to making their preseason hopes come true. The second half of the season was not so kind for the blue and white, only going 4-4 and 1-2 against NEAC opponents, they looked to step it up at the NEAC quarterfinals hosted at Penn State Harrisburg. Their opponents were the Fighting Tigers of SUNY Cobleskill. The physical game resulted in a Nittany Lion defeat and hopes of a NEAC championship gone with it. Even though the season did not end the way the blue and white hope it would, the NEAC honored four outstanding athletes on the Penn State Harrisburg men´s soccer team, David Little (Cumberland Valley/Mechanicsburg, PA), 1st team All-Conference, Danny Francis (Owen J. Roberts/Pottstown, PA), Vedran Divkovic (Schiller/Frankfurt, Germany), and Joshua Christ (Living Word Academy/Ephrata, PA) received 2nd team All-Conference.