Highlighted by a quad of new school records, the Youngstown State track and field program tallied eight event victories en route to a successful day at the Northeast Ohio Quad Friday at the Sleepy Hollow Throwing Area and the Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS).
Due to frigid temperatures, the meet was moved from Farmers National Bank Field to the WATTS.
Zach Gehm tallied a new personal-best and school record in the men's discus throw with a 55.54m mark, notching the 18th-best throw in the nation and if stands, would qualify him for a spot at the national meet. Gehm eclipsed his old personal-best of 54.67m while going on to win the event.
Gehm would also to tally an event victory in the men's shot put, posting a 16.31m throw. Fellow-thrower Dominic Perry finished with the silver medal in the event with a 15.83m mark.
Wyatt Lefker began the outdoor season in style, setting a new program record in the men's pole vault (5.15m) while adding a top-5 finish for the Guins. Lefker's mark ranks T-32 in the country thus far, and if stood, would also qualify him for a nationals' birth.
Katlyn Griffie set a program record in the women's pole vault, clearing 3.80m and uplifting former-Penguin Shelby Marken's record of 3.75m set at the 2019 Horizon League Track and Field Championships. In the following flight, Erin Bogard cleared a 3.90m bar, breaking Griffie's record set just minutes before. Bogard is coming off a Horizon League indoor title in the event.
Field Highlights
The Penguins wasted little time earning their first event victories of the day, sweeping the javelin events. Noah Drudy took the title in men's event, posting a mark of 58.34m. Just behind, teammate Noah Weese tallied a second-place finish, throwing a personal-best 57.80m mark. In the women's event, Cambrie Campbell earned the event win for YSU with a 39.96m throw.
In the next event of the day, Sammy Dyson took the crown in the women's hammer throw with a personal-best 55.35m mark, eclipsing her previous best by over eight meters. On the men's side, Joe Pfeffer represented the Penguins' best finisher, posting a top-5 finish in the event with a personal-best throw of 55.79m.
Adding to her day, Dyson captured a second personal best in the women's discus throw, finishing third in the event with a 44.67m throw. Just behind, Emily Bee posted a fourth-place effort (40.56m).
Nia Williams-Matthews captured her first victory of the outdoor season, jumping 11.56m in the women's triple jump.
Going 1, 2 in the men's long jump, Tye Hunt (6.91m) edged teammate Daiquain Watson (6.73m) to take the gold in the event.
Behind Gehm's impressive performance, Brock Grundy posted a 47.93m mark in the men's discus throw to post a top-5 finish.
Running Highlights
In Collin Harden's return to a Youngstown track, the senior tallied two top-2 finishes – including an event victory in the men's 200m dash (21.89). Harden posted a second-place finish (10.94) in the men's 100m dash to former-Penguin and All-American runner Chad Zallow, who was running unattached at the meet and clocked a 10.86.
Fellow-teammate Jamynk Jackson notched the third-place finish in the men's 100m dash with a time of 11.03.
In the men's 1500m run, Derek Basinger (4:05.05) and Chase Harbaugh (4:05.73) posted top-10 finishes, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Both runners set new personal-bests during the outing. On the women's side, Julia Magliocca represented the Penguins' best finisher in the 1500m run posting a personal-best 4:55.09.
Two YSU athletes posted top-5 marks in the women's 400m dash, with Teddi Kinsey (59.33) leading the charge with a third place finish. Just behind, Alicia Lonsinger (1:01.10) finished fourth.
Up Next
The Penguins are back in action next weekend at the two-day Miami (FL.) Hurricane Alumni Invitational April 9-10.
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