Penguin Track & Field History
Competitive men’s track and field began at Youngstown State as long ago as 1950 but around 1990 is when the Penguins started fielding much more competitive teams. On the men’s side, the Penguins captured YSU’s first-ever Horizon League Championship winning the indoor championship in 2003.
The team is coache by Brian Gorby. Coach Gorby was an All-American while student at YSU, and has never left. In In his 19 seasons as head coach, Gorby has led the women's program to 12 conference championships and the men to six league titles. He also directed the men's squad to the Mid-Continent Conference Triple Crown in the 1996-97 season as the team won the league title in cross country and both the indoor and outdoor track titles. On the individual level, he has produced one All-American, 14 national qualifiers, seven junior national qualifiers and 40 NCAA Regional qualifiers. He has also won 17 Coach-of-the-Year Awards.
The Youngstown State cross country and track and field programs have enjoyed 18 conference championships since 1994. Starting with the 1994 men's cross country championship, the Penguins captured eight Mid-Continent Conference titles in a four-year span. Included in that dominating run was a sweep of the cross country, indoor and outdoor crowns by the men's team during the 1996-97 academic year.
Only once, in the past 12 years, have the Penguins finished outside of the top-4 teams in the indoor season; while doing the same only twice outoors. In that same time period, the Guins have had one championship and 10 runner-up finishes.
Other championships won the by the men include the 1997 Mid-Continent Conference outdoor crown and the 1997 Mid-Con Indoor title. Only twice have the Penguins finished out of the top five in the championship standings since 1992 in indoor and outdoor conference championship meets combined. In 2003, Kurt Michaelis was an NCAA Indoor All- American in the mile. YSU has had three male NCAA National indoor meet qualifiers in school history – Michaelis in 2003, Kofi Owusu Ansah in 2000 and Paul Carter in 1998. In 2001, Youngstown State hosted the Mid-Continent Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Prepared by YSU Sports Information Director Trevor Parks See below
