Women Look to Defend Horizon Track and Field Title this Weekend at WATTS

by YSU

Thursday, Feb 26, 2015 7:44 am

The Youngstown State women's track and field team will be looking to defend their Horizon League Indoor track and field crown this weekend when the Penguins play host to the conference meet at the WATTS.

The Penguins return three event champions from last year's squad in Jennifer Shiley (400-meter dash), Mackenzie Sturtz (high jump) and Jennifer Neider (shot put).

Last year, YSU became the first team to win on its home track was Milwaukee in 2003. The Penguins who had not won the league title since 2008 before last year. In total, YSU has won the event four times - 2014, 2008, 2005 and 2004.

Also in the mix for championships are Nina Grambling, McKinsie Klim, Amber Eles, Chenera Lacey, Hannah Ropp, and Savannah Osborne.

Grambling owns the conference's top times in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash by a wide margin. In the 60m dash, she has a school-record top time of 7.47 seconds. In the 200m, she has a best time of 24.57 seconds. She also has the second-longest leap in the long jump this year behind UWM's Alisha Harper.

Shiley has the second-fastest time in the 400m this year at 56.88 seconds behind Milwaukee's Anuli Okonkwo. Neider has the second longest throw in the shot put behind teammate Jaynee Corbett, but Corbett will miss the meet with an injury. Corbett also has the conference's best throw in the weight throw.

Ropp has the second best pole vault behind Valparaiso's Sarah Peters. Eles is second in the hurdles while Taylor McDonald is fourth.

In the high jump, Sturtz and Lacey are tied for third while Leanna Hartsough is right behind in fifth. Klim is third in the 5,000-meter run and fifth in the 3,000 meters. Osborne is third in the triple jump.

Admission is $10 each day while Horizon League students are admitted free with their school ID. All other students are $5 while children five-and-under are free. Tickets are available at the WATTS on both days.

On Saturday, two running event finals and three field finals will highlight all the action. The running finals are the 5,000-meter run for both the men and women followed by the DMR. Preliminary running events on Saturday are for the 60m hurdles, 400 meters, 60-meter dash, 800-meter run and 200-meter dash. Finals for field events are the pole vault, long jump and weight throw.

On Sunday, field finals for the high jump, triple jump and shot put are on tap along with all the finals in the running events.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, February 28
9 a.m. • Heptathlon
(60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump)
9:15 a.m. • Pentathlon
(60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, 800-meter run)
2:30 p.m. • Pole Vault Final (Men & Women)
2:30 p.m. • Long Jump (Women & Men)
2:30 p.m. • Weight Throw (Men & Women)
2:30 p.m. • Women's 5,000-Meter Run (Slow Sections)
2:45 p.m. • Men's 5,000-Meter Run (Slow Sections)
3:30 p.m. • 60-meter hurdles (prelims) (Women/Men)
3:40 p.m. • 400-meter run (prelims) (Women/Men)
4:10 p.m. • 60-meter dash (prelims) (Women/Men)
4:25 p.m. • 800-meter run (prelims) (Women/Men)
4:45 p.m. • 200-meter dash (prelims) (Women/Men)
5:15 p.m. • 5,000-meter run (finals) (Women/Men)
6 p.m. • Distance Medley Relay (finals) (Women/Men)

Sunday, March 1 (All Finals)
9 a.m. • Heptathlon
(60-meter hurdles, pole vault, 1,000-meter run)
9 a.m. • High Jump (Women & Men)
11 a.m. • Triple Jump (Women & Men)
11 a.m. • Shot Put (Men & Women)
1 p.m. • Women's Mile Run
1:10 p.m. • Men's Mile Run
1:20 p.m. • Women's 60-meter hurdles
1:25 p.m. • Men's 60-meter hurdles
1:35 p.m. • Women's 400-meter run
1:40 p.m. • Men's 400-meter run
1:45 p.m. • Women's 60-meter dash
1:55 p.m. • Men's 60-meter dash
2 p.m. • Women's 800-meter run
2:05 p.m. • Men's 800-meter run
2:15 p.m. • Women's 200-meter dash
2:20 p.m. • Men's 200-meter dash
2:25 p.m. • Women's 3,000-meter run
3 p.m. • Men's 3,000-meter run
3:25 p.m. • Women's 4x400-meter relay
3:40 p.m. • Men's 4x400-meter relay

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