By Cameron Mitchell / The Jambar
Over Sept. 27-28, the Youngstown State University men’s and women’s cross country teams set record-breaking performances at the YSU Invitational Cross Country Meet at the Beau Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course in Canfield.
With 32 points overall, the women’s cross country team finished second in the meet with a combined time of 1:32:02.67. Despite the Penguins’ effort, Bucknell University secured first overall with 26 points.
Junior McKinley Fielding opened the meet in the 5K with a first-place finish, where she set a new course record of 17:35.5. Sophomore Caleigh Richards placed fourth with a time of 18:13.9, while senior Jenna Razavi secured fifth-place with 18.15.4.
To close out the top-10 finishes, freshman Maggie Hopple placed 10th with a time of 19:04.6.
As for top-20 placements, freshman Lilian Katsaras finished 19:12.9 in 12th place, as other Penguins followed suit. Senior Molly Hopple clocked 19:27.5 for 17th place, followed by junior Kenzy Beckett who ran 19:33.3 for 18th place.
The remaining ’Guins scattered throughout the final placements, with senior Carly Hall who ran 19:42.5 to finish 21st and sophomore Megan Stafford with 20:31.1 to secure 34th. Freshman Claire Von Boetticher rounded out the finishes with 20:56.8 in 40th.
In the men’s 8K, the team took home first place with a total of 26 points and a combined time of 2:09:15.68. This time, Bucknell placed second with 31 points altogether.
Redshirt freshman Patrick Burgos set a new course record with a time of 25:18.7, and secured a first-place finish. Mirroring the placement of the women’s side, redshirt juniors Blaze Fitcher and Owen Brady placed fourth and fifth with times of 25:46.8 and 25:53.6, respectively.
To round out the top 10, redshirt freshman Ethan Cope ran 26:13.87 to earn seventh place, redshirt junior Connor Shingleton clocked 26:13.87 for ninth place and redshirt junior Sage Vavro ran 26:17.3 to take home 10th.
Sophomore Brock Farris finished 11th with a time of 26:22.7, while graduate student Beau Gorby took home 16th place with a time of 26:32.6.
After two weeks at home, Youngstown State will compete Oct. 3 in the Joe Piane Notre Dame Cross Country Invitational in South Bend, Indiana.
