WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's outdoor track and field program defended its PSAC championship on the third and final day of competition from West Chester University by securing a wire-to-wire victory for the second consecutive season. SU defeated East Stroudsburg by four points to win its 18th outdoor championship in school history.

The Red Raiders won four events this weekend, including Saturday titles in the pole vault by senior Donnie Graybill and the 1,500 meters by senior Josh Neyhart. Overall, Shippensburg had at least one scoring performance in 16 of the 21 events and had multiple placewinners in 12 events.

“We had a lot of adversity at the beginning of the meet [with a key injury], but instead of getting down the team rallied around that,” head coach Dave Osanitsch said after the meet. “Fifth, sixth and sevenths over and over again is how you win championships, along with a never-give-up attitude.”

Shippensburg won the men's and women's outdoor track and field championships in the same season for just the third time in program history and first since 1993. The Raiders also achieved the feat in 1984.

“Numerous times this weekend I had student-athletes on the men's side come up to me and saying that we are not giving up, this is not over and we will fight on,” Osanitsch said. “That proved in the end. I am really proud of them and it is a perfect example of the fortitude of this team.”

The Red Raiders had to survive an onslaught from East Stroudsburg's sprint-laden lineup for the title. Shippensburg finished the weekend with 163.5 points, just four ahead of the Warriors. The two teams were tied entering the steeplechase, in which junior Bryan Beegle placed second in 9:19.63 and fellow junior Jake Sitler placed fourth with a personal-record time of 9:23.95. Both NCAA provisional marks gave SU an 11-point lead entering the 4x400-meter relay.

Neyhart was another integral scorer for the Red Raiders on Saturday, winning the 1,500 meters with an outstanding final burst to record another provisional time of 3:53.25. Joining him on the podium was freshman Matt Gillette, who zoomed down the final lap to place third in 3:55.16, sophomore Stephen Schelander right behind with a fourth-place finish in 3:55.69 and junior Matt Gelety capturing seventh in 3:57.64.

In the field, junior Josh Hostetler came just three feet short of a conference championship in the javelin. His throw of 191 feet 6 inches earned him second place, while junior Glenn Bell earned third (187 feet 10 inches) and senior Christian D'Annibale placed fifth (185 feet 1 inch).

Graybill battled through a hamstring injury to win the pole vault for his first career conference championship in the event, clearing 15 feet 10 inches. Sophomore Travis Hammaker excelled with a fourth-place finish on a vault of 14 feet 4.5 inches and classmate Greg Osmolenski took sixth by clearing 13 feet 10.5 inches.

At the sand pits, three Red Raiders scored points in the triple jump. Freshman Elijah Trusty earned all-conference recognition with a third-place jump of 47 feet 5.25 inches. Freshman Matthew Terry took fifth with a leap of 46 feet 8.25 inches while Graybill finished eighth on a mark of 45 feet 10.5 inches.

The 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will begin Thursday, May 27 from Charlotte. The three-day meet will be hosted by Johnson C. Smith University.

Full details to follow.

Decathlon
6. Andrew Campolongo (5,537 points)

Discus Throw
5. Adam Deiseroth (45.77 meters)
6. Travis Nye (44.92 meters)

Long Jump
4. Matthew Terry (7.08 meters)
6. Kyle Dickinson (6.96 meters)
7. Elijah Trusty (6.92 meters)
8. Cody De Boer (6.85 meters)

Javelin Throw
2. Josh Hostetler (58.37 meters)
3. Glenn Bell (57.26 meters)
5. Christian D'Annibale (56.41 meters)

10,000-Meter Run
1. Sean Stetler (30:40.17)
6. Brandon Boyer (31:34.69)
8. Ethan Rissell (31:40.59)

110-Meter Hurdles
7. Tyrek Nelson (15.54)
8. Mark Cover (15.81)

800-Meter Run
6. Joshua Neyhart (1:56.83)

400-Meter Hurdles
6. Marcus Line (54.53)
7. Kyle Raguz (54.89)

High Jump
7. Donnie Graybill (1.90 meters)

Triple Jump
3. Elijah Trusty (14.46 meters)
5. Matthew Terry (14.23 meters)
8. Donnie Graybill (13.98 meters)

Shot Put
3. Steve D'Arcy (15.52 meters)
8. Travis Nye (14.54 meters)

Pole Vault
1. Donnie Graybill (4.83 meters)
4. Travis Hammaker (4.38 meters)
6. Greg Osmolenski (4.23 meters)

3,000-Meter Steeplechase
2. Bryan Beegle (9:19.63)
4. Jake Sitler (9:23.95)

1,500-Meter Run
1. Joshua Neyhart (3:53.25)
3. Matt Gillette (3:55.16)
4. Stephen Schelander (3:55.69)
7. Matt Gelety (3:57.64)

5,000-Meter Run
1. Bryan Beegle (14:52.88)
3. Stephen Schelander (15:05.87)
4. Sean Stetler (15:12.10)
7. Matt Gillette (15:23.36)

4x400-Meter Relay
6. Marcus Line, Todd Phillips, Eric Wolfe and Kyle Raguz (3:17.46)