Shepherd, Hackenberg Qualify for NCAA Championships in Cross Country

LOCK HAVEN-Justin Shepherd (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) and Amber Hackenberg (Middleburg/Middleburg) led the Bloomsburg University cross country teams at the 2005 NCAA East Regionals, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in Pamona, CA on November 19.

Shepherd finished third out of 174 runners in the men's race with a time of 22:07 on the 10,000-meter course to earn All-Region honors for the second year in a row. Hackenberg also earned All-Region honors for the second consecutive year, with a fifth-place overall finish with a time of 22:07 on the 6,000-meter course.

The Huskies finished fourth overall in the women's standings, missing the trip to nationals by eight points. Edinboro won the race with 33 points, while Indiana (PA) was second with 98 points. Kutztown, with 105 points, edged out the Huskies' 113 points, to earn the final bid to the NCAA Championships. Head coach Karen Brandt said the Golden Bears held off the Huskies in the last 1,000 meters of the race.

"They've got a lot of 800 and 1,500-meter women and that speed was just enough to nip a few places and put those eight points between us," she said.

Brandt said the team is let down with the team finish, having had high hopes to qualify for the national championships.

"It hurts and we're all disappointed," she said. "I'm also really proud of the girls and wouldn't want to coach any other team."

Hackenberg's national-qualifying performance is the second in the Brandt era as Danielle Kramer was an NCAA qualifier in 2002. Prior to Kramer's second-place finish in 2002, the highest finish in the east region was a third-place effort from Tina Wikoski in 1993. At the NCAA Championships, Wikoski holds the only top-50 performance, taking 48th in 1993, while Kramer was 70th in 2002.

Ashley Shuck (Milton/Milton) finished 12th in the race of 181 runners for the Huskies in a time of 22:24, also earned All-Region honors, while Mary Bacher (New Tripoli/Allentown Central Catholic) was 22nd in 22:51. Shannon Hoffman (Watstontown/Warrior Run) took 31st in 23:02, while Beth Schwing (Hershey/Lower Dauphin) rounded out the scoring in 42rd in a time of 23:17. Katie Conlon (Inkerman/Pittston) and Karen Hause (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia) also ran for the Huskies. Conlon ran to a 54th-place finish in a time of 23:45, while Hause was 68th in 24:04.

On the men's side, Shepherd records the first national-qualifying performance since Steve Eachus qualified in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Eachus finished third at the NCAA Championships in 1977 and 1978 and earned All-American honors for the third year in a row, finishing eighth in the 1976 title race. He is the first qualifier on the men's side since Brandt became head coach in 1999.

The men took 10th out of 25 teams as Edinboro won the regional title with 59 points. Lock Haven was second with 69 points.

Dan Ezzi (Mechincsburg/Mechanicsburg) took 24th in 32:50 for the Huskies, while Dave Sanford (Nescopeck/Central Columbia) was 65th in 34:17. Bill Shepardson (McMurray/Peters Twp.) and Mike Espinosa (Media/Penncrest) rounded out the scoring in 69th and 75th place, respectively, with times of 34:27 and 34:45. Tony Skiles (West Reading/Wyomissing) and Tim Marcoe (Lansdale/Lansdale Catholic) also ran for the Huskies, taking 91st and 95th place. Skiles finished in 35:30, while Marcoe finished with a time of 35:41.