YSU’s Rupe, Neu repeat as Horizon League champs

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State’s Eric Rupe and Conner Neu defended their conference titles in the 5,000-meter run and the weight throw during the first day of the Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at the WATTS.

The men took first, second and third in an impressive performance in the 5,000-meter run. Rupe took first with a time of 14:29.53 was followed closley by Austin McLean who had a run of 14:49.87 and freshman Ryan Sullivan placed third with a time of 14:51.90.

Neu set a Horizon League and school record in the weight throw with a toss of 20.94 to win his second consecutive title in the event. His previous-best throw was 20.83 meters earlier this season. Neu’s record-breaking throw came on his last attempt of the competition.

In the team standings, the YSU men are second with 38 points behind Valparaiso which has 42. UIC sits in third with 31 points and Milwaukee is fourth at 27. The YSU women are tied for second with 29 points with Oakland. The Panthers are in first place with 34 points.

In the women’s 5,000-meter run, McKinsie Klim placed fourth in the women’s 5000-meter run with a time of 17:43.56.

In the field event finals, Nina Grambling was second in the long jump with a leap of 5.59 meters. In the pole vault, Hannah Ropp was third clearing a height of 3.51 meters while Sarina Mauerman finished fourth eclipsing the bar at 3.36 meters. In the women’s weight throw, Tradaiza Merchant was fourth with a toss of 14.19 meters.

In the running events, the Penguins qualified a solid group of runners into today’s finals.

Grambling advanced to the 200-meter dash final in style by breaking the Horizon League and school record in the 200-meter dash. She also advanced in the 60-meter dash with the fastest time of the day at 7.54 seconds.

Jen Shiley had solid runs in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.32 seconds and the 200-meter dash with a run of 24.34 seconds.

The men advance four runners in the 60-meter dash final as Carl Zallow, Jaylon Brown, Marcellus and Dalyn Gattison all moved on. Zallow had the fastest qualifying time of the day at 6.88 seconds.

Caleb Lloyd, Sam Shaviss, and Clay Febus will compete in the final 60-meter hurdles tomorrow. Lloyd had the fastest time of the three at 8.28 seconds while Shaviss was at 8.44 seconds and Febus at 8.51 seconds.

Amber Eles will advance in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with the second-fastest time of the race at 8.95 seconds. Taylor McDonald was strong in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.14 seconds and in the 400-meter dash with a run of 58.07 seconds to advance to the championship finals.

Also advancing in the women’s 60-meter dash are Tiffany Barnes and Taylor Thomkins along with Grambling.

Mike Navratil and Dylin Wilhoite will compete in the finals of the men’s 800-meter run. Navratil had the fourth-fastest qualifying team while Wilhoite was eighth.

Zallow, Marcellus Embry and I’tavious Harvin will run in the men’s 200-meter dash final. Zallow had the second-fastest qualifying time at 21.88 seconds.

The Horizon League Championships continue today with the high jump at 9 a.m. The triple jump and shot put get under way at 11 a.m. The running finals start at 1 p.m.