Shippensburg University's Steve Spence was named the 2025 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year on Thursday afternoon.
 
It is the fourth time in Spence's career that he has earned the top Atlantic Region coaching honor from the USTFCCCA, accompanying previous awards in 2017, 2015 and 2009.
 
Last Saturday, Shippensburg went toe-to-toe with the best of the best in the region and came out on top of a 22-team field. SU won the 2025 Atlantic Region Championship by two points over Charleston, 60-62.
 
For the Raiders, it is the fifth Atlantic Region Championship in school history, accompanying titles in 2009, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
 
Spence's squads have now qualified for the national championships in each of the last three seasons.
 
Shippensburg is ranked No. 27 in the latest edition of the USTFCCCA Division II national poll. It is the fifth time this season that the Raiders have been nationally ranked (No. 24 in the preseason poll, No. 22 in Week 1, No. 23 in Week 2 and No. 30 in Week 4).
 
Next week, Shippensburg will be making its 24th NCAA Men's Cross Country National Championships appearance when it travels to Kenosha, Wisconsin. The 10K race will be held Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course and be hosted by Wisconsin-Parkside.