Penguins will host Horizon title meet

The indoor championships will take place March 1-2 at Kent State.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State’s 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 championships 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 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 with 33 athletes from Valley high schools.

Katie Betts (Lakeview) was named the Horizon League running newcomer of the year at the 2006 indoor and outdoor Horizon championships.

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. She also competes in the hurdles along with returning Horizon champion Yandeh Joh. Lauren Blase (Niles) 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 and sophomore Alisha Anthony was named the field newcomer of the year at the 2007 indoor championships after winning the long jump. Sophomore Alexis Hall (Fitch) was runner-up in the weight throw last season.

On the men’s team, 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 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 (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 three times. Kagarise finished fourth in the 400 meters as a freshman. Second-team All-Horizon 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.

YSU will compete in two other meets at Kent State on Jan. 18 and Feb. 23 at the Kent State Tune-Up. YSU also will compete at the University of Akron three times during the year and once at Baldwin-Wallace.