Women Defend Their Outdoor Title, Men Finish Runner-Up

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May 3, 2009

Women Defend Their Outdoor Horizon League Title, Men Finish Runner-Up

Lisle, Ill. -- The Youngstown State women's track and field team successfully defended their outdoor conference crown from a year ago as the Penguins beat out Milwaukee by a score of 208-180 on Sunday claiming back-to-back Horizon League Track and Field Outdoor Championship titles, while the men fell just short to Milwaukee by a score of 197-167.

Win the win, the women earned their fifth outdoor conference title, the school's ninth Horizon League title and 17th championship overall.

Sophomore Danielle Curry was named Outstanding Field Performer for the Women after winning both the discus and the shot put. Curry threw a distance of 43.54m in the discus and heaved the shot put 14.07m.

Along with Curry's victories, the women also claimed first place in five other events, including sophomore Alisha Anthony defending her 2008 title. Anthony won the triple jump for the second straight year with a Horizon League record distance of 12.28m.

Junior Jen Grayson won the high jump title, clearing 1.64m. Sophomore Lyndsie Hall threw a distance of 32.02m to win the javelin. Senior Yandeh Joh scored 4,467 points to be victorious in the heptathlon. The combination of senior Emily Wollet, Joh, senior Kari Kreutzfeld, and sophomore Breanne Romeo won the 4x400m relay with a league record time of 3:45.72.

Penguins who finished runner-up on the women's side included, Romeo in the 400m dash (54.97), junior Lauren Blase in the 5,000m (17:43.96), Joh in the 100m hurdles (14.83) and 400m hurdles (1:03.28), junior Robyn Ray in the high jump (1.59m), freshman Kaitlyn Griffith in the javelin (30.52m) and a team finish in the 4x100m relay.

Also on the women's side, head coach Brian Gorby was named Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year on the outdoor circuit. The award also marks the 16th time the YSU coaching staff has been honored.

For the men, Aaron Merrill was named Outstanding Field Performer of the Year, while freshman Kiplangat Tisia claimed Running Newcomer of the Year.

Merrill was victorious in the discus for the third time at the league championships with a toss of 46.90m, as well as the shot put with a NCAA regional qualifying mark of 17.23m. Tisia was victorious in the 5,000m with a time of 14:36.82 and finished runner-up in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 8:59.18.

Senior Mark Lipinsky also added a first-place finish in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.84. Fellow senior Joe Lahmon took the top-spot in the hammer throw with a throw of 58.62m. Lahmon also finished second in the discus, third in the javelin, and fourth in the shot put.

Runner-up finishers for the men included, senior R.D Goodright in the 800m (1:51.76), sophomore Jerrill Hall in the 110m hurdles (15.04), sophomore Johny Copley in the pole vault (4.75m), Merrill in the hammer throw (49.73m) and sophomore John Pallini in the shot put (15.53m).

The Penguins are slated to head to Akron on Friday for the Campbell/Wright Open. The event will run through Saturday.