The Youngstown State men's track and field program looks to capture back-to-back outdoor league titles as it plays host to the Horizon League Outdoor Championships beginning on Friday, May 7 at Farmers National Bank Field at the Covelli Sports Complex in Youngstown, Ohio.
The Penguins return to the league meet as the defending champions after their team title in 2019 and the year hiatus taken following the cancellation of the 2020 Horizon League Outdoor Championships due to COVID-19.
In the men's competition, YSU holds the second most league titles in conference history (4). In 2019, they scored their highest point total in program history (311.5) and edged the rest of the field by 137 points – both Horizon League records.
The three-day meet will commence on Friday at 12 p.m., getting underway with the decathlon, with the heptathlon to follow. The men's discus competition will also go off at Noon, followed by the women shortly thereafter. Running events will begin at 7:20 p.m. with preliminary races of the women's 1500m run.
Action will resume Saturday at 9 a.m. with the final five events of the decathlon and final three events of the heptathlon. Field events will begin at 12 p.m. with the men's shot put and long jump and the women's high jump. Saturday's running events will feature preliminary heats beginning at 4 p.m.
On Sunday, field events will start at 10 a.m., beginning with the men's high jump and hammer throw and women's triple jump. Running events overlap with an 11 a.m. start time, getting underway with the final heats of the women's 4x100m relay.
The Penguins return three event winners from 2019's squad in Sean Peterson (800m), Collin Harden (400m hurdles), Wyatt Lefker (pole vault).
Sean Peterson won his first outdoor 800m title in 2019 and will look to add to his resume this weekend as the senior enters the meet with the league's best time in the event (1:50.12) set at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational on April 9. Peterson also enters the weekend holding the league's best time in the 1500m (3:46:46). With a victory in the 800m, Peterson would become the only runner in YSU history to win the event twice.
Chasing Peterson, freshman Ty Coon owns the second-fastest league mark in the 1500m dash (3:54.53).
Collin Harden, with an event title in the 400m hurdles, would become the only runner in Horizon League history to be a four-time event champion in event, sitting on a trifecta of titles entering the weekend. The senior clocked the league's top mark of 51.37 at the Drake Relays on April 22. Harden also owns the league's fastest mark in the 110m hurdles with a 13.96. With a win, Harden would extend the Penguins' reign in the event to four-consecutive years.
In the pole vault, junior Wyatt Lefker goes for his second-straight Horizon League title as he looks to help extend the Penguins' win streak in the event to four consecutive years. At the Slippery Rock Bill Lennox Invitational, Lekfer set a school record – clearing the bar at 5.21m. The mark enters the weekend as the top vault by over two feet.
YSU will look to capture the three-peat in the 4x100m relay, coming off titles in 2018 and 2019. The foursome of Christian Ford, Harden, Tobias Hayes and Zaire Fabian own the league's second-fastest mark with a 41.84.
Ford (10.66) and Hayes (10.78) lead the YSU efforts in the 100m dash, holding the third and seventh-fastest times in the league, respectively. A victory in the event would boost the program to four-straight titles and five in the last six years. Ford (21.69) also boasts the third-best 200m dash in the league and will compete for a third-consecutive event title for YSU.
Three first-year Penguins will compete for the title in the 5000m run, as freshman duo Ryan Meadows (14:35.74) and Hunter Christopher (14:36.67), along with sophomore Chase Easterling (14:36.67) own top-four times in the event. A victory in the event would be just the third time in program history and the first since former Penguin and newfound assistant coach Eric Rupe accomplished the feat in 2014.
Junior Matthew Mangus carries the torch for YSU in the 10000m run, looking to secure back-to-back event victories in the event for the Penguins. Mangus posted the league's fourth-fastest time in the event (31:27.16) at the Hillsdale "Gina" Relays on April 22.
Holding the conference's third-fastest mark in the 3000m steeplechase (9:27:65), junior Ethan Sparks hopes to contend and win YSU a title in the event for the first time since 2015.
In the high jump, sophomore Terron Taylor owns the league's third-best mark of 2.00m set at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational. Close behind, teammates Lonnie Harper and Grant Moore have season-best jumps of 1.95m that sit at seventh in the league standings. The trio will compete to bring the event title back to Youngstown for the second time in three seasons and six of the last ten years.
Sophomore Jakari Lomax looks to make program history in the triple jump, hoping to become the first jumper from YSU to win the event. Lomax enters championship weekend with the top mark of 15.18m set at the N.C. State Raleigh Relays on March 25. Teammate Daiquain Watson owns the third-best mark in the event (14.35m).
The throwers put together a solid outdoor season as they head into championship weekend holding top marks in the discus throw, hammer throw and javelin. In the discus throw, sophomore Zach Gehm owns the league's top throw, posting 55.54m at the Northeast Ohio Quad on April 2. Following, the Penguins also hold the fourth (Brock Grundy – 48.23m) and fifth-best mark (Zach Gray – 47.18m) in the event. A victory in the discus would earn YSU back-to-back titles in the event and in three of the last four seasons.
In the hammer throw, junior Joe Pfeffer (56.60m) owns the conference's top mark. YSU also holds the fourth (Gray – 50.75m), fifth (Gehm – 50.50m) and sixth-best marks (Dominic Perry – 50.20m) in the event.
Noah Drudy (58.34m) and Noah Weese (57.80m) lead the way for the Penguins in the javelin, owning the league's first and third furthest throws of the season. A victory in javelin would tally four-consecutive titles in the event for YSU.
YSU Athletes Competing
Men: Derek Basinger (5,000m, 10,000m), Luke Baun (5,000m, 10,000m), Hunter Christopher (5,000m, 10,000m), Austin Clay (Shot Put, Discus Throw, Hammer Throw), Ty Coon (800m, 1,500m), Noah Drudy (Javelin), Chase Easterling (5,000m, 10,000m), Zaire Fabian (4x100m), Christian Ford (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Zach Gray (Shot Put, Discus Throw, Hammer Throw), Brock Grundy (Shot Put, Discus Throw, Hammer Throw), Collin Harden (100m, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles), Lonnie Harper (High Jump), Tobias Hayes (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Tye Hunt (100m, 4x100m, Long Jump), Wyatt Lefker (Pole Vault), Mikel Lagaras (800m, 4x400m), Jakari Lomax (Long Jump, Triple Jump), Cole Lovett (800m, 4x400m), Matthew Mangus (5000m, 10000m), Grant Moore (High Jump), Dominic Perry (Shot Put, Hammer Throw), Sean Peterson (800m, 1500m), Ja-Von Poole (400m hurdles), Joe Pfeffer (Hammer Throw), CJ Schumacher (800m, 4x400m), Cole Smith (110m hurdles), Ethan Sparks (1500m, 3000m Steeplechase), Chase Stewart (3000m Steeplechase), Terron Taylor (High Jump), Daiquain Watson (Long Jump, Triple Jump), Noah Weese (Javelin), Riley Wright (Javelin).
For news and updates throughout the Horizon League Outdoor Championships, follow @YSUTrackFieldXC on Twitter.
