LOUISVILLE – The Shippensburg University men's cross country team, ranked No. 9 in Division II, is seeking a return to its mid-season form this weekend when it will run on Saturday at the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championships from E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville.
The annual 10K national meet is set to start at 11 a.m. After initial forecasts calling for cloudy skies and a high temperature around 50 degrees, the latest weather predictions are offering high temperatures closer to 40 degrees with a slight chance of rain or snow showers.
SU is running in the national meet for the second straight year after finishing 13th last season. The Red Raiders posted its best national championship finishes in 1990 and 1991. Aided by two-time All-American Randy Lowe, Shippensburg finished second in 1990 and fourth in 1991 while Lowe finished third and fifth those two seasons. Lowe was in attendance this year at the PSAC Championships and plans to be in Louisville this weekend to support his alma mater.
Last season, SU won its first Atlantic Region championship in school history by placing all five of its scoring performers among the Top 13 finishers, with each earning all-region certificates. The Red Raiders duplicated that feat this season but finished second behind a dominating performance by the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven. Both squads are expected to admirably represent the Atlantic Region this weekend.
The Raider harriers performed well on this year's national championship course back in October at the Greater Louisville Classic. In that race, all seven of Shippensburg's top runners achieved new personal bests for an 8K cross country course and finished fifth overall – ahead of Division I schools such as Georgia, Ole Miss and Missouri.
Shippensburg's projected runners are as follows, listed in alphabetical order:
Senior
Bryan Beegle is SU's projected No. 1 runner and is hoping to become the program's first All-American since John Somers in 2005. Beegle had a sensational 8K time of 24:34 earlier this year on the 'Tom' Sawyer Park course. He finished third at the PSAC meet and sixth at the regional meet with a 10K time of 31:48.
Junior
Brandon Boyer continues to progress and was the team's No. 4 runner at the regional meet, finishing 12th with a strong 10K time of 32:14. Boyer was SU's No. 6 runner at the conference meet but finished 14th overall, improving 13 places and 49 seconds from the previous year. Like teammate
Sean Stetler, Boyer was a placewinner at last year's PSAC outdoor 10K.
Sophomore
Matt Gillette is SU's projected No. 2 or No. 3 runner and is one of the integral members of the lead pack that has formed this season for the Raiders. Gillette was the team's No. 2 runner in his other two meets before finishing as the No. 3 runner at the PSAC and regional meets. He finished 10th two weeks ago with a 10K time of 32:05.
Senior
Josh Neyhart returns to the fray after missing the regional championship meet. Neyhart finished fifth at the PSAC Championship meet with a time of 26:21. He matched Gillette's PR of 24:47 at the Louisville meet and has consistently been among the team's No. 3 and No. 4 runners, typically in a pack with Gillette and Schelander.
Junior
Stephen Schelander is SU's projected No. 2 or No. 3 runner and was credited as the No. 1 runner at the PSAC meet with a time of 26:20. He has been sensational this season and been among the lead pack this season with Gillette, Beegle and Neyhart. Schelander was the team's No. 1 runner at last year's national championships with a 67th-place finish.
Senior
Jake Sitler has been the team's No. 6 or No. 7 runner in all of his meets this season, placing 16th at the PSAC Championships with a time of 26:52 and 17th at the Atlantic Region Championships with a time of 32:36. He is an experienced competitor who set an 8K PR of 25:10 at the Greater Louisville Classic this season.
Senior
Sean Stetler was the team's No. 5 runner at the PSAC and regional meet, placing 10th and 13th respectively. His 8K PR (24:50) was set earlier this season in the Louisville meet and his time of 26:37 at the conference championships resulted in a Top 10 finish. He is primed for a strong showing this weekend.
Junior
Jeremiah Wilt is the alternate this weekend and has run well in his first full season with Shippensburg after two years at Hagerstown Community College. Wilt earned All-PSAC laurels with a 19th-place 8K time of 26:57 at the conference meet and also finished 19th at the regional meet.
