SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University cross country teams will begin the 2011 season this Saturday with the second annual Galen E. Piper Alumni/Open Cross Country Challenge from the home course located on the north side of campus.

Shippensburg and its alumni will run as separate teams along with squads from Dickinson, Gettysburg, Frostburg, Hagerstown Community College and newcomer York (Pa.). One of the coaches of the Spartans is former Raider cross country runner Stephen Lobianco '07.

This year's race will feature a couple of exciting twists.

Both the men's and women's alumni teams will feature an armada of recently graduated talent and be guided by hall of fame head coaches. Legendary SU track coach Paul Kaiser will serve as the honorary coach of the men's alumni team while Piper will be the honorary coach of the women's alumni team.

The men's race begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by the women's race at 11 a.m. Fans are welcome to line the course and cheer on the race participants.

The family-friendly event also features a 1-mile “Fun Run/Walk” for any children interested in racing. That event will begin at 11:30 a.m. There are also several convenient located playing areas for children in the vicinity of the course along with volleyball and basketball courts.

The men's and women's PSAC championship trophies from last season will be on display along with the fourth-place women's team trophy from the 2010 NCAA championships.

Information on Galen Piper, the race's namesake:

Piper started both the women's cross country and track and field programs in 1979, the year of his graduation from Shippensburg, and guided both squads for 19 consecutive seasons.

Among his many coaching achievements was leading the cross country squads in 1996-97 – Piper's final two seasons as head coach. The teams are among the best in SU history as both the 1996 and 1997 squads won the PSAC and NCAA Division II East Region championships.

The 1996 team had a 77-15-1 record against opponents and placed 11th at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships while the 1997 team was 108-5 and finished sixth at the national championships. Neither the 1996 nor 1997 cross country teams lost to a non-Division I team until the NCAA championships.

Piper was named Coach of the Year by the ECAC, PSAC and East Region of Division II in both seasons.

He continues to serve Shippensburg as its Director of Recreation, Intramurals, Club Sports and Facilities.