Youngstown State University
Texas A & M Arturo Barrios Invitational
10/16/2026 11:30:00 AM | Cross Country
The Youngstown State cross country teams closed out the regular season with a school record and multiple personal bests Friday morning at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M.
McKinley Fielding broke her own school record, setting a new program-best 6K time of 20:07.6. She improved by 3.3 seconds on her previous record of 20:10.9, set at the 2025 Horizon League Cross Country Championships.
Fielding led the women's team with a 30th-place finish in the 387-runner field. She also helped the Penguins earn a program-best 11th-place finish with 409 points among 46 teams.
The women's team finished ahead of several Power Four programs, including Houston (No. 10 in the South Central Region), Ohio State, Arizona State, TCU (No. 9 in the South Central Region), Texas (No. 11 in the South Central Region), Texas Tech (No. 10 in the Mountain Region) and Baylor (No. 12 in the South Central Region).
Caleigh Richards was the next Penguin to cross the finish line, posting a personal-best 6K time of 20:34.4 to place 53rd. Her time moved her into second all-time in the program record book as she improved by 18.9 seconds on her previous best of 20:53.3 at the 2024 Arturo Barrios Invitational.
After adding her name to the program's top 10 5K times two weeks ago, Erica Kaulen entered the 6K record book with a personal-best time of 20:51.2. The freshman finished 76th overall and was the 10th freshman to cross the finish line.
Maggie Hopple now sits eighth in the record book as she placed 107th with a personal-best 6K time of 21:09.9, while Megan Stafford set a personal best of 21:32.4 to finish 160th.
Julia Wheeler, Cecelia Chase and Brady Sterbling all improved on their season-opening personal bests from the RMU Invitational in September. Wheeler posted a time of 22:00.0, Chase finished in 22:02.0 and Sterbling crossed the finish line in 22:05.0.
Lillian Katsaras placed 258th, while Linsey Plant rounded out the Penguins' efforts with a personal-best time of 22:20.9 to finish 263rd.
No. 26 Arkansas won the women's team title with 101 points.
The men's team finished 14th with 381 points in the 38-team field.
Patrick Burgos led the Penguins with a 51st-place finish, clocking an 8K time of 23:58.0.
Josh Jones was the next Penguin to finish, placing 77th with a career-best 8K time of 24:12.9. His performance moved him into eighth all-time in the program record book.
Connor Shingleton improved on his previous Arturo Barrios time from 2024, clocking a career-best 8K time of 24:22.8 to finish 93rd. Owen Brady placed 97th in 24:24.9, while Brock Farris rounded out the top 100 with a career-best time of 24:27.1, nearly 10 seconds faster than his previous best of 24:36.3.
In his third collegiate race, Owen Scott improved on his personal-best 8K time, finishing in 24:30.1 to place 105th. Sage Vavro finished 119th, and Blaze Fichter placed 134th.
Caleb Prettyman recorded a personal-best 8K time of 24:49.5, while MJ Pottinger and Tyce Shaner posted consecutive finishes with career-best times.
Pottinger clocked a career-best 8K time of 25:25.2, while Shaner finished in 25:25.3, improving by 9.5 seconds on the personal best he set just two weeks ago.
Blake Baker recorded a career-best time of 25:33.4, improving by 16.4 seconds on his performance at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational to finish 228th.
Ethan Cope placed 248th, Thomas Hunyadi finished 310th, and Landen Eyre rounded out the Penguins' efforts with a 326th-place finish in his first collegiate race.
Up next, the men's and women's teams will look to defend their Horizon League titles at the conference championships on Oct. 31 at Youthtowne Fields in Clinton, Pa. The women will race the 6K at 11 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at noon.
