Jones, Merrill help lead Penguin men to second

By Joe Scalzo

YOUNGSTOWN — It had been more than two months since Harold Jones lost to Loyola’s Joe Mahalick in the 800-meter run at the Horizon League indoor meet.

And Jones was still steamed.

“I felt like I let the team down,” he said. “I didn’t want that feeling again.”

As he prepared for Friday’s outdoor 800, Jones’ coach told him to stay on Mahalick’s shoulder, then try to out-kick him at the end.

It was probably sound advice, but it’s hard to tell because Jones ignored it.

“I was thinking, ‘Nah, I’m gonna go with my game plan and go from the go,’” said Jones, who joked that his strategy is right 85 percent of the time. “Luckily for me, it worked out.

“I had it today.”

Jones ran a personal-best time of 1:52.76, joining teammate R.D. Goodright in finishing 1-2 in the event and, more importantly, earning 18 points toward the team title.

Alas, it wasn’t enough as Wisconsin-Milwaukee outscored YSU 46-10 in the 200 and triple jump (two of the meet’s last four events) to edge the Penguins for the team title, 183-169, at the Horizon League outdoor championships at Youngstown State University.

“They really came together,” said YSU coach Brian Gorby of his team. “We had a 70-point deficit to Milwaukee in indoors and we knocked it down to 20 [actually 14].

“They had the same type of resiliency as the women [who won the title]. But they’re a younger group and they’ll pretty much all be back next year.”

Freshman Jerrill Hall was named the Field Newcomer of the Year after placing second in the high jump and sixth in the long jump.

The Penguins men’s squad earned the runner-up finish for the second time in three years. They also finished second at the Horizon League indoor meet — the best finish for any YSU men’s team this year.

Leetonia High graduate Aaron Merrill added a victory in the shot put with a meet-record throw of 55 feet, 8 1/4 inches as the Penguins took four of the top six spots in the event. Merrill also finished third in the hammer and sixth in the discus this weekend as the Penguin throwers piled up points.

“That was the outlook on today,” said Merrill, whose training was geared toward for the NCAA Mideast Regional on May 30-31 at the University of Arkansas. “I wanted to go in, win the event and pick up points here or there.

“I wasn’t looking for the big toss today. I was looking for the big place.”

Joe Lahmon placed second in the javelin and former YSU quarterback Tom Zetts placed fourth to complete a big weekend for the throwers.

“We have a good throws program here,” he said. “The coach [Shawn Cobey] puts in the time and everybody works hard in practice and in the weight room and it shows.

“When it comes to meet time, you just come out and compete and have fun and that’s usually when you have throw your best.”

Merrill had already qualified for the regional meet in the shot put but Jones and Shayne York (long jump) earned automatic berths in the meet due to their victories.