By Cameron Stubbs
The Youngstown State’s men’s and women’s cross country season has come to a close as the weather has cooled down.
The teams stayed hot until the very end as the men claimed the Horizon League Champions title for the first time since 2018.
The Penguins were led by senior Chase Easterling and juniors Ryan Meadows and Hunter Christopher, who all finished in second through fourth place in the 8 kilometer, to push the Penguins over the top.
Individually for the women, senior Morgan Cole was the Horizon League Cross Country Women’s Athlete of the Year, the first time a Penguin has received this honor.
Cole also won the individual Horizon League Cross Country Championship title, becoming the first woman to do so.
School records were set all around as Chistopher broke the 8k record and Easterling broke the 10k record.
Head coach Brian Gorby was named the Men’s Horizon League Coach of the Year, marking his third time earning the honor.
Cross country may be over, but the teams will still be in action as the track & field team’s season is on the horizon as it hosts the YSU Icebreaker presented by Southwoods Health on Dec. 2 in the Watson and Tressel Training Site.
