Penguins win six events in the Kent State National Qualifier

KENT, Ohio – Youngstown State’s track and field program returned to competitive shape on Saturday, scooping 33 top five finishes and six event wins in the Kent State University Doug Raymond National Qualifier.

YSU achieved event victories after the individual performances of the sophomores Jahniya Bowers (60 m, 200 m), Lonnie Harper (high jump), Morgan Cole (mile) and Chase Easterling (3000 m) as well as the newcomer Ryan Meadows (5000 m).

Bowers drove her fastest 60m run of the 2021 indoor season, scoring a 7.48 in the last run while taking gold in the race. She did a 24.77 in the 200m.

Field event bubble

At the start of the morning session of scheduled field events, sophomore Lonnie Harper highlighted the penguins’ performance and won the men’s high jump with a mark of 2.11m. Not far behind, Grant Moore finished fourth (1.96m) in his sophomore year.

YSU finished second in three events – Dominic Perry scored 16.36m in the shot, Jakari Lomax a triple jump of 15.00m and Katlyn Griffie in the pole vault 3.73m.

Senior Daiquain Watson recorded the top finish of the penguins in the long jump, jumping 7.07 m and finishing third. Sophomore Tye Hunt was fifth (6.91 m).

The newcomers Stephanie Simon (5.60 m) and the senior Jessica Stever (5.59 m) achieved two top 5 placements in the women’s long jump and took fourth and fifth place respectively.

Track the event bubble

The penguins wasted no time scoring remarkable results in the afternoon when Cole (5: 06.35) and Maggie Sebest (5: 12.70) took the top two spots in the women’s mile.

On the men’s 3000 m, Easterling (8: 30.29) continued to dominate the event and won the race for the second time in two heat appearances during the indoor season in 2021. Junior Ethan Sparks (8: 43.39) finished in the Race third place.

Meadows took his first event win of the season and set the fastest time on the men’s 5000 m with a 15: 10.40.

Freshman Ty Coon achieved second place in the men’s mile and set a season best of 4: 21.22. Co-newcomer Jack Aulbach (4: 23.06) was just behind and came third.

Junior Lauren Dolak put in another impressive performance on the women’s 800 m, scoring 2: 18.94 and taking the silver. Sophomore Charlotte Crouch (2: 20.47) finished in the top five and finished fifth.

Adding blocks to the course did nothing but improve the placements for YSU as the penguins took the top three spots in the women’s 60m and 200m.

With Bowers in both races, Junior Suerethia Henderson (7.63) was second and in the second year Kyndia Matlock (7.64) third in the 60m. This was Matlock’s third top three result of the season.

On the 200m, Matlock took second place on 25.36, and newcomer Madison Murry (25.54) crossed the line a split second later to take bronze. The newcomer Logan Franczkowski (25.86) rounded off the top five with a fifth place.

Murry (8.77) added another notable individual finish to the 60m hurdles and finished second. Co-newcomer Teddi Kinsey (9.15) finished fifth.

Other notable finishes

Sophomore Julia Magliocca drove 10: 29.66 3000m and came fourth.

Sophomore Christian Ford drove 22.18 60 m (fourth), 7.03 60 m (fifth).

Nia Williams-Matthews recorded a triple jump of 10.97 m and finished fifth.

Emma Etzwiler cleared the 3.58 m pole vault and finished fifth.

Teneisha Myers drove 58.64 400 meters and finished fifth.

Next

The penguins will be back in action on February 20th when they return to Kent State Tune Up at Kent State University.