By Madeline Hippeard
The Youngstown State University track and field team sent athletes to four different meets in Boston, Massachusetts; Akron, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky on Jan. 26 and 27.
In Boston, mid-distance and distance runners participated in the John Thomas Terrier Classic, including senior Hunter Christopher who broke the Youngstown State record in the men’s 3000-meter run.
Christopher finished the race with a time of 7:58.37, lowering his previous school record of 8:08.41 by ten seconds.
Graduate student Morgan Cole ran the women’s 3000-meter with a career-best time of 9:29.46, just missing the school record of 9:28.30 set in 2012 by a second.
The Penguins also participated in the UMass-Lowell River Hawk Invitational in Boston where fifth-year jumper Jakari Lomax broke the Youngstown State record in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 15.74 meters.
Lomax set the previous school record — a jump of 15.52 meters — at the YSU Icebreaker meet in December 2023.
Junior hurdler Luke Laubacher also won an event for the ‘Guins at the River Hawk Invitational with a time of 7.81 seconds in the men’s 60-meter hurdles.
Sophomore hurdler Harry Barton said many athletes use the indoor track season as a way to get the hang of things before the outdoor season begins.
“I sort of use indoor as a building block for outdoor as there’s no 400 hurdles indoors, so it gives me time to work on building my speed and getting my flat 400 and 200 times down as much as possible,” Barton said.
The Penguins had athletes participate in 13 events at the Kent State Doug Raymond Invitational in Akron.
In the shot put, fifth-year thrower Dominic Perry picked up a win for the ‘Guins with a throw of 18.30 meters.
Freshman Jenna Razavi earned first place in the women’s 3000-meter run with a time of 10:15.56.
The pole vault squad traveled to Louisville where it took part in the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational.
Freshman Kaitlyn Eger tied for first place with two athletes from The Ohio State University in the unseeded event, clearing the bar with a maximum height of 3.83 meters.
The YSU track and field team will return to action Feb. 2 when it hosts the YSU Mid Major Invitational presented by Southwoods Health in the Watson & Tressel Training Site.