Zallows, other Penguin athletes excel in meets

By DAN HINER

dhiner@vindy.com

It’s been an up-and-down week for Youngstown State sprinters Chad and Carl Zallow. Their grandfather passed away earlier in the week, but the brothers performed well in their individual meets on Saturday.

Chad Zallow didn’t compete with the rest of the YSU track and field team at the YSU National Mid-Major Invitational.

The junior ran in the 111th NYRR Millrose Games in New York and finished fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.70, his second-fastest time of the season.

Carl Zallow set the meet record after running 6.87 seconds in the men’s 60 dash at the Watson and Tressel Training Site.

Chad Zallow finished behind Olympians Devon Allen and Aries Merrit. Allen won after running 7.50 and Merrit finished second with 7.53.

Allen was fifth in the 110 hurdles in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and Merrit won the gold medal in the 110m hurdles in 2012 in London.

Freddie Crittenden, a two-time member of Team USA, came in third with a time of 7.66.

“It’s really hard to believe that I’m competing with that level of competition,” Chad Zallow said. “When you put it like that, it’s definitely encouraging to me. It’s an honor to be in that field, let alone finishing right behind those guys. It says a lot.”

Carl Zallow recorded one the Penguins’ seven wins at the Watson and Tressel Training Site.

“I thought both did amazing after dealing with what they’re dealing with,” YSU head coach Brian Gorby said.

Jaynee Corbett won the women’s shot put with a meet-record throw of 15.70 meters. Corbett had three throws of more than 15 meters.

Amber Eles set a meet record in her win in the women’s 60 hurdles, running a time of 8.54 seconds.

“Carl set the meet record and [Eles] set the meet record,” Gorby said. “Sometimes you just kind of forget she wins so much and wins consistently. [She’s] important to the success of the program. We’re going to be counting on her a lot the next two weeks.”

Nicole Squatrito won her first collegiate meet after running 2:20.06 in the 800.

YSU had two runners finish in the top three during the women’s 60 dash. Jaliyah Elliott won with a time of 7.55 and Keishawnna Burts was third at 7.62 seconds.

Elliot also won the 200 dash with a time of 24.50 and nearly set the school record of 24.43.

The YSU women won the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:48.05. The Penguins beat Duquesne by more than three seconds to win the event.

Austintown Fitch graduate Dylan Latone came in second in the pole vault after he cleared the bar at 4.51 meters.

Girard graduate Collin Harden came in second in the 400, finishing with a time of 49.41 seconds.

Now, the attention begins to shift to the Horizon League Championships on Feb. 24 and 25. Gorby said he wants the Penguins to remain healthy over the next few weeks. He still wants the teams to improve in a couple areas at SPIRE Division I Indoor Track & Field Classic on on Friday and Saturday, and at the Zips Invitational on Feb. 16.

Gorby wanted to see improvement in the 4x400 relay following the YSU College Invitational. After the relay team’s performance, Gorby thinks the team could compete for a conference title and a spot as a national qualifier.

“We usually set the [4x400] record maybe at the end of the season like in past years,” Gorby said. “To set the record in the middle of the season with three or four weeks to go, is really super impressive.”