The Shippensburg University men's cross country team put forth a strong showing Saturday at the 2024 NCAA National Championships, sloshing through the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento to a 20th-place team finish in competition at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex.
 
The course conditions were rather saturated – Sacramento received three days of rain leading up to the race. While Saturday began with cloudy, 60-degree weather, the skies opened up again during the race and rain poured by the finish – making the course a mud bath.
 
Shippensburg (533 points) ran ahead of the other two Atlantic Region teams in Saturday's national championship race. Davis & Elkins, the Atlantic Region champions, finished 27th with a score of 686 points, while Charleston finished 29th with 702 points.
 
Junior Garrett Quinan once again paced the Raiders with an incredible 10K performance. Quinan ran 51st overall, an improvement of 15 places from last season, and crossed the finish line in a time of 30:44.9.   
 
Senior Aiden Gonder was the team's No. 2 runner, running 113th in 31:27.9. For Gonder, it's an improvement of almost 100 places from last year's nationals run.  
 
Redshirt-freshman Tommy Crum Jr. was the No. 3 runner, delivering consistent splits and crossing the finish line 133rd with a time of 31:39.8 for an impressive nationals debut.
 
Junior Ryan Wolfe started out the race strong and ultimately served as the team's No. 4 runner, posting a time of 31:48 for 146th place. Wolfe improved by more than 100 places from his nationals debut a year ago.
 
Graduate Ian Sherlock was the fifth and final Raider scoring runner, crossing the finish line in 32:11.2. Sherlock's 171st-place finish is an improvement of 80 places from last season.
 
Sophomore Brennan Wellock and freshman Ramon Urena rounded out the Raider contingent; both runners were making their national championships debut.
 
The top Atlantic Region runners were Virginia Union's Franklin Kipchirchir (46th place), Quinan, Charleston's Samuel Idiens (57th) and D&E's Carter Mckenna (59th). Cal's Jon Thrush, who like Kipchirchir was an individual qualifier, finished 98th. Jan Thewes of D&E, the Atlantic Region champion, finished 131st.
 
Shippensburg competed in the NCAA National Championships for the second straight year after a five-year absence. It was Shippensburg's 23rd NCAA National Championships appearance in school history.
 
The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) served as the host.
 
Shippensburg (20th, 533 points)
51. Garrett Quinan 30:44.9
113. Aiden Gonder 31:27.9
133. Tommy Crum Jr. 31:39.8
146. Ryan Wolfe 31:48.5
171. Ian Sherlock 32:11.2
203. Brennan Wellock 32:40.2
214. Ramon Urena 32:50.0
 
SHIP's History at NCAA Cross Country Championships:
2024: 20th
2023: 31st
2018: 27th
2017: 10th
2016: 16th
2015: 5th
2014: 25th
2013: 23rd
2011: 17th
2010: 7th
2009: 13th
2005: 15th
2002: 20th
2001: 18th
2000: 19th
1998: 8th
1992: 15th
1991: T-4th
1990: 2nd
1989: 7th
1980: 9th
1979: 8th
1978: 17th
 
SHIP All-Americans at NCAA Cross Country Championships:
2017: Alex Balla (37th)
2016: Kieran Sutton (25th)
2015: Austin McGinley (32nd)
2012: Matt Gillette (17th)
2010: Brandon Boyer (38th)
2005: John Somers (21st)
1991: Randy Lowe (5th)
1990: Randy Lowe (3rd)
1989: Chris Monheim (23rd)
1984: Steve Spence (15th)
1984: Rob Berkebile (17th)
1982: Steve Spence (13th)
1980: Gregg Sanders (6th)
1980: Gary Bicking (8th)
1979: Gregg Sanders (9th)
1978: John Doub (6th)
1977: John Doub (23rd)
[13 individual All-Americans, 17 total All-America finishes]