By Cameron Mitchell and Marissa Masano / The Jambar
The Horizon League Track and Field Champions sent over 40 Penguins to the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University on March 27-29.
To kickoff the event, fifth-year senior Hunter Christopher and sophomore McKinley Fielding, set new records for Youngstown State University in long distance.
Christopher ran a time of 13:47.10 to lower his school record in the men’s 5000 meter by more than three seconds.
Other Penguins left their mark in the men’s 5000 meter. Graduate student Ryan Meadows posted a personal best of 13:53.64. Senior Tobias Jones and junior Blaze Fichter posted personal best times of 14:14.44 and 14:20.36 to solidify third and fourth place finishes, respectively.
Fielding closed out Day One of competition, setting a new school record in the women’s 10K. The sophomore’s time of 34:33.09 is the fastest since YSU Hall of Fame runner Samantha Hamilton’s time of 34:51.17 in 2014.
In the men’s 1500 meter, junior Sage Vavro recorded a top time of 3:47.98 while fifth-year senior Riley Jackson ran a 3:51.93. Both stood out as career performances for the Penguin duo.
Freshman Mariah Day competed in her first outdoor competition and clocked a time of 14.14 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time now ranks sixth in school history.
In the men’s 400 meter, junior Trenton Shutters clocked a time of 48.09 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in school history.
Later in the meet, Shutters ran a time of 1:50.07 in the 800 meter, falling just short of former Penguin Sean Peterson’s 2021 school record.
Also in the men’s 800 meter, senior William Hanchosky clocked a personal best of 1:52.91.
Sophomore Micah Mitchell joined the record breakers and marked his own career-best time of 14.14 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Senior Daimere Stephens-Stewart had a school-best time of 10.58 seconds in the men’s 100 meter.
In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, freshman Michael Ballone recorded a time of 52.74 seconds and moved into fourth place in school history in his first outdoor competition.
Freshman Caleigh Richards clocked a time of 17:01.97 in the women’s 5000 meter, which ranks fourth fastest in program history.
The women’s 200 meter featured sophomore Melody Harloff running a personal-best time of 24.67. Junior Jake Mcentyre was the highest Penguin finisher in the men’s 200 meter with a time of 21.59 seconds.
Senior Coleson Kertesz had a career-best day in the field events. Kertesz had a career-best throw of 49.06 meters in the discus, which puts him fourth in school history. He later threw a career-best of 46.39 meters in the hammer throw.
In the women’s discus, senior Molly Radcliffe finished in eighth with a throw of 48.55 meter.
The final day of competition featured fifth-year senior Tye Hunt, who placed sixth in the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.21 meter. In the women’s pole vault invitational, juniors Melana Schumaker and Ainsley Hamsher each cleared 3.85m to finish in the top 10.
Youngstown State will return with a pair of meets April 4-5 at the University of Tennessee Invite in Knoxville, Tennessee and the Slippery Rock University Dave Labor Invitational in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.
