Manchester runner Ryan Butcher-Raines signs with Shawnee State

The hills around Manchester High School helped turn Ryan Butcher-Raines into a school-record runner and state qualifier, and now the Greyhounds senior has carried that work to Shawnee State University. In a mid-May signing ceremony on the Manchester campus, Butcher-Raines made his college choice official and set the next step of his career in motion.

Butcher-Raines will continue both cross-country and track for Shawnee State, a fit that combines athletics with a practical academic choice. He said the Portsmouth school felt like the closest option and, after visiting other colleges, the one that felt most comfortable to him. He also plans to study accounting, giving his move to Shawnee State a clear academic purpose as well as a running one.

For Manchester, the signing reads like the latest chapter in a story built over years, not weeks. Butcher-Raines came through the program as a Boys Cross Country First Team selection and a state qualifier, and coach Sean Inman said he has been a school record holder while growing as both a runner and a person over four years in the program. That résumé was reinforced on the biggest stage last fall, when he ran 17:19.5 for 5,000 meters at the Ohio High School Athletic Association state cross-country meet in Obetz on Nov. 1, 2025.

The move also reflects the support system behind the athlete. A Manchester senior profile published May 3 listed his parents as Brandy Baker and Anthony Raines, underscoring the family roots behind his rise. Butcher-Raines has credited the people around him at Manchester, including friends, teammates and coaches, for pushing him to run harder, faster and better, a theme that has defined his path from local courses to the college level.

Shawnee State gives him a place to keep building on that foundation. The university officially sponsors men’s cross country along with indoor and outdoor track and field, creating a full collegiate route for a runner who has already proved himself on the roads and hills of Adams County. Manchester has also had another recent athlete sign with Shawnee State, a sign that the university has become a familiar destination for Greyhounds looking to keep competing after high school.

Butcher-Raines leaves Manchester with a record of success that local fans can measure in results, not just potential. His signing is the next step for a hometown runner who turned school pride, coaching and consistent work into a college opportunity.