SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The No. 18 Shippensburg University men's cross country team gutted out a third-place finish at the 2011 Atlantic Region Championships and edged East Stroudsburg by just two points to secure its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA national championships.

Ironically, this year's trip to the NCAA championship meet can be booked because of the success of last year's team. Because of Shippensburg's seventh-place finish at the 2010 NCAA championship meet, the Atlantic Region was granted a third team in the 2011 NCAA championship meet after having sent just two in previous seasons. SU will be joined by No. 8 Edinboro, the Atlantic Region champion, and No. 23 Lock Haven.

Shippensburg had three runners achieve All-Region honors Saturday. Senior Stephen Schelander finished in third place by matching his 10K PR of 31:53, being bested only by Lock Haven's Alex Monroe and Edinboro's Scott Anderson. Schelander earned his third career All-Region honor and highest-ever place at the regional meet.

Junior Matt Gillette earned his third career Top 10 finish at the regional championships with a sixth-place time of 32:17. Gillette finished 10th last season and ninth as a freshman.

Senior Eric Evans ran what was arguably the most important race of the day for the Raiders, posting a 13th-place time of 32:55 in just the second collegiate 10K cross country race of his career. Evans ran a 10K at Mansfield as a sophomore in 2009 and posted a time in that race of 33:50.

Entering this season, Evans had never finished higher than 28th at the conference championship meet. Now, in the span of 15 days, Evans has earned his first career All-PSAC and All-Atlantic Region honors with a 20th-place turn at the conference meet and his 13th-place finish on Saturday.

Despite Shippensburg putting three runners in the Top 13, East Stroudsburg nearly advanced to nationals on the strength of its pack mentality. The Warriors had all five of its scoring runners finish in the Top 31 and were separated by just 43 seconds. Chris Schneider led ESU in 14th place while Jim Romano was the No. 5 Warrior runner in 31st place.

Another key for the Raiders proved to be the vigilance of senior Wade Miller and freshman Bernard England – both of whom were running a collegiate 10K in cross country for the first time. Miller finished 32nd with a time of 33:44, just one second ahead of a runner from West Virginia Wesleyan, while England took 54th place in 34:42 and was just one second ahead of three different runners.

Rounding out the SU pack was redshirt-freshman Scott Armstrong, who placed 66th in 35:03, and freshman Peter Gelston, whose time of 35:17 resulted in 76th place.

The 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships will be held Nov. 19 and is hosted by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference from Spokane, Washington.

Shippensburg (3rd, 108 points)
3. Stephen Schelander (31:53)
6. Matt Gillette (32:17)
13. Eric Evans (32:55)
32. Wade Miller (33:44)
54. Bernard England (34:42)
66. Scott Armstrong (35:03)
75. Peter Gelston (35:17)