Rick Penniman
Pole Vault Coach
Ninth Season

    Former Youngstown State pole vaulter Rick Penniman has steadily moved YSU's pole vaulting program toward the top of the Horizon League in his eight  years as an assistant coach.
    The top five pole vaulters in the history of the women's indoor program have all competed under Penniman in his six-year tenure as the pole vault coach. The USATF Level 1 Coach spent his first three seasons on the staff coaching the jumpers and hurdlers.
    In addition, Derek Riker became Penniman's first conference champion when he won the pole vault during the 2006 Horizon League Championships.
    During the 2005-06 indoor season Stephanie Jarvis set the school record as a freshman with a height of 10-11 3/4. Darla Wilson also improved her personal-best mark to move into second-place all-time.
    Jarvis also set the school record during the outdoor season with a height of 11-1 1/2 at the Horizon League Championships to earn Second-Team All-Horizon League honors.
    Under Penniman's guidance, Riker set the school record in the outdoor pole vault in 2006 by clearing a height of 15-feet, 6-inches. Riker also ranks third all-time in the indoor pole vault.
    The future also looks bright for the pole vaulting program as Penniman was instrumental in recruiting All-Ohio pole vaulter Johnny Copley to the 2007-08 squad.
    During the 2007-2008 season, Penniman coached Stephanie Jarvis who won the pole vault twice at Baldwin Wallace and had five top-four finishes in the indoor season.  Jarvis went on to finish third in the pole vault with a school-record mark of 11-1 3/4 at the Horizon League Championships and won the vault at the Robert Kahn Invitational.
    On the men's side during the 2007-2008 season Johnny Copley went on to win the pole vault during the indoor season at the Baldwin Wallace Mid January Meet.  Copley took fourth at both the Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Championships and ranks fourth in school history in the pole vault on both the indoor and outdoor charts.
    With Penniman as the hurdles and jumpers coach, Kelly Leonard won the Horizon League indoor hurdles title in 2002, and Laura Schatz was the high jump champion. Leonard repeated in the outdoor season and won the 100m hurdles.
    As a student athlete, Penniman was a member of YSU's first Mid-Continent Conference Championship team in 1997. He ranks fifth in YSU history in the pole vault and fourth all-time in the decathlon.