SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2024 campaigns under the lights at Shippensburg's Galen Piper Challenge held on the SU campus on Friday night, Sept. 6. 

For the men's 6K race, some new faces made instant impacts, with freshman Zack Gibson leading the way by placing as the team's top finisher in 84th place out of 119 total runners. A pair of returners in Angel Patino (94th) and Jon Carnesi (106th) picked up where they left off a year ago, crossing the line as the team's second and third finishers, respectively. Newcomers Lucas Walthour, Bennett Seiler, and Ian Fong, along with returner Tyler Price, rounded out the Penn State Harrisburg contingency. 

In the women's 4K event, it was rookie Layna Horner crossing the line first for the Lions in 80th place. Returner Gabrielle Deitrich was next in line, finishing one spot behind her teammate, while newcomers Isabella Seibert, Claudia Taylor, and Isabella McGuire came home 82nd, 83rd, and 84th, respectively, to complete the Penn State Harrisburg scoring group on the night. 

With the first competition now under their belts, the Lions will return to action at the Seahawk Classic hosted by St. Mary's (Md.) on Friday afternoon, Sept. 13. 

Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, X, Facebook, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.