The Youngstown State men's and women's cross-country programs are set to host their second consecutive home meet at the Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course this Saturday, following impressive performances by both teams last weekend.
Course Information
The Brian, Charlotte, Jersey, Beau Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course at MetroParks Farm
7574 Columbiana-Canfield Rd., Canfield, OH 44406
Note: Spectator Parking is $10.
Women's Preview
The Youngstown State women will hit the course first with their 5K race beginning at 10 a.m.
The 10 women competing for YSU are: Kenzy Beckett, Claire Von Boetticher, McKinley Fielding, Carly Hall, Maggie Hopple, Molly Hopple, Lillian Katsaras, Jenna Razavi, Caleigh Richards, and Megan Stafford.
Last weekend, the Penguins were led by Sophomore Linsey Plant, who put on a very strong performance back in her hometown at the Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course. She secured a sixth-place finish, clocking a time of 19:41.4. Plant was followed closely by Lauren Runion, who placed seventh with a time of 19:53.9. Karis McElhaney was the third YSU runner to finish, placing 11th with a time of 20:16.1 in her Penguin debut. Breanna Joki finished 19th with a time of 21:33.3, and Carly Hall and Molly Hopple were the last two Penguins to finish, pacing each other to 27th and 28th-place finishes, as Hall finished in 22:25.7, and Hopple clocked a time of 22:26.0.
Men's Preview
The Youngstown State men will race later in the morning, with their 8K race beginning at approximately 10:45 a.m.
The nine men competing for the Penguins are: Owen Brady, Patrick Burgos, Ethan Cope, Brock Farris, Blaze Fichter, Beau Gorby, Josh Jones, Connor Shingleton, and Sage Vavro.
The Penguin also competed at the Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course last weekend as part of the first YSU Invitational Cross Country Meet of the season. The men were led by Josh Jones, who finished runner-up with a time of 26:28.02. Jones was followed by Thomas Hunyadi, who finished sixth with a time of 26:55.7, and Zac Haley, who was the third Penguin to finish in the top 10, placing eighth with a time of 27:01.8. Trenton Shutters finished 20th, clocking a time of 29:11.0. Ethan Cope and Brock Farris finished almost simultaneously, as Cope placed 28th with a time of 29:54.6. Farris finished 29th with a time of 29:54.9.
Multiple Competing Teams Ranked in Respective USTFCCCA Regional Rankings
The Youngstown State men were listed as the top-ranked Horizon League team and second-highest ranked team in the state of Ohio in the latest USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional Rankings, which were released Sept. 15. YSU is ranked eighth, with fellow Horizon League schools IU Indy (12th) and Oakland (15th) also cracking the list. Ohio State is the top-ranked school in Ohio, coming in at sixth.
Bucknell's men's team enters Saturday as the 11th-ranked team in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Competing Teams (Male/Female)
Bucknell (M/F), Central State (M/F), Kent State (M/F), Lake Erie College (M/F), Malone(M/F), Ursuline College (M/F), Youngstown State (M/F)
Up Next
The Penguins will be back in action in less than a week when they make the trip to South Bend, Ind. for the Joe Piane Notre Dame Cross Country Invitational at Burke Golf Course.
