Grambling, McLean Named Horizon League Athletes of the Year

by YSU

Monday, Mar 2, 2015 10:04 pm

Youngstown State junior sprinter Nina Grambling and junior distance runner Austin McLean were named the Horizon League's Track and Field Athletes of the Year.

Grambling is just the second YSU female Track and Field athlete to be named Athlete of the Year. She joins thrower Bethany Anderson who was a two-time recipient (2007-08).

McLean is the third YSU male Track and Field athlete to win the award and the second in as many years. Thrower Bobby Grace won the honor last year while Kurt Michaelis won the inaugural award in 2003.

Both Grambling and McLean had record-setting and Horizon League Championship winning years.

On Sunday, Grambling won the Horizon League title in the 60-meter dash and the 200m dash. She won the 60m with a time of 7.46 seconds and claimed first in the 200m at 24.50 seconds. In the prelims, she set a school and Horizon League Championships record in the 200m with a time of 24.43 seconds. She capped off a busy meet running the third leg on the 4x400-meter relay team that placed second and clinched the title for the Penguins. On Saturday, she placed second in the long jump with a leap of 5.59 meters.

She cleaned up winning awards at the Championships. Grambling received the Individual Scoring Champion Award, was named the Outstanding Female Track Athlete of the Meet and then named the top Female Athlete of the Year.

During the year, Grambling set the school record in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.47 seconds. She posted a top-pre HL meet of 24.47 seconds and had a career-best long jump of 5.72 meters prior the the league meet.

McLean won two events and placed second in a third at the recently concluded Horizon League Championships. He took first in the mile run with a time of 4:11.16 and won the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:19.98 on Sunday. He was second in the 5,000m behind teammate Eric Rupe on Saturday. For his efforts at the league meet, McLean was shared the Most Points Scored Award.

During the year he set the school record in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:10.45 on Feb. 14. He ran the second-fastest mile in YSU history on Feb. 21 (4:08.59). He was among the league leaders in the 800-meter run, mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000m throughout the entire campaign.

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