The Youngtown State track and field program clinched a pair of team titles on the final day of the Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championships from the Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS), capping the 2021 outdoor season.
The men's team is crowned back-to back league champions, stretching back to the teams' title in 2019. They scored the second highest point total in program history with 234 points while winning nine event titles (javelin, long jump, shot put, pole vault, 110mH, 100m, 400mH, triple jump, 1500m) and outscored second-place Milwaukee by 38 points. The men's program owns second most league titles in conference history (5).
The women closed out championship weekend with a total of 234.5 points, winning nine event titles (heptathlon, javelin, pole vault, long jump, shot put, 100m, 4x100m, 200m, 5000m) and outscoring second-place Milwaukee by 84.5 points. They captured their seventh consecutive league title and eighth in the last nine years, while also securing program's 13 Horizon League team title – a league best.
The Penguins began the day in style, posting three top-6 finishes in the first event on Sunday - the men's high jump. Lonnie Harper represented the Penguins' best finisher, clearing 2.00m on his first attempt at the height en route to a runner-up finish. Right behind, Terron Taylor finished third with a 1.97m mark. Rounding out the top six, Grant Moore earned the sixth place finish, clearing 1.94m.
In the women's competition, Emily Bee cleared a personal-best mark 1.62m on her third attempt, earning a sixth-place finish on the day. Bee picked up three team points for YSU with her performance.
Sean Peterson captured the event crown in the men's 1500m final, clocking a 3:52.27 in the race. With the victory, Peterson brings the 1500m championship back to Youngstown for the first time in 15 years.
For the first time in YSU history, a Penguin has earned an event championship in the men's triple jump. Jakari Lomax tallied his second event title on the weekend, this time with a 15.32m mark in the triple jump on his final attempt.
In the women's event, Nia Williams-Matthews tabbed a runner-up finish in the triple jump, posting a personal-best 11.85m mark on her third attempt. Stephanie Simon also logged a top-5 finish with an 11.20m jump.
Jahniya Bowers extended the YSU streak to ten consecutive titles in the 200m, clocking a personal best time of 24.18m. In the men's event, Christian Ford acted as YSU's top finisher in the 200m final, clocking a 21.80 en route to his runner-up outing. Teammate Tobias Hayes also finished inside the top-4, posting a 21.85.
Morgan Cole captured the Penguins' first conference title in the women's 5000m in five seasons, posting a 17:08.74. Close behind, Ashleigh Rowley earned the bronze in event with a 17:13.50.
In the men's race, Hunter Christopher ran a new personal best in the 5000m, clocking a 14:35.67 to earn the runner-up finish in the event.
Teneisha Myers etched a runner-up finish in the women's 400m, clocking a personal best 55.83 en route to posting the top time in her heat.
Aiamyia Dudley earned a second place finish in the women's 800m, clocking a 2:14.04 - a personal best and fastest individual time of the season.
CJ Schumacher represented the best Penguins' finisher in the men's 800m final, posting a personal-best 1:53.24 and a runner-up finish. Behind Schumacher, Cole Lovett crossed the finish in sixth position, clocking a 1:55.40. Rounding out the final heat, Peterson finished in eighth with a 2:13.02 mark.
Natalie Fleming posted a top-5 finish in the women's 1500m final, clocking a personal-best 4:40.51. Fleming upped her final position two spots in the event, going from seventh to fifth, dating back to the 2019 championships.
Final Scores
Women - Team Rankings
Youngstown St. 234.5
Milwaukee 150
Oakland 136
Northern Kentucky 59
Robert Morris 57.5
Purdue Fort Wayne 47
Cleveland St. 33
IUPUI 30
Detroit Mercy 29
Wright State 26
Illinois-Chicago 16
Men - Team Rankings
Youngstown St. 234
Milwaukee 196.333
Oakland 181.333
Purdue Fort Wayne 56.3333
Illinois-Chicago 47
Detroit Mercy 46
IUPUI 33
Northern Kentucky 20
YSU Award Winners
Horizon League Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship Outstanding Performer (Running Events) – Collin Harden
Horizon League Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship Outstanding Performer (Field Events) – Zach Gray
Horizon League Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship Outstanding Performer (Field Events) – Sammy Dyson
Freshman of the Year - Zach Gray
Women's Coach of the Year – Brian Gorby
