Victory, homecoming festivities bring joy to YSU

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The theme of Youngstown State University’s 78th Homecoming celebration, “Penguin Roots,” was echoed by university President Jim Tressel Saturday afternoon as the homecoming parade formed on Wood Street before moving up Fifth Avenue.

‘It’s so much fun talking to the alums and listening to them reminisce about their days at YSU, and to feel their pride in what the university has become,” said Tressel.

The parade was led by YSU’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, the YSU Marching Pride, Tressel and his wife Ellen, and followed by nine student-made floats and numerous other vehicles and organizations, including the Niles McKinley High School Marching Band.

This year’s homecoming king and queen, Brent Skall and Shauntiaonia “Shai” Johnson, were crowned at halftime of the football game between the Penguins and Southern Illinois. Johnson, a native of Warren, and Skall of Stow, are both pursuing degrees in nursing.

YSU enjoyed a 17-14 win over Southern Illinois in the homecoming game. Zak Kennedy kicked three field goals, including a tie-breaking 34-yard field goal with 26 seconds to play to give the Penguins the win.

Tevin McCaster ran for 116 yards for the Penguins (2-3, 1-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference). McCaster's 1-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion pass from Montgomery VanGorder to Zach Farrar tied the game at 14 with 4:36 to play.

YSU trailed 14-6 after SIU's Matt DeSomer scored a 1-yard TD with 10:57 to play. The Salukis (1-4, 0-2) led 7-6 at halftime on a 5-yard TD run by D.J. Davis.

Kennedy kicked field goals of 32 and 24 yards in the first half.

Before game time excitement, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and Delta Zeta Sorority teamed up to create the parade float judged best overall with the theme of “Penguins Out of This World,” recognizing YSU alum, the late Warren native and astronaut Ronald Parise.

iPals Community, a student organization that aims to improve relations between international and American students by sharing cultures, won a trophy for having the “Most Spirit,” the first award for the group in three years of participating in the parade, said Rachel Mientkiewicz, chairwoman of the iPals Community. Mientkiewicz, a senior biology and psychology major at YSU, graduated in 2014 from Niles McKinley High School.

Ting Yu “Caleb” Chiu, a freshman at YSU and a member of the Army ROTC unit leading the parade, spent much of his life in China with his missionary parents. Chiu, grandson of Elaine and Thomas Carlson of Poland, is a criminal justice major who wants to eventually go into federal law enforcement.

Several hundred lined the parade route and several hundred more enjoyed themselves in the tailgating area.

Among the tailgaters was Jeremy Payne of Corning, N.Y., a 2007 YSU graduate who was wearing a shirt emblazoned with “Youngstown Against the World.” Payne said he comes back most years for homecoming.

“We support YSU,” said Jim Hammond, owner of Valley Industrial Trucks in Boardman and a 1993 YSU graduate, who brought a company group to the game.

“We tailgate every home game, give two scholarships to the university, one for academics and one for athletics, and belong to the Penguin Club,” said Hammond.

A large contingent from the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and its 910 Airlift Wing was on hand, courtesy of the YARS Base Council and the university, said Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr., superintendent of public affairs. YARS had vehicles in the parade and was scheduled to do a fly-over with C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Return to Vindy.com and read Sunday's Vindicator sports section for more on the Penguins and Southern Illinois.