Bre Rupe is in her fifth year as a member of the Youngstown State track and field and cross country coaching staffs.
In her first four seasons, the women have captured the Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Championships on three occasions. The men won the Triple Crown in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, claiming Horizon League cross country, indoor and outdoor titles in the same academic year. YSU also swept the Horizon League indoor and outdoor championships in 2021.
At the 2024 Horizon League Cross Country Championships, the men dominated, placing five runners among the top eight finishers. Hunter Christopher repeated as the league champion to lead the way. For the women, McKinley Fielding placed second, while Caleigh Richards was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year. At the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, the men's team tied the school record for its best finish by placing ninth. Christopher led the way with an 11th-place finish. The women also turned in a strong performance, placing 20th. Following the season, Christopher was named the Horizon League Athlete of the Year.
The 2025 track and field season was one of the best in program history for the distance runners. Christopher earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He recorded an impressive sixth-place finish at the NCAA East Preliminary Round to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in his career.
At the Horizon League Outdoor Championships, three different men won the 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters and steeplechase. YSU also added a victory in the 800 meters. The women recorded runner-up finishes in the 10,000 meters and steeplechase. At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, the men cruised to victories in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. The women won the 5,000 meters and placed second in the mile.
In 2024, the men dominated during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, Christopher won the 5,000 meters, Ryan Meadows won the 3,000 meters, Sage Vavro won the mile and William Hanchosky placed second in the 800 meters. At the Horizon League Outdoor Championships, Christopher won the 10,000 meters, Meadows was second in the 5,000 meters and Connor Shingleton placed third in the steeplechase. During the cross country season, Christopher won the league title as the Guins repeated as team champions. At the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, YSU matched its school-record finish by placing ninth. Following the season, Christopher was named the Horizon League Athlete of the Year.
In 2023, Morgan Cole again led the way for the program. At the Horizon League Outdoor Championships, Cole placed second in the 1,500 meters. During the season, she ran personal-best times in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters. At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, she finished second in the mile while setting the school record in the event on Jan. 13. She also recorded career-best times in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters during the year. At the Horizon League Cross Country Championships, she was the runner-up.
Cole became the first woman in YSU program history to win the individual Horizon League Cross Country Championship in 2022. She completed the 6K course in 21:25.5 to win the title by more than 30 seconds and was named the Horizon League Women's Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Penguin to earn the honor.
After winning the Horizon League cross country title in November, Cole captured the mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters at the Horizon League Indoor Championships before winning the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships. At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, YSU placed three runners among the top five finishers in the mile.
The Penguins swept the 2022 Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. During the outdoor season, Cole won Horizon League titles in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters, while Nicole Squatrito captured the 1,500-meter championship. Squatrito also established school records in the 800 meters (2:10.52) and 1,500 meters (4:26.54) and was named the Horizon League's Alfreeda Goff Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
During the indoor season, Squatrito set the school record in the 800 meters (2:11.11) on her way to the conference title. YSU finished first and second in the mile, with Squatrito winning in 4:55 and Natalie Fleming placing second. Cole was also a two-event champion, winning the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters.
Rupe was a standout four-year distance runner at Walsh from 2016-20.
She earned her bachelor's degree in marketing from Walsh in 2019 and completed her Master of Business Administration in 2020.
During her collegiate career, she was a two-time national qualifier as part of the distance medley relay team, running the 800-meter leg. As a junior, she helped the Cavaliers place fifth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships to earn All-America honors.
She also qualified for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in 2019, helping Walsh place 10th, the highest finish in program history.
A native of Hartville, Ohio, Rupe graduated from Marlington High School.
She is married to fellow Youngstown State assistant coach Eric Rupe. The couple resides in Youngstown.
