With 285 points, the Shippensburg University men’s outdoor track-and-field team blew past the competition on Wednesday evening, taking first-place at Seth Grove Stadium.

Both the men’s and women’s outdoor track-and-field teams are reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champions, so the victories over PSAC rivals West Chester University and Seton Hill University are especially sweet.

There were several performances in particular that highlighted the evening for the Raiders.

The SU men’s team took first-place in 12 out of the 16 events, in which it competed in on Wednesday, which led to its dominating win.

“Well, I think we all love running on our home track. There’s just sort of a familiar feeling on this track, even though all tracks are 400 meters long and it technically shouldn’t be any different,” junior Timmy Usher said.

Junior Jalen Ramsey stamped his own ticket for an automatic-qualifying position to compete in the NCAA Division II track and field championships.

His high jump tied the men’s school record set by Leander Toney nearly a decade ago. Ramsey cleared the bar, which was set at 7 feet, 1 3/4 inches. Ramsey will be joined at Nationals by teammate Tra-C Davis. Davis, a sophomore, tied his personal record yesterday, clearing the bar at 6 feet, 11 inches.

Junior Caleb Bartlett, who was chosen as the PSAC Outdoor Track-and-Field athlete of the week last week, broke his school record in the hammer throw for the fourth time this season.

Bartlett broke 200 feet for the first time in his collegiate career, with a hammer throw of 200 feet, 6 inches. He now sits as the ninth-highest performer among NCAA Division II athletes.

For the athletes, this SU team has a special feel to it. Everybody has been pitching in recently, which has been its recipe for success this season.

“It’s so cool to be on such an amazing team and still have people that stand out in the spotlight,” Usher said.

“It’s always fun watching our team compete, because we are all out here for the same reason — to win. You can definitely see it when we step on the track.”

Usher went on to add, “We have one more big meet and then we’ll be starting our true prep work for the conference championship.”

The team has been pushing each other all season and it has paid off for the Raiders, who have been PSAC outdoor track-and-field champions for seven consecutive years.

The team’s next big matchup is a home meet, which will begin in the early hours of the morning at Seth Grove Stadium.

The 19th annual Paul Kaiser Classic will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 30. It will be the final meet of the men’s season before the outdoor PSAC championships, which will be held May 12-14, in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.

The men will be seeking their eighth-straight conference title and, with the talent this group has, it looks like SU may be celebrating this spring once again.     

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