The Youngstown State track and field programs won a pair of Horizon League championships and set seven school records to highlight the 2019-20 indoor season. 

The men's team, which cruised to their fifth straight league title and sixth overall, broke school records in the long jump, triple jump and pole vault. 

On the women's side, they captured their fourth straight title tying them with Notre Dame and Milwaukee for the most consecutive team championships. It also gave the Penguins nine overall, evening them with the Panthers for the most all-time in Horizon League history. 

Senior Jaliyah Elliott was named the Alfreeda Goff Indoor Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year, becoming just the fourth female in program history to be honored with the award and the first since Jaynee Corbett in 2018.

The women's team also set school records in the 200m dash, 800m, pentathlon and distance medley relay. 

Record Breakers and Season Highlights

• The men's team set three program records: Daiquain Watson improved his mark in the long jump from 7.30m to 7.49m. Freshman Jakari Lomax broke Akeem Cooper's record (14.87m) in the triple jump with a mark of 15.26m. Freshman Blaine Brokschmidt eclipsed fellow teammate Wyatt Lefker's height in the pole vault after clearing 4.92m.
• Four school records were set by the women's program: Jaliyah Elliott lowered her time in the 200m dash from 23.85 seconds to 23.66 seconds. Nicole Squatrito broke Becky Rudzik's roughly 30-year-old record in the 800m with a time of 2.11.95. Olivia Jones passed Chenera Lacey's point total (3,557 points) in the pentathlon by scoring 3,681 points at the league meet. Nicole Squatrito, Teneisha Myers, Natalie Fleming and Morgan Cole lowered the record in the DMR with a time of 11:52.21.
• Nine different Penguins were awarded with Horizon League Weekly Honors
• Sean Peterson won the 800m at the Clemson Bob Pollock Meet and one mile at Penn State National Open. The junior also ran the second fastest mile time (4:05.19) and third quickest 800m time (1:51.92) in program history.
• Collin Harden ran the second quickest 60m hurldes time in school history at 7.91 seconds
• Freshman Dakari Carter clocked the program's third fastest time in the 200m (21.42 seconds) and fifth quickest in the 60m (6.82 seconds)
• Freshman Jahniya Bowers clocked the second fastest 60m dash time in school history at 7.38 seconds
• Lonnie Harper and Terron Taylor each recorded the second-best high jump mark in program history at 2.10m
• Teneisha Myers ran the second fastest 400m time in school history at 56.04 seconds
• Nicole Squatrito clocked the second quickest mile time in program history at 4:56.65
• Freshman Erin Bogard recorded the second-best pole vault height in school history at 3.82m

Horizon League Accolades 

• Men's Champions – Dakari Carter (60m dash, 200m dash), Sean Peterson (800m, one mile), Collin Harden (60m hurdles), Wyatt Lefker (pole vault), Jakari Lomax (triple jump), Brandon Orlando (shot put), Ben Gutzky (weight throw)
• Men Runner-Up Finishes – Collin Harden (400m), Blaine Brokschmidt (pole vault), Daiquain Watson (long jump), Dom Westbay (shot put), Zach Gehm (weight throw)
• Women Champions – Jaliyah Elliott (60m dash, 200m dash), Alivia Bentley (shot put), Olivia Jones (pentathlon)
• Women Runner-Up Finishes – Jahniya Bowers (60m dash), Suerethia Henderson (200m dash), Teneisha Myers (400m dash), Nicole Squatrito (800m, one mile), Chontel Fils (long jump, triple jump)
• Men Award Winners – Dakari Carter (Track Freshman of the Year) and Brian Gorby (Coach of the Year)
• Women Award Winners - Jaliyah Elliott (Alfreeda Goff Indoor Track & Field Female Athlete of the Year), Jahniya Bowers (Track Freshman of the Year), Alivia Bentley (Field Freshman of the Year) and Brian Gorby (Coach of the Year)
• Natalie Fleming, Brandon Orlando and Nicole Squatrito were named to the Horizon League All-Academic Teams

Men's Horizon League Championship Notes

• The Penguins scored their second highest point total in program history with 214 and won by 60 points
• YSU took first in nine of the 17 events (60m, 60m hurdles, 200m, 800m, Mile, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, weight throw)
• Sean Peterson won the 800m for the third consecutive year. He became just the second runner in league history to be a three-time champion in the event, joining Milwaukee's Cory Peterson ('96-'98). Peterson also took home the title in the mile becoming the first Penguin since Austin McLean in 2015 to win the event.
• Freshman Dakari Carter won the 60m dash, marking the sixth straight year and eight out the last nine years that a Penguin has won the event. The Bedford Heights, Ohio native was also first in the 200m dash, extending YSU's win streak in the event to four.
• Collin Harden scored 19 points across three events. The senior won his first 60m hurdles title and helped push the Penguins' win streak in the event to five straight years. Harden also finished as the runner-up in the 400m and was eighth place in the 200m.
• Freshman Jakari Lomax won the triple jump title and become the first Penguin in school history to win the event at the league meet.
• Seniors Brandon Orlando and Dom Westbay took the top two spots in the shot put. Orlando captured the first shot put title for the Penguins since 2017 and the ninth title all-time. 
• Sophomore Wyatt Lefker helped extend the Penguins' winning streak in the pole vault to three straight years.
• Graduate transfer Ben Gutzky and sophomore Zach Gehm took the top two spots in the weight throw. Getzky became the first Penguin to capture a title in the event since Connor Neu in 2016.
• Junior Daiquain Watson broke his own school record in the long jump with a mark of 7.49m on his way to a second place finish in the event.  
• YSU scored 25 points in the shot put, 24 in the pole vault, 21 in the 60m dash, 20 in the weight throw, 19 in the 200m and 18 in the long jump. 
• The Penguins had three of the top four finishers in the shot put, pole vault and 60m. 
• Brian Gorby was named the Coach of the Year for the fifth straight year and seventh time overall
• Dakari Carter was named the Freshman of the Year on the track

Women's Horizon League Championship Notes

• The Penguins fell to as far as third in the team standings on Day Two, but the sprinters helped us ultimately score 183 points to beat Oakland by 33.
• The sprinters accounted for a third of the team's points with 67 accumulated across the 60m, 200m and 400m.
• Senior Jaliyah Elliott won the 60m dash for the third consecutive year and became just the fourth sprinter in league history to be a three-time champion in the event. Elliott also extended YSU's win streak in the 60m to six straight years.
• Less than 24 hours after breaking her own school record in the 200m, Elliott did it again on her way to a first place in the event with a time of 23.66 seconds. Elliott's victory in the 200m also pushed the Penguins win streak to 10 consecutive years. 
• Sophomore Olivia Jones won the pentathlon for the second straight year and she broke her own school record by scoring 3681 points.
• Freshman Alivia Bentley took first the shot put marking the 10th consecutive year and 15 out the last 16 years that a Penguin has won the event.
• The Penguins had the top four finishers in the 60m and 200m dashes
• YSU had runner-up finishes in the long jump, triple jump, mile and 800m
• Elliott was named the Alfreeda Goff Indoor Track & Field Female Athlete of the Year
• Jahniya Bowers was honored as the Freshman of the Year on the track
• Alivia Bentley was named the Field Freshman of the Year
• Brian Gorby recieved Coach of the Year for the fourth straight year and the eighth time overall