Jan. 10, 2008

Local Talent Looks to Lead Track & Field Squads Back to Championship Form

    Youngstown -- The Youngstown State track and field program will look to capture its seventh conference title in the last seven years when it hosts the 2008 Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 1-2 at the Kent State Field House.
    “We are very excited about the opportunity to host the league championships in what has become our home away from home at Kent State,” YSU head coach Brian Gorby said. “The fan support we have received over the years has been a big key to our success, and we are hoping that the community will rally behind us to bring home a few more trophies.”
    The Penguins will have a veteran squad comprised of talented student-athletes to compete for the league titles. In addition to the experience on the team, there is a definite local flavor as 33 members hail from Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
    Katie Betts (Lakeview) was named the Horizon League Running Newcomer of the Year at the 2006 indoor and outdoor Horizon League championship meets. She joins senior Ashley Oliver and fellow juniors Darcelle Formby and Kari Kreutzfeld to create one of the top returning sprint groups in the league. Freshman standout Breanne Romeo (Boardman) already ranks second in YSU history in the 400-meter dash.
    Jen Grayson (Maplewood) is YSU’s school record holder in the high jump, and she has five conference runner-up finishes to her credit. She also competes in the hurdles along with returning Horizon League champion Yandeh Joh. Lauren Blase (Niles McKinley) and Kayla Witmer (South Range) come in as the squad’s top two distance threats.
    Stephanie Jarvis (Canfield) holds the school record in the pole vault as one of many accomplished student-athletes in the field. Sophomore Alisha Anthony was named the Field Newcomer of the Year at the 2007 indoor championships after winning the long jump. Sophomore Alexis Hall (Austintown Fitch) returns after a runner-up finish in the weight throw last season to lead a young and talented throwing corps.
    A local contingent will also pace the men’s team, especially in the distance events. Dan Nemergut (South Range), Jake Lape (Boardman) and Jim Ramson (Poland) were staples during the cross country campaign that resulted in a third-place finish for the Penguins at the Horizon League Championships. They join sophomore Justin Dickman, who finished 10th at the conference cross country meet.
    Scott Streiner (Poland), Eric Baltputnis (West Branch) and Adam Kagarise (Austintown Fitch) are the top three returning sprinters. Baltputnis finished second in the 60-meter dash as a freshman while Streiner has finished as the conference runner-up on three different occasions. Kagarise finished fourth in the 400-meters as a freshman. Second-Team All-Horizon League runner Harold Jones, R.D. Goodright and J.D. Sheppard head up a solid middle distance squad.
    Clarence Howell (Chaney) finished third in the conference in the long jump last season and joins Shayne York to provide a boost in the jumping events. Junior Dom DeFilippo (Lisbon) will anchor the throws after finishing third in the league in the shot put last year.
    In addition to the Horizon League Championships, YSU will compete six more times in northeast Ohio during the 2007-08 indoor season. The Penguins will participate in two other meets at Kent State on Jan. 18 against Kent State and Ohio and on Feb. 23 at the Kent State Tune-Up. YSU will also compete at the University of Akron three times during the year and once at Baldwin Wallace.