By John Ostapowicz / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships on Nov. 15 at the Silver Creek Park Cross Country Course in Norton.
In total, 14 Penguins competed in the event as 62 teams participated from over 30 universities.
The men’s squad led the way with a ninth-place finish totaling 224 points. The placement tied the highest finish for the Penguins in program history and the second-consecutive ninth-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional.
Youngstown State placed 10 points behind The Ohio State University. The University of Notre Dame won the championship title on the men’s side with a team score of 70 points, while the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Butler University rounded out the top three, respectively.
In the men’s 10K, fifth-year senior Hunter Christopher led the way for the Penguins with an 11th place finish with a time of 29:29. Christopher broke his previous program 10K record, which was 30:23.9 — set at the same event in 2023.
Senior Thomas Caputo was the next Penguin finisher, who placed 45th in the event. Caputos time of 30:19.2 would have also broken the record, but moves him into third place in the record book.
For Youngstown State, the women’s squad placed 20th overall with 583 points, while Notre Dame secured the championship title with 51 points.
Individually, two Penguins finished in the top 100 on the women’s side. Sophomore McKinley Fielding placed 62nd overall with a time of 20:51.8, while freshman Caleigh Richards finished 88th, with a time of 21:14.4.
With the conclusion of the championship, Youngstown State marked the end of its 2024 cross country season. To stay up to date with the team over the off-season, follow @ysutrackfieldXC on X.
