Rochester, Mich. - The Youngstown State women's track and field team had a dominant all-around performance to win their school-record fifth consecutive Horizon League Outdoor Championship as the meet concluded on Sunday at Oakland's Track and Field Facility.
The Penguins accumulated 236 total points during the course of the three-day championships. Milwaukee took second place with 152 points while Oakland was third with 131. The Guins entered Sunday's competition with 88 points and a 14-point lead.
Dominance in sprints and throwing events paved the way for the Penguins to win the championship on Sunday.
Keishawnna Burts won the 100m and 200m dashes while Nicolette Kreatsoulas, Angela Lock and Amber Eles defeated their 2017 Horizon League titles to headline the day.
YSU opened the day with a strong victory in the 4x100m relay. The foursome of Jaliyah Elliott, Burts, Taylor Thompkins and Teneisha Myers ran a time of 45.98 seconds.
Burts spearheaded a first, second, third and fifth-place YSU performance in the 100m dash. Burts won with a time of 11.60 seconds while Elliott was second at 11.68 seconds, Thompkins was third with a time of 11.81 seconds and Azya McLin placed fifth at 12.15 seconds. It marks the seventh straight year that YSU has won the event and the Penguins have had a different winner each of the last three years.
Burts again led a strong push in the 200m dash as the Penguins went 1-2-3-4 in the 200m. She won her second race of the day with a time of 23.71 seconds. Taking second place was Elliott with a time of 23.98 seconds, Thompkins was third at 24.35 seconds and Myers was fourth at 24.45 seconds. The Penguins have also won eight straight 200m crowns.
Eles won her second consecutive 100m hurdles title in a narrow victory over Milwaukee's Melissa Kirchoff. Eles crossed the line at 13.66 seconds while Kirchoff was second at 13.71 seconds.
Lock defended her championship in the javelin with a throw of 39.27m. Kreatsoulas took third with a throw of 34.16m while Coreen Crosby placed fourth with a 32.25m toss.
Nicolette Kreatsoulas won the hammer throw with a toss of 55.05m. It was the second straight year that Kreatsoulas captured the hammer throw title. Jaynee Corbett was third with a toss of 48.56m.
Chandler Kilins was fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 11.42m. Myers was second in the 400m dash with a time of 57.10 seconds.
Corbett was named the co-Field Athlete of the Meet while Burts was the co-Outstanding Runner. Myers was tabbed the Running Freshman of the Year. Head Coach Brian Gorby was named the women's Coach of the Year for the fifth straight year.
