LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's cross country team has been voted No. 1 in the PSAC preseason coaches poll and the USTFCCCA Division II Atlantic Region women's rankings. The Raiders, winners of three consecutive PSAC and regional team championships, will face strong competition from the likes of Edinboro, Millersville and ESU.

Head coach Steve Spence will lead a 20-person roster that includes three seniors and five of the team's primary runners from a season ago.

Senior Neely Spence, the 2010 USTFCCCA Division II Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year, is a two-time All-American and reigning national champion. She is the three-time defending PSAC and Atlantic Region champion who finished the 2010 season undefeated in six races. Spence has won 17 of the 21 races in which she has competed during her collegiate career and has not lost a regular-season race since her freshman year.

Junior Katie Spratford was an All-American in her debut season with the Raiders last year. A former Division I runner who finished sixth at the 2008 Atlantic 10 Championships, Spratford finished her debut season at Shippensburg with a ninth-place finish at the PSAC Championships, an eighth-place effort at the Atlantic Region Championships and a 23rd-place time of 21:51 at the NCAA championships.

Senior Sarah Strayer earned Top-15 finishes at the conference championship and regional championship meets for the first time in her career last season. As a sophomore, Strayer was the team's No. 3 runner at the national championship meet.

Sophomore Patty Reis was the PSAC Rookie of the Year last season despite never competing in cross country prior to her arrival at Shippensburg. Reis was the fastest freshman at the PSAC Championships – earning all-conference honors with a 16th-place time of 23:18 – and later finished 17th at the Atlantic Region Championships with a time of 23:17. She was also the fourth fastest freshman at the Division II National Championships.

Senior Jamie McCollum, was SU's alternate at the national championships and posted an All-PSAC time of 23:21 that was good enough for 17th place and achieved a Top 20 finish at the regional championships with a time of 23:19.

Due to Shippensburg's high finish at last year's national championships, the top three teams at the 2011 NCAA regional meet will advance to compete at the 2011 NCAA national championships in Spokane, Washington.

SU opens its season on Saturday, September 3 with the 2nd Annual Galen E. Piper Alumni Open on the home cross country course. The women will start their race at 11 a.m.

PSAC Preseason Women's Cross Country Poll

1. Shippensburg (16)
2. Edinboro
3. Millersville
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Mansfield
6. Kutztown
7. Lock Haven
8. Slippery Rock
9. Bloomsburg
10. IUP
11. California (Pa.)
12. West Chester
13. Clarion
14. Mercyhurst
15. Gannon
16. Cheyney

First-place votes are in parentheses.

USTFCCCA Division II Atlantic Region Women's Rankings

1. Shippensburg
2. Edinboro
3. Millersville
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Mansfield
6. Kutztown
7. Lock Haven
8. Slippery Rock
9. Bloomsburg
10. Concord