Highlighted by the men winning their third-straight conference title, including Hunter Christopher's second-straight individual title, as well as McKinley Fielding's breakthrough season, the 2024 fall slate was one to remember for the Youngstown State Men's and Women's Cross-Country programs.
Horizon League Championships
The men put forth one of the most dominating performances in Horizon League Championships history in Green Bay, Wis., on Nov. 2, cruising to their third-consecutive team title. The Penguins totaled just 26 points as a team, which was 48 points ahead of runner-up IU Indianapolis, which totaled 74 points overall.
Hunter Christopher captured his second-straight individual title with an 8K time of 24:11.2. Ryan Meadows crossed the line in fourth place with a time of 24:31.5, marking his third-straight top-five finish at the league championships. Tobias Jones placed sixth after clocking a time of 24:34.9, Blaze Fichter finished right behind him in seventh, 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.
Christopher became the first men's runner to win back-to-back individual Horizon League titles since Andy Baker of Butler won three-straight titles from 2007-2009.
The women finished fourth overall as a team, collecting 98 points. Robert Morris won the title with a score of 67 points.
McKinley Fielding led the Penguins in the 6K race, finishing 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 who 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 to round out the scoring for the Penguin women.
Fielding's runner-up finish marked the third-straight year that the Penguin women have had a representative in the top-two finishers at the Horizon League Championships.
Christopher Wins #HLXC Athlete of the Year, Wraps up Record-Setting Career
Fifth-year athlete Hunter Christopher concluded his star-studded career for the men's cross-country program during the 2024 fall season.
He was named the Horizon League Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year for the second-consecutive year, becoming just the second male runner in Horizon League history to win the award twice since its inception in 2002, and the first to do so since Andy Baker of Butler won the award in three-consecutive years from 2007-2009.
Christopher also became the first Penguin and fifth runner in Horizon League history this season to garner First Team All-Horizon League honors four times.
Aside from his second-consecutive individual conference title, Cristopher claimed top-20 finishes in each of the four races he competed in during the season. Christopher placed third at the Roy Griak Invitational's Gold Race on Sept. 20, and he also finished 18th at the Texas A&M Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 18.
Christopher concluded his Penguins' XC career as the program's record holder in both the 5K and 8K races. His 5K time is 24 seconds faster than the next best time, while his 10K record time is 50 seconds faster than the next best.
Richards Named #HLXC Women's Freshman of the Year
Caleigh Richards was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year after her eighth-place finish at the conference championships.
Richards became the fourth YSU woman in the cross-country program's history to win the award and the first to do so since Morgan Cole in 2019.
She competed in six races during her freshman campaign, placing in the top-25 three times. Aside from the league championships, Richards finished third at the YSU Alumni XC Meet on Sept. 21, and she claimed a 24th-place finish in her collegiate debut at the Tommy Evans Invitational on Aug. 30.
Great Lakes Regional Championships
The Penguins continued postseason action after their impressive performances in Green Bay when they competed in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships at a rainy Silver Creek Park Cross Country Course in Norton, Ohio.
The Penguin men tied their highest finish in program history, placing ninth overall for the second-straight season. They finished with 224 total points. YSU had the second-highest finish for Ohio teams, only trailing Ohio State which finished in 8th. Notre Dame won the regional title, totaling 70 points.
Hunter Christopher put forth a record-breaking performance as he demolished his own 10K record for the men. He placed 11th overall with a time of 29:29. This time broke his own record by 54 seconds, as the previous record was 30:23. Thomas Caputo's time of 30:19.4 would've also been fast enough to break the old record. Caputo finished in 45th place. Tobias Jones clocked a time of 30:34.3 to finish in 54th place, Ryan Meadows finished two spots behind Jones in 56th place with a time of 30:36.3, and Blaze Fichter finished two spots behind Meadows in 58th place with a time of 30:38.3 to round out the scoring for the Penguin men.
The Penguin women finished in 20th place overall as a team, totaling a score of 583 points. The Oakland women were the only Horizon League team to finish ahead of YSU, as they finished in 16th. Notre Dame won the regional title, totaling 51 points.
McKinley Fielding led YSU with a 6K time of 20:51.8, which was good enough for a 62nd-place finish. Caleigh Richards crossed the line next for YSU with a time of 21:14.4, finishing 88th. Jenna Razavi finished 113th, as she clocked a time of 21:38.5. Kenzy Beckett's time of 22:26.5 was good enough for a finish in 161st place, and Megan Stafford's finish in 167th place with a time of 22:37.7 wrapped up the scoring for the Penguins. Aiamyia Dudley finished 168th, right behind Stafford, with a time of 22:38.3, and Molly Hopple's time of 23:16.7 gave her a 196th-place finish.
Fielding's Breakout Year
The Penguin women welcomed Toledo sophomore transfer McKinley Fielding onto the squad for the 2024 season, and she did not disappoint one bit.
Her second-place finish at the Horizon League Championships earned her a First Team All-Horizon League selection, making it six consecutive years that at least one Penguins' female has received that honor.
Aside from her runner-up finish at the conference championships, Fielding placed inside the top-15 in four of the other five races that she competed in during the season. She finished runner-up at the YSU Alumni XC Meet on Sept. 21 and also placed sixth in her YSU debut at the Tommy Evans Invitational on Aug. 30, and 11th at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Cross Country Invitational Gold Race on Oct. 4.
Fielding set the YSU 6K record at the Texas A&M Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 18, running a time of 20:40.
Seven Penguins Earn All-League Honors
After impressive showings from both the Penguin men and women at the Horizon League Championships in Green Bay, seven Penguins were named to either the Horizon League First or Second Team.
The men tied a single-season program record with five honorees. Hunter Christopher (first), Ryan Meadows (fourth), Tobias Jones (sixth), and Blaze Fichter (seventh) each received first team honors. Meadows received First Team All-Horizon League honors for the third time, becoming the third runner in program history to achieve that, while Fichter and Jones received First Team All-Horizon League honors for the first time during their careers. Thomas Caputo was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team for the second time during his career.
McKinley Fielding received First Team All-HL honors after her second-place finish, while Caleigh Richards was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team after finishing in eighth place. Richards became the first freshman from the women's program to receive all-league honors since Morgan Cole in 2019.
First Home Races at the Brand New Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course
Sept. 21 was a very special day for the Youngstown State Men's and Women's Cross-Country programs, as the Penguins hosted the first collegiate races at the brand new Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course, inside the Mill Creek Metroparks.
The first race of the day was the women's 5K, as the Penguins were victorious as a team behind three individual top-five finishes.
McKinley Fielding led the way with a second-place finish, as she ran a time of 17:51.58. Caleigh Richards finished closely behind her as she ran a time of 18:21.32, good enough for a third-place finish. Jenna Razavi rounded out the top five as she crossed the finish line with a time of 18:54.28.
The Penguin men placed fifth overall after their 8K race.
Sophomore Thomas Hunyadi led the Youngstown State men to a fifth-place team finish in the 8K, as he finished in 13th place individually, running a time of 26:54.08. Riley Jackson and Beau Gorby finished closely behind Hunyadi, as Jackson's time of 27:04.79 gave him a 15th-place finish, and Gorby's time of 27:07.08 gave him a 16th-place finish right behind his teammate.
Record Books Rewritten
There were many updates made to the fastest times in program history for the Youngstown State men at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.
The top-six 8K times in program history were ran at the Texas A&M Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 18, with Hunter Christopher, Ryan Meadows, Tobias Jones, Thomas Caputo, Blaze Fichter, and Owen Brady each running sub-24 minute times.
The top-five 10K times are also new as well after many impressive performances at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships on Nov. 11. Hunter Christopher ran a sub-30-minute time to lower his record, while Caputo, Jones, Meadows, and Fichter each ran sub-31-minute times during the race.
The women's record book needed some updating as well, as McKinley Fielding set a new program record in the 6K at the Texas A&M Arturo Barrios Invitational, while Caleigh Richards ran the fourth-fastest time in program history at the meet, and Jenna Razavi's time now ranks as the sixth-fastest.
Richards and Fielding also now hold the third and fourth-fastest 5K times in program history, both of which were set at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 4.
#HLXC Runners of the Week
Youngstown State earned five weekly honors from the Horizon League in 2024.
On the men's side, Thomas Caputo was named the Horizon League Men's Runner of the Week on Oct. 8, while Hunter Christopher received the honor on Oct. 22.
On the women's side, McKinley Fielding was named the Horizon League Women's Runner of the Week on Oct. 22, while Caleigh Richards was named the Horizon League Women's Freshman Runner of the week twice, earning the honor on Oct. 8 and Oct. 22.
Academic Honors
Five Penguins earned Valeo #HLXC All-Academic Honors during the 2024 season.
The men were represented by Owen Brady and Tobias Jones on the Horizon League Men's All-Academic Team, while Hunter Christopher and Ryan Meadows were named Honorable Mention All-Academic. Molly Hopple represented the Penguin women as she also received Honorable Mention All-Academic recognition.
This marked the second consecutive season that the Penguin men and women have combined for five members being a part of the Horizon League's All-Academic honorees.
