The Youngstown State men's and women's cross-country programs will conclude the regular season portion of their schedules this Friday when they make the trip to Columbia, MO. for the Pre-National Invitational at Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
Women's Preview
The women's 6K race will kick off Friday morning's festivities at 10 a.m.
The eight women competing for YSU are: Kenzy Beckett, McKinley Fielding, Maggie Hopple, Molly Hopple, Lillian Katsaras, Jenna Razavi, Caleigh Richards, and Megan Stafford.
The Penguin women last competed at the Joe Piane Notre Dame XC Invitational on Oct. 3 and were led by a very fast performance from McKinley Fielding. She finished 36th out of 180 runners with a time of 16:59.3, which is the second-fastest 5K time in program history. Caleigh Richards was the next Penguin to finish in 68th place, clocking a time of 17:18.7, followed closely by Jenna Razavi, who placed 78th with a time of 17:22.9. Lillian Katsaras placed 145th, clocking a time of 18:17.4, while Maggie Hopple finished right behind her in 148th with a time of 18:19.6. Her sister Molly finished 165th (18:37.6), Megan Stafford placed 168th (18:40.1), Kenzy Beckett finished 170th (18:45.6), and Carly Hall rounded out the Penguins with a time of 19:09.0, finishing 177th.
Men's Preview
The men's 8K race will begin upon the completion of the women's 6K at approximately 10:45 a.m.
The eight men competing for YSU are: Owen Brady, Patrick Burgos, Ethan Cope, Brock Farris, Blaze Fichter, Josh Jones, Tobias Jones, and Connor Shingleton.
The men were led by a strong performance by Patrick Burgos during their last race on Oct. 3 at the Joe Piane Notre Dame XC Invitational. Burgos placed 29th out of 150 runners with a time of 23:38.9, which ranks as the third-fastest 8K time in program history.  Owen Brady secured a 41st-place finish with a time of 23:49.3, while Blaze Fichter (71st – 24:14.4), Connor Shingleton (93rd – 24:28.6), and Josh Jones (95th – 24:29.8) also secured top-100 placements. Ethan Cope was the next Penguin to cross the finish line as he placed 103rd with a time of 24:34.8, while Brock Farris finished 115th with a time of 24:51.2, Beau Gorby finished in 123rd place with a time of 25:01.0, and Sage Vavro rounded out the YSU men with a 130th-place finish, clocking a time of 25:16.5.
T. Jones Making His Season Debut
The Penguin men will be very fortunate to have graduate student Tobias Jones back in the lineup this week for his season debut. Last season, Jones was a First Team All-Horizon League selection, placing sixth individually at the Horizon League Championships, which helped propel the Penguins to their third consecutive Horizon League team title. Jones also placed 54th at the 2024 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships.
Up Next
The Penguins will travel to Fort Wayne, Ind. to compete in the Horizon League Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Mastodon Cross Country Course. The men's 8K race will begin at 11 a.m., while the women's 6K race will begin at Noon.
For live updates and results throughout the 2025 season, follow @YSUTrackFieldXC on X.
