The Shippensburg University women's cross country team heads up to Lock Haven this weekend for the 2023 NCAA Atlantic Region Championships, held at the familiar West Branch Course in Clinton County. The 6K race will begin at 10:30 a.m.
 
Live coverage of the race, a course map, parking details and more information related to the championships is available by clicking on the blue 2023 ATLANTIC REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS HOME PAGE button above to the right.
 
Shippensburg is coming off a strong showing at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships two weeks ago. The performance vaulted SU up to seventh in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Atlantic Region rankings. No teams from the Atlantic Region are among those ranked in the USTFCCCA's Top 30.
 
Given the proximity of the second through sixth place teams at the PSAC Championships, a similar effort this weekend could make the Raiders a viable contender for a Top 5 performance.
 
"Training has gone well since the PSAC Championships, and as of today, health is good," head coach Steve Spence said. "The strategy is the same as what we employed at the Paul Short Invitational and at the conference championships – we work together as a team when we can, but it ultimately comes down to each team member taking the responsibility to run their best race."
 
Lock Haven's West Branch Course is a familiar one for the Raiders, and it is hosting the regional championships for the second time in three years. It's a terrain that Spence expects to be conducive to fast times as it usually is.
 
"When running at Lock Haven, I always remind our runners to focus on appropriate effort during the first mile, but to not be alarmed if the first mile split is fast," Spence said.
 
Shippensburg's Projected Lineup:
Sophomore Morgan Hess (Huntingdon, Pa./Juniata Valley)
[Regional Debut]
Redshirt-sophomore Kelsey Hull (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley)
[69th place [No. 5] in 2022]
Junior Victoria Mattioli (York, Pa./Red Lion (West Chester)
[101st place [WCU No. 4] in 2021]
Sophomore Livi Rieck (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg Area Career Magnet)
[2022 All-Region, 20th place [No. 1] in 2022]
Sophomore Katy Todd (Collegeville, Pa./Pope John Paul II)
[Regional Debut]
Junior Belle Weikert (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty)
[65th place [No. 4] in 2022, 97th place [No. 5] in 2021]
Redshirt-freshman Faith Wilson (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria)
[Regional Debut]
Alternate: Sophomore Natalie DiCriscio (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem)

 
Shippensburg at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships:
(last six championship meets)
2022: 7th, 198 points (20-24-31-65-69)
2021: 9th, 233 points (16-21-28-76-97)
2020: No championships
2019: 10th, 275 points (21-28-69-78-79)
2018: 3rd, 96 points (6-9-24-25-32)
2017: 2nd, 95 points (10-13-23-26-28)
2016: 1st, 57 points (1-6-13-18-21)

NCAA Championships Qualification:
The Top 3 teams in the standings will earn automatic qualification to the NCAA National Championships (Nov. 18 in Joplin, Mo.)
The Top 2 individual finishers from teams not among the Top 3 in the standings will earn automatic qualification to the NCAA National Championships
    [each of the race's Top 5 individual finishers earn automatic qualification to the NCAA National Championships, regardless of team] 

USTFCCCA All-Region Classification
The Top 25 individual finishers will earn USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region honors.