PAUL KAISER JR.

2026 CHAMBERSBURG ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

It was a serendipitous moment in 1967 when Paul Kaiser Jr. was asked to start a new sports program at Chambersburg – boys cross country.

Kaiser coached the Trojans for the next 10 years and quickly built the program into a powerhouse. During those 10 years, Chambersburg compiled a dual meet record of 116-5-1, which included an incredible winning streak of 96 consecutive meets.

Paul Kaiser

Kaiser is one of 9 individuals and one team that will be inducted into the Chambersburg Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 18-19.

Other individuals are Terri Yeager, Jack Mull, Kellen Williams, Carla (Shearer) Christian, Craig Helmuth, Steve Moore, Brooke (Jacobs) Lombardozzi and Norm Snowberger, and the 1989 state champion girls cross country team. Stories on each of them have been or will be published this summer.

Kaiser was a 1958 graduate of CASHS and made his athletic mark on the baseball team. He then attended Shippensburg University and was a left-handed pitcher for the Raiders for all four years, and a co-captain in 1962.

After graduation, he became a teacher at Chambersburg and was named Teacher of the Year in 1964.

When he started the boys cross country program, his career took off in a new direction and it became a memorable journey for himself and many athletes. In addition to coaching cross country and track & field for the high school, Kaiser also served as an assistant baseball coach under Bob Thomas in the Franklin County American Legion League.

Kaiser returned to Shippensburg University as an assistant cross country and track & field coach in 1974. He served as head coach from 1977 to 1981 and then, after two years in private industry, he returned as head coach from 1983 to 1990.

Shippensburg’s cross country team was turned into a national power in just a few years. The team placed 17th at the NCAA Division II national championships in 1978, eighth in 1979 and ninth in 1980.

The Shippensburg track & field program also flourished under Kaiser’s direction. From 1984 to 1987, the Raiders achieved a 60-11 dual meet record, including four undefeated seasons.

Additionally, the Raiders captured PSAC championships in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1990. Numerous SU individuals became PSAC champions through the years and dozens more were placewinners.

During his coaching tenure, two Raider athletes earned NCAA Division II national titles, and 13 individuals earned a cumulative total of 20 All-America laurels.

In addition to his coaching duties, Kaiser served as the Director of Conferences and Field Representative for Athletics and served as the liaison for SU with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. He was the coordinator for the District 3 and PIAA State Track and Field Championships until his retirement from Shippensburg University in 2002.

He was inducted into the SU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2005, the Shippensburg University Collegiate Invitational was renamed the Paul Kaiser Classic in his honor.

Edited by Ed Gotwals