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1411

YSU Penguin Athletics / Vindy: the Horizon League outdoor championships

« on: May 06, 2011, 09:17:28 AM »

Youngstown State’s track and field squads are in Indianapolis this weekend for the Horizon League outdoor championships. Both the women’s and men’s teams will be looking to dethrone Milwaukee, which has dominated the men’s side and been a long-time rival for the YSU women.

YSU was third behind Milwaukee and UIC last year in the men’s standings.

YSU will bring some experience to the meet, with 11 seniors on the roster.

Adam Kagarise is one of those upperclassmen. He was third in the 400 meters last year.

Sophomore Michael Davis is the Penguins’ best chance for a win in the sprinting events. Davis has the best 100-meter dash (10.60 seconds) and second-best 200 time in the league.

Freshman Martin Solomon is a contender in the hurdles with the top time in the 400 and the second-best mark in the 110.

YSU’s top throwers are Bobby Grace and Jon Seaver, who have the league’s two best marks in the shot put.

Grace won the shot put at the league indoor meet in February, and he also ranks in the top five in the discuss and hammer throw. Cassano ranks third in the discus and Caleb Schwan is third in the hammer.

 

The women’s team will rely on a much younger group, with only a handful of seniors on the roster.

Sophomore Samantha Hamilton and seniors Alisha Anthony and Lyndsie Hall bring championship titles to the meet.

Hamilton won the steeplechase as a freshman in 2010, while Anthony won the triple jump in 2008 and 2009, and Hall won the javelin in 2009.

Freshman Ciara Jarrett is top-ranked in the 100 (11.68) and the 200 (24.87). Hamilton is second in the steeplechase, while sophomore Nichol Pachol is third in 400 hurdles.

In the high jump, freshman (and Horizon indoor champion) Katrina Rettburg has the conference’s top mark.

Anthony, who has never won an outdoor long jump title, has had the longest leap this year by .10 meters. She is ranked second in the triple jump.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Griffith, who was runner-up at last year’s outdoor meet, won the indoor event and has the longest toss of nearly a half-meter in the shot put. Griffith also has the top hammer throw in the conference.

In the other throwing events, Melanie Prelac has the top distance in the league and is coming off a second-place finish in 2010 in the javelin; while in the discus sophomore Alison Roth, who was second last year, has the top mark in the league this season. Teammate Kaicee Kubicina is second and Griffith is fourth.

1412

YSU Penguin Athletics / Women's Basketball Staff Sits Down for Group Interview

« on: May 05, 2011, 09:35:25 AM »

Women's Basketball Staff Sits Down for Group Interview

1413

YSU Penguin Athletics / Banks Has Big Night in YSU’s 5-4 Loss at Ohio in 13 Innings

« on: May 05, 2011, 09:17:29 AM »

Athens, Ohio -- Jeremy Banks hit two of Youngstown State's three solo home runs and added an RBI double, but the Penguins' bullpen couldn't hold two one-run leads in a 5-4 loss to Ohio in 13 innings on Wednesday at Bob Wren Stadium.

Banks homered in the first and broke a 2-2 tie with a two-out blast in the eighth. The Bobcats tied the score in the bottom of the eighth, and they did the same in thing in the 10th after Banks' RBI double gave the Guins a 4-3 lead.

OU's Wes O'Neill walked to start the 13th, and a sacrifice bunt and error put runners at the corners with one out. Bryan Barnes brought in O'Neill for the winning run with a sacrifice fly to left.

Banks did not have a home run through the season's first 41 games, and YSU had only two as a team. Both of those belonged to David Leon, who hit a solo homer in the third.

YSU starter Blake Aquadro provided the Penguins with their first quality midweek start of the season. The sophomore lefty allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in six innings of work. Nic Manuppelli worked a scoreless seventh and was in line for the win before Ohio tied the score in the eighth.

Banks hit a two-out homer to center in the top of the first to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead, and Adam Gecewich tripled and scored in the second for Ohio to tie the score at 1-1.

Leon's homer to right in the third put YSU up 2-1, and the Penguins held that margin until Kory Burkhart brought in O'Neill on a two-out single in the fifth. O'Neill reached with a one-out single and stole second after there were two outs.

Banks' second round-tripper came with two outs in the eighth and gave the Penguins a brief 3-2 lead, but Ohio tied the score again in the bottom half. Garrett Black hit a one-out single and, similar to O'Neill in the fifth, stole second and scored on a two-out hit.

Banks hit an opposite-field double with one out in the 10th to plate Armani Johnson, and Joe Iacobucci was walked intentionally to load the bases. The Penguins couldn't add any insurance, though, as Drew Dosch popped up and Craig Goubeaux struck out.

Ohio also had a runner on third with less than two outs twice in the middle innings and didn't score. The Bobcats had runners at the corners with one out in the fourth, but Aquadro escaped as Bryan Barnes was thrown out trying to score and J.R. Reynolds flew out. Ohio also had a runner on third with one out in the sixth, but Gecewich was thrown out at the plate on a grounder to Phil Lipari at second.

After Manuppelli exited, Padraic Williams allowed the run in the eighth, and Kevin McCulloh was on for the run in the 10th. Erik Okleson was charged with the loss, allowing the unearned run in 2.2 innings.

Ryan Burgett earned the win for Ohio in throwing three scoreless innings of relief. He was the sixth pitcher to appear for the Bobcats.

Banks had three of YSU's seven hits, and the top three hitters in the line-up had five of the seven hits. Gecewich and O'Neill had two hits apiece for Ohio, which also benefitted from eight walks.

Youngstown State begins a three-game Horizon League series on Friday at 3 p.m. against Milwaukee.

1414

YSU Penguin Athletics / Youth Football Summer Camps

« on: May 02, 2011, 05:35:07 PM »

They have a nice page this year for the camps:

http://www.penguinsfootballcamps.com

1415

YSU Penguin Athletics / Behind the Scenes of Youngstown State Football | Shane Montgomery

« on: April 28, 2011, 12:44:05 PM »

During the spring, YSUsports.com used a wireless microphone to go inside the Penguins' football program. Each assistant coach wore a microphone to give fans the inside scoop into their personality during a practice. Check out this piece on offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Shane Montgomery.

Montgomery is in his second season with the program. Check back throughout the next month for more in depth looks into the Penguins' coaching staff.

Click on Video below for Shane Montgomery video.

1416

YSU Penguin Athletics / Vindy: Morrone anxious for WATTS

« on: April 27, 2011, 06:26:47 AM »

By Jon Moffett

jmoffett@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Matt Morrone has got to feel like a student trying to make his choice for college right about now — it’s kind of a combination of anxiousness, hesitation, nerves and obvious excitement. All for a huge commitment that will potentially change his life.

Only Morrone, the athletic business manager for Youngstown State, is less concerned with going to school. Rather, he’s hopeful his major commitment will help make the choosing process a little bit easier for others.

Morrone can’t help but have those feelings as the deadline draws closer for the completion of the Watson and Tressel Training Site. The WATTS has a deadline of mid-June, and Morrone said everything is right on schedule. And he admits, he’s just a little bit excited.

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” he said. “There is anxiety to get it done, and there is the anxiousness of wanting to use it. But there is also the hesitation of what we got into. It’s a very exciting time.”

The facility’s structure is almost complete. Siding is still being placed, but soon it will be a matter of touch-ups and aesthetic work.

The artificial turf playing surface was laid on the football field this week. And the asphalt for the track was put down a couple of weeks ago. Morrone said it takes roughly 30 or 40 days to cure before the final surface can be placed.

That surface was ordered from the Mondo company, and is the same material used in the last Olympic games, Morrone said.

“It’s the Cadillac of track surfaces,” he said.

After the surfaces are taken care of, it’s a matter of painting and doing some other small jobs, Morrone said. Then, it’s time to open the doors for good.

And it’s been a long time coming, too.

Like many construction projects, the WATTS project has seen its share of delays. The facility, which the school hopes will act as a major recruiting tool, was originally supposed to be completed by the close of 2010.

But construction issues as well as Mother Nature pushed back the deadline to this past February. More delays moved that date to June. And this time, it’s hopefully going to stick, Morrone said.

“If you had been in that building a month and a half ago, and then walked through today you’d be amazed,” he said. “It really has come a long way in the last month and a half.

“It’s not a building where you can just put all the siding up in a day. It’s a 125,000 square-foot building,” he added.

For Morrone, it’s worth the wait.

If finished on schedule, the facility will be open and on display during the heart summer workouts. That, Morrone hopes, will be incentive enough to make up those uncertain minds when it comes time to choosing YSU or a similar school.

“To me, I hate to say it, but it’s not even going to be a competition,” he said. “Students are coming on campus to look at the facilities and when they see that they’re impressed.”

1417

YSU Penguin Athletics / Behind the Scenes of Youngstown State Football | Carmen Bricillo

« on: April 26, 2011, 07:10:27 AM »

During the spring, YSUsports.com used a wireless microphone to go inside the Penguins' football program. Each assistant coach wore a microphone to give fans the inside scoop into their personality during a practice. Check out this piece on assistant coach Carmen Bricillo.

Bricillo is in his second season with the program and is YSU's offensive line coach. It looks like they covered several coaches, so we will try to post them all here:

1418

YSU Penguin Athletics / 2011 Jaws Youngstown State Football Season Tickets Commercial

« on: April 23, 2011, 10:44:00 PM »

2011 Youngstown State Football Season Tickets Commercial

1419

YSU Penguin Athletics / Penguins Take Two From Cleveland State, 6-3 and 3-2

« on: April 23, 2011, 06:59:01 PM »

Niles -- The Youngstown State baseball team rode a strong pitching performance by Robert Switka to a 6-3 win over Cleveland State in the opener and then Armani Johnson's bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth lifted YSU to a 3-2 game two win at Eastwood Field.

In game one, Switka (2-5) pitched seven strong innings scattering four hits while striking out eight. In game two, senior Phil Klein battled for 6.1 innings to keep the Penguins in the contest. Kevin McCulloh (3-6) finished both games up. In game one, he tossed two innings of one-hit relief. In the second game, he went 2.2 innings working around three hits to pick up the win.

Youngstown State (10-27 overall and 5-6 in the Horizon League) trailed 2-0 in game two after the first inning. Cleveland State picked up its first run when Alex Gnezda singled home John Calhoun and Matt Kirkwood plated Zach Thompson.

In game two, CSU had 11 hits, while the Guins had two. YSU was hitless for 5.2 innings before a single by Drew Dosch broke up the no-hit bid by Viking starter Cody Bates.

The Guins scored two runs in the third tying the contest. Phil Lipari opened the inning with a walk and Padraic Williams was hit by a pitch. Lipari came around to score when Johnson reached on a two-base error by CSU third baseman John Calhoun. Williams came home on a sacrifice fly by David Leon.

McCulloh worked out of a jam in the eighth. CSU loaded the bases with no outs but a failed squeeze attempt and two ground outs to shortstop kept the Vikes off the board.

In the bottom of the ninth, Dosch walked to lead off the inning. Craig Goubeaux sacrficed him to second and then YSU caught a break. Lipari hit a comebacker to the mound, but CSU pitcher Brandon Cooper threw the ball to third and Dosch held at second. Williams walked to load the bases and after sidearmer Clayton Ruch entered the game, Johnson plated the game winner when he walked on five pitches.

In the opener, Switka cruised pitching seven scoreless innings. YSU had a run in the second, one in the third, two in the fifth and two in the sixth. CSU broke through scoring three runs off reliever Cody Dearth, however McCulloh righted the ship as the Penguins held on.

Leon and Goubeaux had two each in the first game. CSU outhit the Penguins 18-11 in the doubleheader, but dropped both games. The Vikings committed three errors in the first game, including two on one play that allowed two Penguins to score.

The Penguins and Vikings conclude the series on Sunday at 3 p.m.

1420

YSU Penguin Athletics / Samantha Formeck Leads HL Championships Following Day One

« on: April 23, 2011, 06:54:09 AM »

Howie-In-The-Hills, Fla. -- Youngstown State junior Samantha Formeck leads the Horizon League Women's Golf Championships following the first round of action on Friday after carding a one-over-par 74 at the Mission Inn Resort Golf Course.

As team, the Penguins will have some work ahead of them after carding a 346 following the first 18 holes. Detroit, the 2010 HL Champion, carded a low of 326 to hold a three-stroke lead over Loyola following day one.

Formeck, who placed first at the event as a freshman and third as a sophomore, had three birdies on her first nine holes to offset three bogeys. Formeck birdied holes one, seven and nine for an even-par 36 on the front nine. She was one over on the back nine with a 38.

She leads Detroit's Alianna Stefan by one shot entering Saturday's second round. Formeck is set to tee off at 8:10 a.m., 50 minutes before Stefan. Loyola's April Ohlendorf is third with a 77.

Sophomore Sarah Heimlich had a solid outing firing an opening-round 82. Heimlich sits in seventh place following a round that featured a birdie and nine pars. She tees off at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Senior Katie Rogner had eagle on par-5 seventh hole, however she could never find a rhythm on her way to carding an 87th. Rogner resides in 20th place after Friday's round.

A pair of freshmen also tried to find their shot on day one. Sarah Scheidmantel carded a 103 and is 33rd while Angela Molaskey had a 105 and is 35th.

Teams
1. Detroit - 326
2. Loyola - 329
3. Butler - 333
3. Cleveland State - 338
5. Valparaiso - 343
6. YSU - 346
7. Green Bay - 356

YSU Totals:
Formeck - 74
Heimlich - 82
Rogner - 87
Scheidemantel - 103
Molaskey - 105

1421

YSU Penguin Athletics / Men's Basketball Coaches to Hold Four Summer Camps

« on: April 23, 2011, 06:53:12 AM »

The Youngstown State men's basketball program will host four boys' basketball camp this summer. The coaching staff will offer two team shootout camps, June 5 and June 11. There will also be two individiual camps, June 13-16, and June 20-23.

The team shootout camps (June 5 and June 11) are targeted for varsity and JV high school teams and cost $275 per varsity team and $210 per junior varsity squad. There is also a two-day option which costs $475 for varsity and $350 for junior varisty. The team shootouts run from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on each day.

The Full-Court Camp is an individual camp that runs from June 13-16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This camp is aimed at kids entering fifth through 12th grade in the fall of 2011. Early registration cost of the Full-Court Camp is $130 and has deadline of June 6. Late registration for the Full-Court Camp is $145.

The Half-Court Camp, June 20-23, is another individual camp that is geared toward kids entering grades second through ninth in the fall of 2011. This camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Early registration costs $85 and has a deadline of June 13. Registrations after June 13 cost $95.

For more information, contact the YSU men's basketball office at (330) 941-3004.

1422

YSU Penguin Athletics / Busy Penguins Sports Day

« on: April 22, 2011, 09:09:23 AM »

I decided to place everything in one thread. Lot's of things happened, or are happening:

1. Men's tennis star Tariq Ismail was named first-team All-Horizon League.

2. For the second straight year, Youngstown State women's tennis star Margarita Sadovnikova has been named first-team All-Horizon League.

3. Penguins lose in the first round of the Horizon Men's Tennis Tourney. They will play for the 5th spot this morning. In any case, nice to see such a good performance this year.

4. Coach Bolden announced his summer camps today. He has a real nice breakdown of what he calls "elite", varsity, and JV. A real concentration on the college-bound girls in that elite group.

http://ysupenguins.com/index.php?id=524&cat_id=5&p=

5. Guins baseball hosts CSU this weekend at Eastwood. I know it is Easter, but this is a good chance to see them, and this is a "must-win" series. Right now we hold a 2 1/2 game lead over CSU for the final spot in the HL tourney. (the HL only takes the top-6 squads). We need to take all three of these games, as we have 3 conference powers still remaining on our schedule.

6. Let's not forget that the Golf teams start Horizon League tourney play today as well.




Good luck and good work to all our Pen and Lady Pens. Go to out home page at ysupenguins.com for more details on these and other stories.

1423

YSU Penguin Athletics / Anthony Named Horizon League Field Athlete of the Week

« on: April 20, 2011, 05:07:15 PM »

For the second consecutive week, senior Alisha Anthony earned the Horizon League Women's Field Athlete-of-the-Week honors, the league announced Tuesday.

Anthony (Van Wert, Ohio) was named the Best Female Jumper in Ohio at the All-Ohio Championships Saturday after winning the long jump (5.81m) and the triple jump (12.10m) events. She earned All-Ohio honors in both events.

Detroit senior Lesley Hanna (Exuma, Bahamas) and Wright State junior Cassandra Lloyd (Springfield, Ohio) are the Men's and Women's Track Athletes of the Week while Milwaukee junior Ben Crogan (Waterford, Wis.) earned Horizon League Field Athlete of the Week accolades.

YSU will compete at the Sparky Adams Invitational on April 23.

1424

YSU Penguin Athletics / Vindy: YSU golf teams plan to be in the mix for conference crowns

« on: April 20, 2011, 06:39:21 AM »

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Since Youngstown State joined the Horizon League a decade ago, two teams have performed better than the rest: women’s track and women’s golf.

“We have a lot of pride,” said women’s golf coach Roseann Schwartz. “If you don’t let them know they’re pretty good, they’re not going to build that confidence.

“We always tell them how proud the athletic department is of this team.”

The Penguins won the first league tournament in 2003 and added another trophy in 2009. They should be in the mix for another title this weekend when they travel to Florida for the league championships at Mission Inn Resort.

“If we play in the championship the way we’ve been playing — and we have been playing well — we should do a good job,” said Schwartz, who expects to battle Butler and Detroit for the top spot. “When my No. 1 and No. 2 players are playing the kind of golf they can play, they can be one or two anywhere, not just here.”

Junior Samantha Formeck won this event two years ago and has been the league’s golfer of the year each of the last two seasons. Senior Katie Rogner (Warren JFK), YSU’s female athlete of the year last year, is also capable of earning medalist honors.

Both are honors students in challenging majors, with Rogner ready to earn her engineering degree and Formeck set to leave school a year early to attend pharmacy school.

“They’ve been so good, they really have,” Schwartz said. “They’ve worked so hard and they deserve all the credit they’ve gotten.”

YSU’s No. 3, sophomore Sarah Heimlich, has improved by eight shots in the past year and should be even better next year, Schwartz said.

“I don’t think she’s peaked yet,” she said. “I think she’ll move up into one of the two top spots next year.”

Women’s track (seven combined league titles in indoor and outdoor competition) is the only other YSU sport to win more than one league title, so the golf team is in lofty company.

If Penguin freshmen Angela Molaskey (Poland) and Sarah Scheidmantel can step up this weekend, Schwartz likes her chances.

“Whoever starts putting is going to win,” Schwartz said. “That’s what it always comes down to.”

The men’s team, meanwhile, enters this weekend’s tournament as a bit of a dark horse. The Penguins have finished in the top half of their last three tournaments — the only times they’ve done so in 10 tournaments tracing back to last fall — and Coach Tony Joy thinks his team has as good a chance as anybody.

“Now, I might not be this optimistic if you talk to me on Sunday,” he said, chuckling. “Cleveland State looks like the strongest team but the league is pretty open.

“We’re going to Orlando feeling we’ve got as good a chance as anybody. From top to bottom, we’re as solid as anybody.”

The Penguins lost last year’s Horizon League champion, Ryan Stocke, to graduation. Senior Spenser Sulzener (the team’s lone senior) and junior Joe Santisi (who missed the fall season) finished second to Stocke in eight events last season, including the league meet.

Juniors Michael Lower and Anthony Conn and freshman Mark Olbrych give YSU some solid depth from 1-5.

“We’re dangerous if everyone plays well,” said Joy, who is in his 27th year with the Penguins. “I don’t feel like the gun’s not loaded.

“We’ve got some bullets and we’re going down there and we plan to be competitive.”

1425

YSU Penguin Athletics / Post Game Interviews: White Wins Annual Spring Game

« on: April 17, 2011, 08:48:25 AM »

Youngstown -- Sophomore tailback Allen Jones ran for 159 yards, and his defensive teammates held the first-string offense to 14 points as the White team beat the Red 24-14 on very rainy Saturday in the 39th Annual Red-White Spring Game at Stambaugh Stadium.

The White team scored the first 17 points of the game, and Jones' 94-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter accounted for the only points of the second half.

The White team was comprised of the first-team defense and the second-string offense while the Red had the No. 1 offense and the second-team defense. The first half had standard timing rules while the second half had a continuous running clock.

Jamaine Cook ran for 93 yards and a touchdown, and Kurt Hess completed 11-of-19 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Red.

Josh Lee forced two big turnovers in the first half, and Patrick Angle spearheaded the White's offense as it built a 17-0 lead two plays into the second quarter.

Lee stripped David Rogers on the Red's first play from scrimmage to give the White squad the ball at the Red 20. Torrian Pace connected with Pat White on a halfback pass down to the one, and Pace punched it in one play later to make the score 7-0.

Thomas Sprague stopped Cook on fourth-and-one on Red's next drive, and Angle connected with White on a fade in the corner of the end zone from 10 yards out to make the score 14-0.

Angle threw another strike that was dropped in the back of the end zone on the first play of the second quarter, and the White team had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from David Brown to go up 17-0.

Hess and Cook got the Red offense going on its first drive of the second quarter as the margin was trimmed to 17-7. Cook broke loose on a 22-yard rush on fourth-and-one, and Hess connected with Andre Barboza on a 22-yard strike down to the two on fourth-and-six. Cook kept his legs churning and fought his way into the end zone from the four two plays later.

Cook burst through the line and had nothing but daylight ahead with less than four minutes remaining in the first half, but Lee caught him from behind and stripped the ball. Donald D'Alesio recovered the fumble, and White took over at its 13.

The Red defense held, and the offense took over at the 20 following a touchback with 1:28 to go. Hess orchestrated the two-minute offense well, connecting with Barboza twice and Rogers once to get down to the 23. The quarterback then hit Adaris Bellamy out of the backfield along the left sideline for a score with 29 seconds left.

The White defense allowed just one first down on the first drive of the second half, and Jones displayed his breakaway speed on the 94-yard score on the White's second offensive play of the third quarter.

Down 10 points, Red went three-and-out on its next three drives as the running clock limited the number of second-half possessions.

Angle finished 6-for-10 for 78 yards and a touchdown, and White had a game-high five catches for 68 yards and a score for the White. Barboza had four catches for 69 yards for the Red.

Nick Liste punted for both teams and averaged 41.4 yards per kick. He had a long of 59 yards and placed five punts inside the 20.

Defensively, Kyle Sirl had a game-high eight tackles, including three for loss, for the Red team. He and Ethan Slark both had two sacks, and Austin Jackson had two pass break-ups.

Obinna Ekweremuba had seven tackles, including two for loss, for the White. Lee had six tackles and three pass break-ups in addition to his two forced fumbles. Four of Sprague's six tackles were behind the line of scrimmage.