The Youngstown State men's and women's cross-country programs will continue their postseason journey this Friday as they take the short trip to Norton, Ohio for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships at Silver Creek Park Cross Country Course.
Women's Preview
The Youngstown State women will compete in the 6K race, which is slated to begin at 11 a.m.
Seven women will compete for the Penguins: Kenzy Beckett, Aiamyia Dudley, McKinley Fielding, Molly Hopple, Jenna Razavi, Caleigh Richards, and Megan Stafford.
Dudley, Fielding, Hopple, Richards, and Stafford competed at Silver Creek Park Cross Country Course back on Aug. 30 in the Tommy Evans Invitational to open up the 2024 season.
The women are coming off a fourth-place overall finish as a team at the Horizon League Championships back on Nov. 2. McKinley Fielding finished runner-up with a time of 21:09.9. Caleigh Richards finished 8th with a time of 21:46.3, and Jenna Razavi finished in 17th place as her time of 22:18.0 marked three Penguin women that finished in the top 20. Kenzy Beckett's time of 23:07.2 placed her in 27th, and Aiamyia Dudley's time of 23:40.6 was good enough for a 45th-place finish. Molly Hopple finished 48th with a time of 23:44.4, and Megan Stafford's time of 23:52.6 was good enough for a 53rd-place finish.
Fielding was a First Team All-Horizon League selection following her second-place-finish, making it now six-straight seasons that at-least one Penguin woman has garnered that honor. Richards was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year after her eighth-place-finish. She is the first Penguin woman since Morgan Cole in 2019 to win the award. Richards was also a Second Team All-Horizon League selection.
Men's Preview
The Youngstown State men will compete in the 10K race, which is slated to begin 12 p.m.
Seven men will compete for the Penguins: Owen Brady, Thomas Caputo, Hunter Christopher, Blaze Fichter, Tobias Jones, Ryan Meadows, and Connor Shingleton.
The men are coming off their third-straight Horizon League championship back on Nov. 2. The men totaled 26 points as a team, 48 points ahead of second-place finisher IU-Indianapolis, who finished with 74 points overall.
Hunter Christopher brought home some extra hardware, as he won his second-consecutive individual title in the men's 8K after running a time of 24:11.2. He becomes the first men's runner to win back-to-back individual Horizon League titles since Andy Baker of Butler own three-straight titles from 2007-2009. Ryan Meadows came across the finish line in fifth place after running a time of 24:31.5. This marked Meadows' third-straight top-five finish at the Horizon League Championships. Tobias Jones finished sixth after clocking a time of 24:34.9, Blaze Fichter finished right behind him, finishing with a time of 24:38.2, and Thomas Caputo followed them with an 8th-place finish with a time of 24:39.8. Owen Brady finished 16th with a time of 25:05.7, and Connor Shingleton placed 19th with a time of 25:20.7.
Hunter Christopher, Blaze Fichter, Tobias Jones, and Ryan Meadows were each named First Team All-Horizon League. Christopher was named First Team All-Horizon League for the fourth-consecutive year, making him the first Penguin and fifth runner in Horizon League history to garner four first team all-league honors. Meadows was named First Team All-Horizon League for the third time, becoming just the third Penguin with three first team all-league selections. Fichter and Jones were named First Team All-Horizon League for the first time in their careers. This was the second all-league selection overall for Fichter.
Thomas Caputo was named Second Team All-Horizon League for the second time in his career.
Competing Teams
31 women's teams will compete at the meet: Akron, Ball State, Butler, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit Mercy, Eastern Michigan, Green Bay, Indiana, Indiana State, IU-Indianapolis, Kent State, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Milwaukee, Notre Dame, Oakland, Ohio, Ohio State, Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne, Toledo, Valparaiso, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Wright State, Xavier, and Youngstown State.
31 men's team will compete at the meet: Akron, Bowling Green, Butler, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit Mercy, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Green Bay, Indiana, Indiana State, IU-Indianapolis, Kent State, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Milwaukee, Notre Dame, Oakland, Ohio, Ohio State, Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne, Toledo, Valparaiso, Wisconsin, Wright State, Xavier, and Youngstown State.
Penguin Men Ranked in USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional Rankings
The men were listed as the 12th-ranked team in the latest USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional Rankings, which released on Nov. 5. The Penguins were the highest ranked Horizon League team. Wisconsin is the highest-ranked team in the Great Lakes region, followed by Notre Dame and Butler.
Up Next
The Great Lakes Regional and eight other regional meets happening across the country will determine who qualifies to compete at the NCAA Cross Country Championships taking place in Madison, Wis. on Saturday, Nov. 23. The top two teams at the Great Lakes Regional will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships and the top four individual finishers not a part of the qualifying teams/at-large bids will also earn spots to compete in Madison next week.
For live updates and results throughout the 2024 season, follow @YSUTrackFieldXC on X.
