Female runners ready to defend

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR

YOUNGSTOWN — The YSU women’s track team has set its sights on defending its indoor and outdoor Horizon League crowns.

Following a two-year drought, the Penguins brought the hardware back to Youngstown and want to keep it here.

The squad returns a core group of athletes that between them have nine conference individual championships. Along with 18 upperclassmen, the squad also returns eight underclassmen and a group of 10 freshmen.

“Our team depth is one of the main keys to our success,” YSU coach Brian Gorby said. “We’ve also got some real quality people in some events and a great group of seniors. Our kids embrace the opportunity to compete for a championship and keep our tradition going.”

The Penguins will take part in their third meet of the season Friday at Robert Morris University.

Last season, seven Penguin sprinters stood on the top podium after winning three conference championships in sprinting events.

Senior Katie Betts returns to the team as a four-time league champion in relay events and was named Horizon League Running Newcomer of the Year.

Fellow senior Kari Kreutzfeld will look to recapture the indoor 400-meter league championship that she won in 2007. She has also won three titles in the 4x400 and one title in the 4x100.

Yondeh Joh has won six Horizon League titles, with five titles in relays and the other being a 60-meter hurdle indoor title.

Seniors Emily Wollet and Darcelle Formby also own relay titles. Wollet has won three league titles as part of relays while Formby has two.

Sophomore Breanne Romeo was named the Horizon League Running Newcomer of the Year after both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Romeo also won the 400 and ran on the winning 4x400 relay.

Junior Alisha Anthony has a 4x100 title.

The Penguins have dominated the hurdles since joining the Horizon League in 2001-02. YSU has won 11 out of a possible 14 titles.

Junior Katy Wells is a two-time runner-up in the hurdles at Horizon League championship meets

The Penguins return six distance runners and three middle distance runners.

Junior Jennifer Roman finished in third in the outdoor 800 and was fourth at the indoor meet. Others returning are senior Amy Moore and junior Lisa Lee. The lone newcomer is freshman Elizabeth Kelvington.

On the distance side, junior Lauren Blase and sophomore Kayla Witmer were the top two finishers for the Penguins in every cross country event in 2008.

The jumps squad will feature Anthony and senior Jen Grayson, while school record-holder Stephanie Jarvis will look to carry the pole vautlers.

Anthony was named the Field Newcomer of the Year after winning the triple jump and finishing second in the long jump at the outdoor championships a year ago. She also owns school records in the long jump and triple jump in the outdoor circuit.

The Penguins will look to continue their throwing dominance after graduating Bethany Anderson. Returnees include junior Alexis Hall, sophomores Danielle Curry, Lyndsie Hall, and Marissa Opper.

Hall finished as the runner-up in the hammer during at the outdoor championships as well as second in the weight throw in the indoor season championship.