Hall of Fame
Gary Bicking, from Bethlehem, earned All-America honors in track and cross country for the Red Raiders. He suddenly blossomed as a runner in the spring of his sophomore year. In a dual meet at Lock Haven, he ran the mile in 4:11.4 to break the school record. Two weeks later he won the Pennsylvania Conference championship in the 1500 meter run with a time of 3:52.1.
In the fall of 1979, he helped Shippensburg take eighth place at the NCAA Division II national championships in cross country. That was the team’s highest finish ever at the national championships, a plateau that would not be surpassed until the fall of 1989 when the Red Raiders took seventh.
In the spring of 1980, Bicking won the conference championship in the 1500 meter run for the second year in a row. His time of 3:48.3 set a meet record in that event. Later in the afternoon, Bicking placed second in the 800 meter run with school record time of 1:52.66.
Following the conference meet, Bicking traveled to Walnut Creek, California, for the NCAA Division II national championships. He placed third in the 1500 with a school record time of 3:45.64, equivalent of a 4:03 mile. Noted for his blazing kick, Bicking came from behind to overtake the pack during the last 100 meters. That performance was good enough for All-American honors.
Bicking earned All-America honors in cross country in the fall of 1980. He took eighth place on the 10,000 meter course at Wisconsin-Parkside to help the Red Raiders take ninth place in team standings. Teammate Gregg Sanders took sixth place in that race.
After a successful indoor season, Bicking suffered an injury early in the spring of 1981 and was forced to sit out the rest of the season. He was granted an injury redshirt by the NCAA. In spring of 1982 he competed again but the week before the conference championship he suffered another injury and was unable to qualify.
Bicking was head coach of the Red Raiders men’s cross country team in 1982 and 1983. His teams compiled records of 46-15 and 35-32. Both years the Red Raiders finished fifth at the Pennsylvania Conference championship. Bicking entered the U.S. Navy serving as a helicopter pilot.
