Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State University has earned the Horizon League's 2025-26 McCafferty Trophy after posting one of its most broadly successful years in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics' history. The conference's all-sports award was presented to YSU President Bill Johnson, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo, Deputy Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Senior Woman Administrator Rebecca Fink, Faculty Athletics Representatives Chet Cooper and Barbara Flinn, and student-athletes Rylee Sorrell (women's soccer) and Reid Withey (men's swimming and diving) at the Horizon League's annual meetings in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

This is the third time that Youngstown State has claimed the prestigious trophy for success across the Horizon League's 19 championship sports. The Penguins shared the McCafferty Trophy in 2020-21, and they won it outright in 2022-23. YSU has now finished second or better in each of the last six seasons.

Youngstown State finished as the runner-up by 2.5 points in 2024-25, but it won convincingly in 2025-26. The Penguins outscored second-place Oakland by 19.5 points, creating the widest gap between the top two teams in a decade. YSU is also the first school since 2021-22 to sweep the men's and women's all-sports awards, and the Penguins' 56.5 total points tied for the most since 2015-16.

"We set our sights each year on winning the McCafferty Trophy, and it takes a total group effort from so many people in our department to achieve the success we had this past year," Strollo said.

"First and foremost, we appreciate the time, energy and dedication from our student-athletes and coaches to help us compete at a high level across the board. To place as highly as we did in so many sports is also a result of an incredible support staff that includes our athletic trainers, sports performance coaches, academic advisors, compliance officers, communications staff, revenue generation group, facilities staff and equipment room."

Youngstown State won 10 regular-season or postseason Horizon League championships during the 2025-26 academic year. Six of those came from the men's and women's cross country and track and field programs, which accounted for 28 of YSU's 56.5 points. The Penguins also had regular-season titles in men's tennis, women's tennis and softball, and the women's tennis program also captured the Horizon League tournament championship.

In total, Youngstown State scored points in 15 of the Horizon League's 17 sports. One of those 17 sports is men's soccer, which YSU does not sponsor. YSU captured its third men's all-sports award (also in 2022-23, 2024-25) and its second women's all-sports award (2016-17).

"This is an incredible accomplishment for our student-athletes who compete in the Horizon League," Strollo said. "When you add in our NCAA tournament bids by our football and bowling teams that are not reflected in the McCafferty Trophy, this was an amazing year to be a Penguin."

The Penguins scored points in all nine Horizon League women's sports, accumulating 33.5 out of a maximum of 42 points. They had the most points in the women's race since Butler totaled 34 in 2010-11, and they were 9.5 points ahead of second-place Northern Kentucky. Youngstown State earned seven points in women's cross country, tennis and track and field. The Penguins added five points in women's basketball and softball and 2.5 points in volleyball to reach their total of 33.5. Based on the scoring formula, YSU had to drop five points in women's golf, two points in soccer and one point in swimming and diving.

Youngstown State finished with 23 points in men's sports, two points above second-place Wright State. Youngstown State scored seven points each in cross country, tennis and track and field, and it added two points in baseball. The scoring formula forced the Penguins to drop three points in swimming and diving and one in golf.

Named in honor of James J. McCafferty, who served as the conference's first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to a member institution compiling the greatest number of performance points, based on its finish in the League's 19 championship sports.

For the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball, points are awarded based on combined regular-season (60 percent) and championship (40 percent) finishes. For all other sports, points are based on performance in the League championships.