Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Youngstown State women's track and field program returned to the top of the indoor podium with an impressive all-around effort over the weekend at the Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Lutheran Health Fieldhouse.
The Penguins scored 152 points to outdistance host Purdue Fort Wayne (135), Milwaukee (123) and Oakland (79). Overall, Youngstown State has won a Horizon League-best 13 team titles dating back to 2004. YSU has been first or second in every meet since 2013.
Picking up a win on the final day of the event for the Guins was Esther Solarin in the triple jump. Solarin won both the triple and long jump at the meet. YSU had another group garner second-place performances: McKinley Fielding (mile), Nia Williams-Matthews (triple jump) and Mariah Day (60m hurdles).
Award Winners:
Women's Championship Outstanding Performer/Field: Esther Solarin
Event-by-Event Breakdown:
Mile
Fielding ran a solid race to finish second with a time of 4:52.52. Fielding set the pace until the final 250m before battling to the finish line.
60m Hurdles
The Penguins took second and third as Day showed out during an impressive debut with a time of 8.50 seconds and veteran Madison Murry was third at 8.55 seconds.
60m dash
Elle Pearsall raced home with at third place finish clocking a time of 7.57 seconds. She missed second at the finish by .002. Day placed eighth in a closely contested race with a time of 7.76 seconds.
200m
Day capped off a busy day with an eighth-place finish in the event clocking a time of 25.60 seconds.
400m
Melody Harloff was seventh with a time of 58.11 seconds.
3,000m
Caleigh Richards led the way with a fourth-place finish posting a time of 9:42.81 while Fielding concluded a busy meet placing seventh.
High Jump
Kalli Knoble had a career-best meet clearing 1.66m to finish fourth. Knoble cleared her first two attempts and the cleared on her second chances at 1.63m and 1.66m.
Triple Jump
The Guins took the top spots on the podium as Solarin and Nia Williams-Matthews concluded their Horizon League indoor careers on a spectacular note. Solarin won with a leap of 12.84m which came on her third attempt. Williams-Matthews had a best leap of 12.71m.
Shot Put
YSU placed fourth, sixth and seventh in the event. Molly Radcliffe led the way with a best throw of 13.26m. Olivia Mason was sixth and Lauren Sheehan was seventh.
