Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Track & Field/Associate Cross Country Head Coach
- Email:
- Alma Mater:
- Youngstown State, 2014
Rupe's Horizon League Champions
Eric Rupe is entering his 11th season as a member of the track and field and cross country coaching staff. He also serves as the Associate Head Cross Country Coach.
During his first 10 seasons on the coaching staff, the Youngstown State women captured Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships in eight seasons. The men’s program earned six Horizon League Triple Crowns in 2016-17, 2018-19, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, winning the conference cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field championships during the same academic year.
During the 2026 season, the Penguins’ distance runners captured six individual Horizon League indoor and outdoor event titles while producing multiple school records and a NCAA East Region qualifier.
McKinley Fielding led the women’s distance squad by winning Horizon League championships in the indoor mile, indoor 5,000-meter run and outdoor 1,500-meter run while finishing runner-up in the outdoor 5,000 meters. She rewrote the Youngstown State record book by setting program records in the mile (4:42.87), 1,500 meters (4:18.06), 5,000 meters (16:15.79) and 10,000 meters (34:02.56) during the season.
Trenton Shutters claimed the Horizon League title in the 800-meter run during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, successfully defending his outdoor conference championship.
Sage Vavro repeated as the Horizon League champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase before advancing to the NCAA East Region Preliminaries, where he placed 15th with a school-record time of 8:42.77.
Patrick Burgos earned runner-up finishes in the 5,000-meter run at both the Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Championships, while Owen Brady placed second in the indoor 3,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 8:18.08.
Connor Shingleton finished runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships and Caleigh Richards added a runner-up finish in the 10,000-meter run at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships.
During the 2025 cross country season, the Penguins made program history by sweeping the Horizon League men’s and women’s team championships for the first time. The men’s team captured its fourth consecutive Horizon League title, becoming the only current league member to accomplish that feat.
Fielding became just the second woman in program history to win the Horizon League individual championship, breaking her own school record in the 6K with a time of 20:10.9. She was named the Horizon League Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year and set a course record at the Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course with a 6K time of 17:35.5.
Patrick Burgos earned Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors and First Team All-Horizon League recognition. He too set a new record at the Gorby Family Championship Cross Country Course with an 8K time of 26:28.02.
All-Horizon League First Team recognitions included Burgos, Blaze Fichter, Caleigh Richards and Fielding. Tobias Jones, Sage Vavro and Jenna Razavi were named Second Team All-Horizon League.
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 had 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.
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, becoming the first YSU men's runner to win back-to-back Horizon League individual titles. For the women, McKinley Fielding placed second. 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.
In 2024, the men dominated during both the indoor and outdoor track 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 while Meadows was second in the 5,000 meters. During the cross country season, Christopher won the league title as the Guins repeated as team champions. At the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, YSU finished a school-record-tying 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 placed second in the mile and set the school record in the event on Jan. 13. She also posted 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.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Cole had one of the most dominant individual years in school history. After winning the Horizon League cross country title in November, she won the mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters at the Horizon League Indoor Championships and captured the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships. At the indoor meet, YSU had three of the top five finishers in the mile.
On the men's side, Christopher had a breakout indoor season. He broke school records in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters during the year. At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, YSU swept the top four spots in the 5,000 meters, placed second, third and fifth in the mile and finished first, fourth and seventh in the 3,000 meters. Later, at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships hosted by YSU, Meadows finished second in the 10,000 meters, Keegan Barnette was second in the steeplechase and Tyler Clark led a 2-3-4 finish in the 1,500 meters.
YSU had one of its most impressive middle-distance and women's distance campaigns in program history in 2022. Two middle-distance runners, Sean Peterson (indoors) and Nicole Squatrito (outdoors), were named the Horizon League's Alfreeda Goff Athletes of the Year. It was the second straight year Peterson earned the indoor honor. Peterson was also named YSU Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He later placed 22nd in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn honorable mention All-America honors.
At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, the women dominated, winning the 800 meters, mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters behind the efforts of Squatrito and Cole. Squatrito won the 800 meters and mile, while Cole captured the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. Peterson became the first runner in league history to win five consecutive 800-meter titles. He also added a mile championship. The men won their second consecutive distance medley relay title.
At the Horizon League Outdoor Championships, Cole became the first Penguin to win the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the same league meet. Squatrito closed her career by winning her first outdoor 1,500-meter conference title. Shortly after the league meet, she broke the eight-year-old school record in the event. Peterson captured both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters. In the women's 800 meters, YSU placed second, third and fourth as Aiamyia Dudley led the way. Led by Cole, the women had three of the top six finishers in the 10,000 meters.
At the 2021 Horizon League Outdoor Championships, Cole became the first Penguin to win the 5,000 meters since 2014. Peterson became the first YSU runner since 2004 to win the 1,500 meters. Peterson advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary Round for the first time in his career in the 800 meters. At the NCAA East Preliminary Round, he finished 27th after entering the meet ranked 45th.
At the Horizon League Indoor Championships, the men dominated. YSU won the 800 meters, mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters and distance medley relay. Peterson, who won the 800 meters for the fourth straight year, was named the Alfreeda Goff Indoor Track & Field Male Athlete of the Year. Meadows shaved 19 seconds off his personal best entering the meet and posted a time of 14:51.00 to win the 5,000-meter title.
On the cross country side, Chase Easterling won the league title one week after the indoor championships and advanced to the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Easterling became just the second runner in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
During the 2019-20 indoor season, Rupe helped the Penguins win a pair of Horizon League Indoor Championships and break a nearly 30-year-old school record in the 800 meters. Peterson won the mile for the first time and captured his third consecutive 800-meter title at the league meet. The junior became just the second runner in league history to win three consecutive championships in the event.
Peterson clocked the second-fastest mile time in school history at 4:05.19 at the Penn State National Open and the third-fastest 800-meter time in program history at 1:51.92 at the Clemson Bob Pollock Meet.
Squatrito finished as the runner-up in both the mile and 800 meters at the league championships. The junior also broke YSU Hall of Famer Becky Rudzik's school record in the 800 meters when she clocked 2:11.95 at the Iowa State Classic.
Cole carried her momentum from an impressive cross country season into the indoor season, where she finished fourth in the 5,000 meters and fifth in the 3,000 meters at the league meet.
During the 2018-19 indoor season, Peterson captured his second consecutive 800-meter league championship. He later won the 800 meters at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships after recording the third-fastest time in program history at 1:51.64. At the outdoor meet, Ryan Sullivan became the first Penguin to win the Horizon League 10,000-meter title.
Sullivan also broke Rupe's school record in the 5,000 meters when he clocked 14:21.06 at the 125th Penn Relays on April 25. Sullivan capped the season by qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 10,000 meters.
On the women's side, Natalie Fleming became the first Penguin in school history to win the 800 meters at the Horizon League Indoor Championships after running the second-fastest time in school history at 2:13.37.
At the 2018 Horizon League Indoor Championships, Peterson became the first Penguin to win the 800-meter title.
Prior to joining the YSU coaching staff, Rupe was a standout member of the Penguins' cross country and track and field teams.
During his cross country career, Rupe won the Horizon League Cross Country Championship as a junior with a time of 25:41.24. In 2013, he became the first YSU men's runner in program history to win a conference cross country title. He also helped the Penguins finish second at the Horizon League Championships. Rupe won the Disney World Cross Country Classic in 2013 with a time of 25:05.46 and helped the Guins place third at the 2014 Horizon League Championships.
Rupe also excelled in distance events during track and field. He won the 5,000 meters at the Horizon League Indoor Championships with a time of 14:49.68 as a senior. By defending his title, Rupe became the first repeat champion in the event since Butler's Gary Blackman in 2003-04. As a junior, he won the event in 15:09.25.
In 2014, Rupe helped the Penguins win the Horizon League Outdoor Championship by capturing titles in the 5,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase. He was awarded the Men's Individual Scoring Award at the league meet.
Rupe is a native of Cortland, Ohio, and graduated from Maplewood High School. During his high school career, he set district and school records in the 800 meters and 1,600 meters and was a four-time All-Ohio selection and two-time NAC MVP. He was a two-time state runner-up in the 1,600 meters in 2009 and 2010 and an indoor state champion in the 1,600 meters in 2009.
