Cross-Country

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Freshmen Lead Men's Squad to Improved Finish at Regional
Monday, November 12 2007

Bloomington, Ind. -- Three freshmen paced the Youngstown State men's cross country team to a 23rd-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional, another big improvement for the young squad.

The 23rd-place finish was three spots higher than last season, and YSU's 678 point total was 95 points better.
The women's squad finished 28th ahead of Horizon League foes Green Bay and Wright State.

Freshman Jake Lape (Boardman) was YSU's top finisher, placing 110th with a 10K time of 33:33.79. Fellow freshman Jim Ramson (Poland) finished 132nd with a time of 34:03.27, and sophomore Justin Dickman placed 133rd in 34:06.12. Junior Dan Nemergut (South Range) was 143rd with a time of 34:25.43, and freshman Joe Copploe (McDonald) placed 165th with a time of 34:59.56.

Senior R.D. Goodright finished 190th with a time of 36:13.40 in his final collegiate race.

On the women's side, Lauren Blase, Kayla Witmer and Madelyn McGhee finished back-to-back-to-back as the top three finishers. Blase (Niles) was 174th with a time of 24:40.62, Witmer (South Range) was 175th in 24:41.84 and McGhee (Brookfield) finished in 24:44.55. Jennfier Roman placed 190th in 25:09.41, and Dawn Goodwin rounded out the scoring five with a 195th-place time of 25:24.94.

Cross-Country

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Dickman, Nemergut Lead Men's XC Team to Third-Place Finish
Monday, October 29 2007

Valparaiso, Ind. -- Three Youngstown State men's cross country runners placed in the top 20 to lead the Penguins to a third-place finish at the Horizon League Championships on Saturday.

Sophomore Justin Dickman and junior Dan Nemergut both earned second-team all-conference honors by placing in the top 14 as the Penguins notched their top finish at the meet since 2003. They were just one point from earning their best ever finish at the Horizon League Championship but fell just short of catching Loyola, 101-100.

"Our guys ran phenomenal today," head coach Brian Gorby said. "It's great for us to get back into the top three in the conference again. The fact four of our scorers will be back next year speaks very well for our future."

Lauren Blase, a sophomore from Niles, Ohio, placed 34th with a 5K time of 20:35.3 to lead the women's team to a 10th-place finish.

Dickman finished the 8K course at Sunset Hills Park in 26:34.5 to place 10th, and South Range High graduate Dan Nemergut placed 13th in 26:41.6. Freshman Jake Lape (Boardman High) placed 17th with a time of 26:56.7 while fellow freshman Jim Ramson finished 23rd with a time of 27:19.5. Senior R.D. Goodright rounded out the scoring five with a 38th-place time of 27:47.5.

Loyola and YSU had runners finish back-to-back on three occasions. LU's Ryan Kuphall edged Nemergut by 1.5 seconds, Lape outran Anthony Wile by 2.3 seconds and Matt McCabe held off Goodright by 2.9 seconds.

Freshman Joe Copploe (McDonald High) was 40th with a time off 27:50.5 and Sean Finnerty (Mooney High) finished 51st in 28:19.5.

Behind Blase, freshman Kayla Witmer (South Range) placed 47th in 20:56.7, and sophomore Lisa Lee finished 49th in 20:58.6. Sophomore Jennifer Roman finished 54th with a time of 21:03.7, and sophomore Dawn Goodwin placed 58th in 21:05.5.

Prior to 2004 the men's cross country team had finished in the top three in 10 straight Mid-Continent Conference Championships and Horizon League Championships.

Cross-Country

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Local Freshmen Pace Men's Squad at All-Ohio Championships
Sunday, October 7 2007

Delaware, Ohio -- Freshman Jim Ramson finished 65th with a time of 27:47.0 to lead the Youngstown State men's cross country squad to a 16th-place finish at the All-Ohio Championships on Friday afternoon.

Ramson, a Poland High graduate, and two other local freshmen finished in the top three for the men's squad. Jake Lape (Boardman) placed 77th in 27:58.7 and Joe Copploe (McDonald) was 88th with a time of 28:15.6.


Sophomore Dawn Goodwin was the top finisher on the women's squad for the first time in her career, placing 136th with a time of 21:45.2.

Dan Nemergut was 90th (28:17.4) and Sean Finnerty was 111th (28:41.4) to round out the men's squad. Jake Dialesandro placed 62nd in the open race with a time of 23:12.

"The men's team did a great job of executing our race plan, which was to conquer the challenging course and conditions and the results will take care of themselves," head coach Brian Gorby said.

Behind Goodwin, Lauren Blase finished 149th (21:58.2), Kelcie Witmer was 184th (22:53.7), Madelyn McGhee was 202nd (23:09) and Malin Heineking was 211th (23:25.3).

Witmer and Heineking, both of whom are freshman, finished in the scoring five for the first time in their careers. The Penguins were without their top runner, Kayla Witmer. Jennifer Roman finished 57th in the open race with a time of 22:34.7.

"These were the toughest racing conditions in my 18-year history of being at the course," Gorby said. With the heat and challenging hills, there were tons of runners literally passing out."

The squads will rest for the next three weeks in preparation for the Horizon League Championships on Oct. 27.

Cross-Country

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Dickman, Witmer Lead Squads at Notre Dame Invitational
Sunday, September 30 2007

South Bend, Ind. -- Sophomore Justin Dickman finished 61st with a time of 26:11 to lead the Youngstown State men's cross country team to an 18th-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday afternoon.
Freshman Kayla Witmer paced the women's squad to a 26th-place effort by finishing 138th with a time of 19:59.
Freshman Jim Ramson finished 106th in 26:48, and fellow newcomer Joe Copploe placed 136th with a time of 27:15. Sean Finnerty placed 145th with a time of 27:25, and freshman Jake Lape finished nine spots back with a 154th-place time of 27:37.
On the women's side, Lauren Blase finished 162nd in 20:22, and Lisa Lee was 168th in 20:25. Madelyln McGhee finished 178th in 20:40, and Dawn Goodwin rounded out the scoring five with a 185th-place time of 20:50.
The Penguins will compete at the All-Ohio Championships next Friday at 2 p.m.

Men's Cross-Country

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Jake Lape Named Horizon League Athlete of the Week
Wednesday, September 26 2007

Indianapolis -- Youngstown State freshman Jake Lape has been named the Horizon League Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Lape, a native of Boardman, Ohio, finished 76th to lead the Penguins to their best-ever finish at the Iona Meet of Champions on Saturday.

He was one of three freshmen among YSU's five scoring runners. He covered the hilly 8K course at Van Cortlandt Park in 27:09.9 to lead the Penguins to a 10th-place finish.

Lape is the first YSU freshman to earn the league's weekly honor since Lisa Davies in 2003.

Cross-Country

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Young Men's Team Places 10th at Iona Meet of Champions
Monday, September 24 2007

Riverdale, N.Y. -- Freshman Jake Lape finished 76th and the Youngstown State men's cross country team tied its best-ever finish at the Iona Meet of Champions on Saturday morning.

Lape, a Boardman High graduate, was one of three freshmen among YSU's five scoring runners. He covered the hilly 8K course at Van Cortlandt Park in 27:09.9 to lead the Penguins to a 10th-place finish.

Lauren Blase led the women's team to a 16th-place finish with her 137th-place time of 25:59.4.

Sophomore Justin Dickman finished one spot behind Lape with a time of 27:11.1, and freshman Jim Ramson was 82nd with a time of 27;19.8. Dan Nemergut placed 93rd in 27:34.9, and freshman Joe Copploe was 124th with a time of 28:16.8.

Lape was 14th among freshman runners, and Ramson was 16th.

"The future of our distance squad is extremely bright with this group," head coach Brian Gorby said. "This local group of guys has a toughness about it that you can't measure."

For the women's squad, Dawn Goodwin was 143rd (26:13.1), Lisa Lee was 154th (26.33.6), Madelyn McGhee finished 156th (26:38.3) and Kelcie Witmer placed 157th (26:40.3).

Cross-Country

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New-Look Cross Country Squads Begin 2007 Campaign on Saturday
Saturday, September 8 2007

The Youngstown State cross country teams will have a new look and new philosophy when they begin their 2007 seasons on Saturday at the Tommy Evans Invitational on Saturday morning.

Although six runners return to the men's squad and seven return on the women's team, a total of 13 newcomers will make up half of each squad. Head Coach Brian Gorby is counting on that boost in numbers to provide the team depth that has been on the short side the past few seasons.

"This group of freshman may not quite be the most talented we've had come in, but it is definitely the hardest working class we've had in a long time," Gorby said. "They have a great commitment to excellence that we preach over and over. They're already ahead of the game in that aspect."

Not only will the new group add depth, it will deliver a local flavor to the program. Of the 13 newcomers, 12 are natives of Northeast Ohio and seven are from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

"I think this group shows our commitment of getting our distance program back to where it used to be." Gorby said.

"Just about all of the freshmen are local, so they have a passion to do well for YSU, and they understand what we're all about here."

According to Gorby, the teams' success will depend on finishing in a pack instead of having one or two runners place highly every week. Someone will have to step into the top role on both squads as each will be without its top runner from a year ago.

"Being young our goal is just to keep getting better and better every day," Gorby said. "With our added depth and the great attitude this group has, we're looking to have better results."

"Our future is definitely bright with the team we have in here," he added. "We demand hard work and success from them, and they demand it from themselves."



Men’s Outlook:

Sophomore Justin Dickman and senior R.D. Goodright headline the list of returning runners on the men's squad. Joining them will be three other scorers from the Horizon League Championships and two local incoming freshmen who are former state qualifiers.

Dickman was YSU’s top runner the first meet of the season and placed as the second runner in three other meets during the year. Goodright, a returning team captain, also scored in six meets and was YSU’s top finisher the final meet of the season and placed 36th at the Horizon League Championships.

"Justin definitely put in the training with one of the best summers that we've had here in a long time," Gorby said. "We'll look to R.D. for his leadership, and I think he's hungry to make a strong push his last year."
Junior and South Range High graduate Dan Nemergut scored in six meets last year, and sophomore Sean Finnerty finished in the scoring five three times, including the Horizon League Championships.

Newcomer Joe Copploe from McDonald High placed 25th in Division III at the state meet while Boardman High graduate Jake Lape finished 54th in Division I. Both local products will be counted on immediately to help solidify the team. Poland native Jim Ramson will join Scott Denham and Jake Dialesandro in completing the incoming class.
Gorby is planning on redshirting senior J.D. Sheppard, the only returning runner to score in every meet last year, and Harold Jones, but both will be ready to go if injuries plague the team.


Women’s Outlook:
The women’s squad will have five runners who scored in at least four meets apiece and a top incoming local athlete of its own.

Sophomore Lisa Lee, who was the only runner to finish in the scoring five during every meet last season, will provide a boost at the top for the women’s squad. She led the team the first two weeks of the season and placed second during the final five meets.

Juniors Madelyn McGhee and Amy Moore and sophomore Jennifer Roman all scored in six meets apiece and were among YSU’s top five runners at the Horizon League Championships. Sophomore Laura Yamsek also scored in the first four meets of the season, including finishing as YSU’s second runner during the first two weeks.

Freshman Kayla Witmer is a South Range High graduate who should step in and contribute right away. As a senior she finished 17th in the state in Division III, and she was the Northeast District champion.

"Kayla comes in with solid accolades and a training background unlike anyone we've had come in here for a while," Gorby said. "She's very disciplined in practice and the classroom."

McDonald graduate Courtney Dombroski also qualified for state and should help add depth. She'll be joined by South Range native Kelcie Witmer (Kayla's sister), Niles McKinley graduate Carlisle Henselman, Malin Heineking from Chardon High and sophomore Lauren Blase from Boardman High.

Cross-Country

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Seniors Close Out Careers at Great Lakes Regional
Sunday, November 12 2006

Bowling Green, Ohio -- Youngstown State senior cross country runners Marielle Glanz and Nick Kruse competed in their final collegiate meet Saturday at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
Glanz was the top finisher for the women's squad, placing 123rd overall with a 6K time of 23:45.33. Kruse placed 150th with a 10K time of 34:44.13.
R.D. Goodright was the top finisher for the men's squad placing 140th with a personal-best 10K time of 34:33.56, and Justin Dickman finished three spots back in 34:37.30. Dan Nemergut finished 165th in 35:10.46, and J.D. Sheppard closed out the scorers with a 175th-place time of 35:36.27. The Penguins had just a 1:03 gap between its top and fifth scorer.
Freshman Lisa Lee finished 185th in 25:43.62 in her first regional meet, and Madelyn McGhee placed three spots back in 25:47.07. Jen Roman placed 190th in 25:52.47, and Amy Moore closed out the scoring five with a 197th-place time of 26:04.54.

Cross-Country

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Seniors Kruse, Glanz Lead Teams at Horizon League Championships
Monday, October 30 2006

Indianapolis -- Youngstown State senior Nick Kruse finished 22nd with a time of 27:15.40 to lead the men's team to a fifth-place finish at the Horizon League Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Butler University.
Senior Marielle Glanz placed 28th in 20:18.70 to lead the women's squad to a sixth-place finish, a two-place improvement from the 2005 season.
"The women came through big get the program going back in the right direction," head coach Brian Gorby said. "The men did a great job with strong kicks to keep moving up during the race."
Butler swept the championships for the fifth consecutive season, and seven Bulldogs placed in the top 11 spots in the men's race.
Dan Nemergut finished second for the men's squad in 24th-place with a time of 27:20.45 while J.D. Shepperd finished 32nd in 27:41.10. R.D. Goodright placed 36th in 27:48.15, and freshman Sean Finnerty placed 44th in 28:01.95.
On the women's side, freshman Lisa Lee finished 39th in 21:07.50, and Madelyn McGhee placed 43rd in 21:27.15. Amy Moore finished 45th with a time of 21:32.00, and freshman Jen Roman placed 53rd in 21:53.35.
The Penguins will compete at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.

Cross-Country

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Kruse's Fourth-Place Finish Highlights Performances at Falcon Invite
Monday, October 16 2006

Bowling Green, Ohio -- The Youngstown State men's cross country team finished fifth behind a season-best time from senior Nick Kruse at the Falcon Invitational on Saturday.
Kruse finished fourth overall and third among collegiate runners with an 8K time of 25:41.10 for the men, who finished ahead of Horizon League opponents Detroit and Wright State in YSU's final meet before the league championship in two weeks. UW-Milwaukee finished one spot ahead in fourth by 23 points.
Senior Marielle Glanz led the women's squad past Wright State, Detroit and Cleveland State with a 72nd-place time of 19:58.82.
Behind Kruse, R.D. Goodright ran a personal-best time of 26:26.37 to finish 18th, and Dan Nemergut placed 44th in 26:56.24. Freshman Justin Dickman placed 53rd with a time of 27:06.43, and J.D. Sheppard placed 68th in 27:19.33.
Kruse was the top Horizon League finisher, and Goodright was the third league runner across the line.
Freshman Lisa Lee was the second Penguins finisher on the women's side with a 100th-place time of 20:41.20, and Amy Moore placed one spot back in a personal-best 20:46.44. Madelyn McGhee ran a personal-best time of 20:50.57 to place 106th, and Jen Roman finished 148th in 21:37.44.