Hall of Fame
Christine (Crawford) Cheng was a premier distance swimmer for the Raiders, particularly in her junior and senior seasons. She competed for Shippensburg from 1995-96 – 1998-99, earning All-America honors in the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events as a senior. For her career she was a 12-time PSAC place-winner (seven individual, five relays).
As a senior, Cheng set a school record in the 1650 freestyle and placed ninth at the NCAA Division II Championships, swimming 17:34.33. Her 1650 freestyle time still ranks third-best in school history. She also set a school record in the 1000 freestyle of 10:36.44 that now ranks sixth all-time. In the 500 freestyle, Cheng placed in a tie for 12th at the national championships with a time of 5:09.87 that remains sixth-best in SU history.
At the PSAC Championships in her senior season, Cheng placed third in the 1650 free (17:44.59) and sixth in the 500 free (5:11.48) while anchoring the 800 free relay that placed fifth and the 400 free relay that took sixth.
In her junior season (1997-98), Cheng was deemed SU’s most valuable swimmer after placing in three individual events and three relays at the conference championships. She took second in the 1650 free (18:13.01 – 20-second PR), third in the 500 freestyle (5:13.21, 5:12.76p), and ninth in the 200 freestyle. She also anchored four relays, contributing to fifth-place finishes in the 400 medley and 800 free relay and a seventh-place finish in the 400 free relay.
As a sophomore (1996-97), Cheng placed seventh in the mile and 12th in the 500 freestyle at the PSAC Championships.
While at Shippensburg, Cheng was a member of Beta Alpha Psi and was involved in the Investment Management Program while at Shippensburg.
Cheng went on to earn her MBA from Penn State Capital College and her PhD from the Smeal College of Business at Penn State.
She is married to her husband Chi, a 1999 graduate of Shippensburg, and the couple are proud parents of three amazing sons: Michael, Andrew, and Isaac. They reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Cheng is currently a professor at LSU.
