The Shippensburg University men's cross country team toed the line on a warm Friday morning as one of just five NCAA Division II schools in the prestigious 'Gold' race at the Paul Short Run presented by ASICS held on the campus of Lehigh University at its Goodman Cross Country Course.

Tommy Crum Jr. was Shippensburg's No. 1 runner, finishing in 46th place with a time of 24:56.5. Crum Jr. split 4:48.9 between the four-mile marker and the finish line to gain 18 spots in the standings down the stretch.
 
Julian Clark was one of three Raider freshmen competing in just their second collegiate 8K race. Clark improved upon his previous PR (three weeks ago at the Dickinson race at Big Spring High School) by 37 seconds – crossing the finish line with a time of 26:04.4 as the team's No. 2 runner. Clark's final split of 5:07 allowed him to gain 48 spots in the standings.
 
Ben Hummel was Shippensburg's No. 3 runner on the day, enhancing his PR by 1.7 seconds in his fourth collegiate 8K race. Hummel ran 26:18, improving upon his previous best set at last year's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships held at Edinboro.
 
Ramon Urena was just one second behind Hummel, serving as the No. 4 runner with a time of 26:19.
 
Jackson Gutekunst, competing in his 10th collegiate 8K race, delivered a PR of 4.2 seconds – crossing the finish line in 26:35.7. Gutekunst's turn as the team's fifth and final scoring runner improves his previous personal best set at last year's Paul Short Run.
 
A total of 10 Raiders suited up for the race: Seth Reichenbach, Davey Johnson, Ryan Gourley, Brennan Wellock and Daniel Naylor rounded out the Raiders in action Friday morning.
 
West Chester was the only other PSAC school in the 'Gold' Race. The Golden Rams finished three spots ahead of the Raiders in 28th place, with Matthew Remishofski edging Crum Jr. by three spots and 2.5 seconds in 43rd place. WCU senior Josh Miller finished 58th overall.
 
Pacing the Atlantic Region was Charleston (W. Va.), which finished in ninth place – Golden Eagle freshman Matthew Meli finished second overall in 24:01.3. Fayetteville State, the school hosting this year's regional championships, placed 23rd with 635 points and was once again paced by Franklin Kipchirchir (12th place; 24:17.5).
 
Wingate, currently the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll, won the 'Gold' race with a score of 58 points – placing first out of 35 teams. The Bulldogs finished ahead of Penn State (129 points), Pitt (151 points), Navy (193 points) and a host of other NCAA Division I schools.
 
The Paul Short Run, one of the most prestigious cross country meets annually held in the Northeast, features five races for each gender to which teams are assigned based on season times and projections. The top race is the Gold, which is almost entirely composed of NCAA Division I programs. Slotted behind the Gold is the Brown. The White is exclusive to NCAA Division III schools, a format designed to help with the division's national championship qualifying standards. For the second year there is a 'Green' race which features a mixture of schools spanning NCAA Division II and III, junior colleges and independents. There was also an open race held earlier in the morning for which there is no team scoring.
 
Competing in the morning 'Gold' race at 11 a.m. proved valuable for the Raiders, as the White, Brown and Green races all ended up being canceled due to the heat and the weather conditions. Scores of runners ended up in the medical tents after the men's and women's 'Gold' races.
 
Shippensburg returns to action in two weeks on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Gettysburg.
 
Shippensburg (31st, 759 points)
46. Tommy Crum Jr. 24:56.5
164. Julian Clark 26:04.4
192. Ben Hummel 26:18.0
199. Ramon Urena 26:19.0
221. Jackson Gutekunst 26:35.7
232. Seth Reichenbach 26:47.2
247. Davey Johnson 26:59.6
270. Ryan Gourley 27:22.0
278. Brennan Wellock 27:31.9
289. Daniel Naylor 27:51.1
 
Shippensburg's Personal Bests and PR Tracker
46. Tommy Crum Jr. 24:56.5 (7th collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 24:14.9 [10/3/25 at Paul Short])
164. Julian Clark 26:04.4 (2nd collegiate XC 8K; PR by 37 seconds)
192. Ben Hummel 26:18.0 (4th collegiate XC 8K; PR by 1.7 seconds)
199. Ramon Urena 26:19.0 (6th collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 25.50.9 [10/25/25 at Edinboro])
221. Jackson Gutekunst 26:35.7 (10th collegiate XC 8K; PR by 4.2 seconds)
232. Seth Reichenbach 26:47.2 (2nd collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 26:45.1 [9/12/26 at Big Spring])
247. Davey Johnson 26:59.6 (4th collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 26:48.4 [9/12/26 at Big Spring])
270. Ryan Gourley 27:22.0 (2nd collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 26:45.1 [9/12/26 at Big Spring])
278. Brennan Wellock 27:31.9 (10th collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 25:57.1 [10/25/25 at Edinboro])
289. Daniel Naylor 27:51.1 (3rd collegiate XC 8K; PR remains 26:03.1 [10/3/25 at Paul Short])