Dave Ritter set three Youngstown State outdoor men’s track and field records back in 1989 and as of today, two are still standing.
Ritter, who competed at YSU from 1987 through 1989 -- set school marks in the high jump, the javelin and the decathlon while at YSU. His mark of 7- feet 1 1/2-inches in the high jump and his toss of 201 feet in the javelin are still Youngstown State records. However, his decathlon record was broken by Jason Pope in 1997.
While at YSU, he qualified for the Olympic Development Program High Jump Competition at the Penn Relays in 1988 and 1989. He placed second at the Canadian National Meet in the decathlon in 1988.
He earned a bachelors of Engineering degree from YSU in 1989. He currently works as a Senior Design Engineer with MiTek Industries, Inc. He has served as a member of the board of directors for the Mahoning Valley Society of Professional Engineers and currently holds the office of President of the MVSPE.
At Boardman High School, he set a school and Steel Valley Conference record with a high jump of 6-9. He received the Mahoning Valley Track Officials Association Sports Award and was inducted into the Boardman High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.
Since 1989, he has served as a member of the Martin Luther Lutheran Church and has been the treasurer of the organization for seven years.
Dave and his wife Paula reside in New Middletown, Ohio, with their two children Mary and John.
