By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
Bring out the brooms — Youngstown State University made history at the Horizon League Cross Country Championships on Nov. 1, as both the men’s and women’s teams swept the titles at the Mastodon Cross Country Course in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It marked the first time in program history that the Penguins captured both championships in the same year.
The men lived up to their preseason poll prediction, claiming their fourth consecutive Horizon League crown. With the victory, YSU joins the University of Notre Dame and Butler University as the only programs to win four straight conference titles.
The Penguins earned their second Horizon League championship in program history on the women’s side, and its first since 2014.
Junior McKinley Fielding continued her record-breaking season by becoming just the second Penguin to win the individual title. Her time of 20:10.9 broke her own school record by 30 seconds and secured her a spot on the All-Horizon League First Team.
Head Coach Brian Gorby was named Horizon League Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.
The men’s 8K race set the tone early. Redshirt freshman Patrick Burgos led the Penguins with a fourth-place finish, crossing the line at 23:55.7. He entered the meet with the second-fastest 8K time in the conference this season, and was named the Horizon League Men’s Freshman of the Year.
Redshirt junior Blaze Fichter, an All-League First Team selection, placed sixth with a time of 24:00.2. Graduate student Tobias Jones and senior Sage Vavro finished back-to-back in 10th and 11th, earning All-League Second Team honors.
Junior Owen Brady finished 19th in 24:33.8, while redshirt freshman Brock Farris rounded out YSU’s top-20 efforts with a time of 24:36.3.
The Penguins totaled 50 points to secure the men’s team title. Oakland University followed with 92 points and Indiana University Indianapolis placed third with 99.
In the women’s 6K, Fielding finished 36 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Sophomore Caleigh Richards, last season’s Horizon League Freshman of the Year, crossed the finish line for a sixth-place finish at 21:08.5 to earn her first All-League First Team selection.
Senior Jenna Razavi placed ninth in 21:16.8, securing All-League Second Team honors for the first time. Freshman Maggie Hopple finished 18th in her Horizon League Championship debut, clocking 21:49 to round out the top-20 finishes for YSU.
The Penguins claimed the women’s team title with 54 points, followed by Purdue University Fort Wayne with 74 and Oakland with 79.
Youngstown State’s postseason continues Nov. 14 at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships at Angel Mounds Cross Country Course in Evansville, Indiana.