The Youngstown State men's and women's track and field teams set two school records, picked up 13 event wins and nine second-place finishes during a tremendous two days of competition at the YSU Mid-Major Invitation presented by Southwoods Health and at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic.

At the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic, Hunter Christopher shattered the school record in the 5,000m run on Friday while Wyatt Lefker moved into the top spot in the pole vault in school history on Saturday afternoon at the WATTS. Also, Jahniya Bowers broke the school and WATTS record by winning the 200m running a time of 23.57 seconds.

Lefker moved into the top 12 in the NCAA by clearing his school record and personal-best 5.45m. He cleared the bar on his third attempt to set off a wild celebration. Lefker had cleared 5.15m on his initial attempt of the meet. Bowers clocked a record-setting time during the afternoon on Saturday. She broke the previous mark of 23.66 seconds which was set on March 1, 2020.

Christopher smashed the previous best time in 5K by more than 25 seconds in Boston. His race performance broke the old record held by Kiplangat Tisia in 2009 of 14:15.10. He wasn't the only Penguin to eclipse the record as Ryan Meadows was also under the old mark posting a time of 14:13.31. Also in the race, Chase Easterling had a personal-best time of 14:17 and Tyler Clark had a personal-best result of 14.38.

Winning events at the YSU Mid-Major were Esther Solarin (long jump/triple jump), Erin Bogard (pole vault), Lefker (pole vault), Lauren Sheehan (weight throw), Ashley Ventimiglia (5,000m), Bowers (200m), Dominic Perry (shot put), Ryan Laird (400m), Luke Laubacher (60m hurdles), Madison Murry (60m hurdles), Lonnie Harper (high jump) and the women's 4x400m relay squad.

Solarin was the lone Penguin to win two events taking first in the long jump and the triple jump. In the long jump, she had a leap of 5.61m and in the triple jump, she had an impressive jump of 11.98m. Bogard won the pole vault clearing 4.00m. Sheehan had a winning throw of 16.59m to win by over a meter in the weight throw. Ventimiglia won the 5,000m by almost five seconds with a time of 18:31.79.

Perry won the shot put with a throw of 18.12m taking first by more than a meter-and-a-half. Laird rallied for a victory in the 400m dash with a time of 49.43 seconds. YSU swept the hurdle titles with Laubacher winning with a time of 8.01 seconds while Murry took first at 8.87 seconds. Harper won the high jump eclipsing 2.02m. YSU won the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:02.05. 

Earning second-place finishes were Kyndia Matlock (60m), Alexis Prater (long jump), Sheehan (weight throw), Thomas Caputo (5,000m), Dorian Chaigneau (pole vault), Laubacher (long jump), Samuel Challis (triple jump), Zach Gray (shot put) and Perry (weight throw).

Matlock had a time of 7.67 seconds in the 60m dash. Prater posted a leap of 5.56m in the long jump. In the weight throw, Sheehan had a best effort of 13.69m. Caputo ran a time of 14:53.15 in the 5,000m. Chaigneau cleared 5.25m in the pole vault. Laubacher had a leap of 7.26m in the long jump. Challis put forth a leap of 14.39m in the triple jump. In the shot put, Gray had a top throw of 16.50m. Perry had a second-place performance in the weight throw with a toss of 18.52m.

At the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic on Saturday, Morgan Cole finished an impressive sixth in the 5,000m run with a time of 16:46.75. She was the third fastest collegiate runner in the race and her time was an indoor personal-best by 15 seconds.

The Penguins return to action this week competing at the Scarlet Knights Open, the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational and the Ashland Jud Logan Light Giver Open.

Top-Five Finishes

Women

Teddi Kinsey – Third in the 60m hurdles (9.05 seconds)
Emma Etzwiler – Third in the pole vault (3.60m)
Nia Williams-Matthews – Third in the long jump (5.54m)
Molly Radcliffe – Third in the weight throw (13.59m)
Melana Schumaker – Fourth in the pole vault (3.50m)
Nia Grose – Fourth in the 60m dash (7.79 seconds)
Logan Franczkowski – Fourth in the 200m dash (25.58 seconds)
Molly Hopple – Fourth in the 5,000m (18:48.72)
Liana Rodriguez – Fifth in the 400m (59.58 seconds)
McKenzie Scott – Fifth in the mile (5:16.35)

Men

Terron Taylor – Third in the high jump (1.94m)
Blake Sifferlin – Fourth in the pole vault (4.95m)
Harry Barton – Fifth in the 200m (21.99 seconds)
Riley Jackson – Fifth in the mile (4:16.13)
Mason Stephens – Fifth in the high jump (1.94m)
Samuel Challis – Fifth in the long jump (7.15m)