YSU women second (so far) at HL

Staff report

INDIANAPOLIS

YSU senior Alisha Anthony (long jump) and teammate Jessica Parham (javelin) set meet records to lead the Penguins on Saturday’s second day of the Horizon League outdoor track and field championships at Butler University.

The Penguins have 72 points, just behind leader Milwaukee (77). The Penguin women finished runner-up to Milwaukee at the Horizon indoor meet in March. YSU has won five outdoor titles since joining the league 10 years ago and has also won three indoor titles.

Anthony, who jumped 6.02 meter, picked up the first outdoor long jump championship of her career. She placed second in 2009. It’s the first time a Penguin has won the event on the women’s side.

Parham, who won with a throw of 41.89 meters, started the season on the women’s golf team before switching to track four weeks ago. YSU has won the women’s javelin two of the last three years with Lyndsie Hall winning in 2009. Prior to 2009, no Penguin woman had ever won the javelin.

YSU sophomore Samantha Hamilton (Jackson-Milton) won the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the second straight year, finishing in a time of 10:56.87. She finished in 11:07.72 last year at the outdoor meet. It’s only the second time in league history a runner has won the event in consecutive years.

Teammate Kaitlyn Griffith won the hammer throw (54.88 meters) after finishing second in the event last year and seventh as a freshman. She’s only the second Penguin to win the event, joining three-time champion Bethany Anderson. Teammate Alexis Hall placed second.

YSU sophomore Bobby Grace placed second in the hammer throw for the Penguin men, who were second with 43 points. Milwaukee holds a commanding lead with 103 points.

The YSU men have never won an outdoor Horizon League title, finishing runner-up four times, including 2008-09.

The Penguins did win an indoor crown in 2003 and finished fourth at this year’s indoor meet.

YSU sophomore Tarelle Irwin placed third in the javelin and junior Johny Copley was third in the pole vault.

Overall, nine league records were broken Saturday.

Milwaukee men and women broke six records. Junior Drew Feuk, won the decathlon, earning 6,532 points, while sophomore Shelby Schaal won the heptathlon with 4,910 points — both league records.

Today’s competition will begin with field events starting at 11 a.m. and final running events beginning at noon with the 4x100-meter relay.