LOUISVILLE, Ky. — North Schuylkill High School graduate Brendan Shearn, a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, will join his teammates at the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships today in Louisville, Ky.
The Quakers are one of 31 teams that will compete in the 10K national-championship race set for 1 p.m. at the E.P. Tom Sawyer Park.
Penn finished second at last week’s Mid-Atlantic Regional to secure the program’s first berth into the NCAA Championships since 1975. The 21st-ranked Quakers finished with five runners in the top 25, each earning All-Region honors.
Shearn placed 12th overall in a time of 31:12.9. Teammates Thomas Awad (30:49.5) and Nick Tuck (30:54.6) placed fourth and sixth, respectively, for the Quakers. Shearn also placed 12th at the Ivy League Championships earlier this season.
Shearn is a 2013 North Schuylkill graduate from Ashland, coming to Penn after a highly-decorated high school running career. He captured a PIAA cross country championship and a state gold medal in the 3,200-meter run at the PIAA Track and Field Championships among his many running accomplishments.
At Penn, Shearn is a two-time national qualifier in the 10,000-meter run with the university’s track and field team.