SHIPPENSBURG, PA. - On a warm, clear night, the Messiah men's cross country team opened their season over the 6k distance at the 15th annual Galen Piper XC Classic, hosted by Shippensburg University. The unusual distance, contested over a six-lap course made up of consecutive one kilometer loops, featured one steep uphill and several tight turns that made quick racing difficult. Even still, the Falcons performed very well on a warm and humid evening race with a 8:00 p.m. starting time, taking second place out of nine scoring teams with a total of 60 points. The Falcons fell short of Shippensburg (1st place, 20 points) but earned a considerable gap back to regional rivals Elizabethtown (4th place, 90 points) and York (5th place, 166 points). The Falcons' depth was on full display, with two Falcons finishing in the top 10 and six finishing inside the top 20, setting the team up well for success as their season unfolds.
 
The Falcons will enjoy a weekend off of racing before returning to action on September 20, 2025, at the Delaware Valley College Aggies Invite in Doylestown, PA. The Falcons' trip east will serve as their preview of the Middle Atlantic Conference XC Championships' course, which will be hosted by Delaware Valley College at the same location in November. The Falcons' next race will provide a wonderful opportunity to compete against other Middle Atlantic Conference competition that will also be there to preview the course as the Falcons look forward to the postseason in two months' time.

Race Action
 
Senior Louka Fetter was the top Falcon on the day, taking fourth place overall with a time of 19:29.6. Sophomore Kaleb Kabakjian finished closely behind, running a fantastic race to finish in fifth place with a time of 19:38.4. Fetter led the race through the first kilometer in a steady 3:15 before following a move made by a group of Shippensburg's top four runners in the second kilometer. Fetter was gapped by the top three before halfway, but managed to hold fourth place until the end of the race, finishing with a final kilometer split of 3:10. Kabakjian ran a more cautious race, easing off the pace when the move at the front was made early but tracking behind Fetter steadily for the remainder of the race before registering a 3:15 closing split. 
 
Freshman Samuel Hennett was the third finisher for the Falcons on the day, with senior Sean Baxter registering his highest-ever team finish in fourth in his season-opener with a fantastic race. The duo ran the entire race together before Hennett managed to put a single second on Baxter over the lap, splitting respective final splits of 3:19 and 3:20 to notch finishing times of 20:32.3 and 20:33.9. Hennett and Baxter were split by a Shippensburg alumni runner in 16th that Hennett managed to run down in the final straight, placing the duo in 15th and 17th place overall respectively. 
 
Sixth-year Kyle Costello rounded out the top five for the Falcons, finishing with a time of 20:43.6 and just holding off the senior duo of Zeke Colyer and Nathaniel Coggins, who finished up next with respective times of 20:52.1 and 20:53.8. Costello opened his race by keeping pace with Fetter and Kabakjian for the first two kilometers before finding Hennett and Baxter sometime during the fifth kilometer. Costello carried on to the finish to round the race's top 20 in 20th place overall, while Colyer and Coggins worked together throughout the race before eventually placing in 21st and 22nd. 
 
Junior Josiah Carnwath was the eighth finisher for the Falcons, running a time of 21:06.8 that serves as an incredible 91-second improvement on his time in the same exact race two years ago as a freshman. This figure was easily the most of any upperclassmen on the team, showcasing his incredible improvement over the last two years. Senior Tyler Billet finished close behind with a time of 21:10.1, while transfer junior Jacob Sahlstrom rounded out the Falcons' top 10 with a time of 21:15.7 behind a swift closing kilometer of 3:24.
 
Fellow transfer Sophomore Micah Kao was next up for the Falcons, running the first four kilometers with Salhstrom before finishing eight seconds behind his teammate with a time of 21:23.4. Sophomore Jackson Kay, coming off a very strong freshman cross country season, opened up his race quickly with Colyer, Coggins, and Billet before finishing just behind Kao with a time of 21:24.9. Sophomore Ryan Klemick and Junior Evan Sarkett rounded out the pack for the Falcons, turning in performances of 21:28.6 and 21:33.6 respectively. 
 
Sophomore Nathan Seibert finished next with a time of 21:56.4, followed by freshmen Samuel Meyer (22:02.3), Larsen Cooper (22:13.1), Nathan Steen (22:20.5), and Luke Acton (22:20.7). Sophomore Matthew Rush finished just behind that freshman group with a time of 22:23.0 and just ahead of freshman Jared Walker, who stopped the clock at 22:36.8 in his first collegiate race. Sophomore Daniel Satariano finished with a time of 22:50.4, while Samuel Mateer rounded out the Falcons' efforts with a time of 23:22.8. 
 
Up Next
 
The Falcons will enjoy a weekend off of racing before returning to action on September 20, 2025, at the Delaware Valley College Aggies Invite in Doylestown, PA. The Falcons' trip east will serve as their preview of the Middle Atlantic Conference XC Championships' course, which will be hosted by Delaware Valley College at the same location in November. The Falcons' next race will provide a wonderful opportunity to compete against other Middle Atlantic Conference competition that will also be there to preview the course as the Falcons look forward to the postseason in two months' time.

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