The Shippensburg University women's cross country team equaled host Kutztown with 77 team points on Friday night as the Raiders settled for a third-place finish in the Division II/III Challenge hosted by the Golden Bears.
 
It was the first 6K of the season for the Raiders, who placed three of their runners among the Top 11 finishers. Eight SU runners were among the Top 45 overall finishers in a field that included Lock Haven (1st, 63 points), Kutztown (2nd, 77 points), and Bloomsburg (4th, 98 points). The host Golden Bears edged the Raiders for second place by virtue of scoring runners finishing third and fifth overall.
 
Graduate Kyra Gerber was Shippensburg's No. 1 runner with a sixth-place finish of 23:54. Gerber as been the lead Raider runner in each of the team's last six races dating back to last season.
 
Junior Isabelle Gulgert ran 10th as the team's No. 2 runner, crossing the finish line in 24:02. Gulgert has served as the team's No. 2 runner in five of the last six races dating back to last season.
 
Freshman Livi Rieck continued a strong start to her collegiate career finishing one place behind Gulgert. Rieck's 11th-place time was clocked at 24:08.
 
Sophomore Belle Weikert and redshirt-freshman Kelsey Hull rounded out the Raider scorers. Weikert delivered a 22nd-place finish in 24:40, while Hull took 28th in 25:00. Freshman Morgan Hess was three places behind Hull, running 25:11.

Shippensburg will return to action in two weeks at the Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh.
 
Shippensburg (3rd, 77 points)
6. Kyra Gerber 23:54.1
10. Isabelle Gulgert 24:02.6
11. Livi Rieck 24:08.0
22. Belle Weikert 24:40.8
28. Kelsey Hull 25:00.9
31. Morgan Hess 25:11.0
42. Amanda LaVana 25:42.9
45. Katy Todd 25:58.9
56. Natalie DiCriscio 26:18.9
58. Helene Shevick 26:34.2
64. Emilea Alleman 26:44.0
70. Mallory Sunderland 26:58.7
86. Ella Smith 27:39.2
87. Victoria Mattioli 27:42.2
98. Sadie Hostler 28:28.1