It was a day to remember for the Youngstown State men’s and women’s cross-country teams, as each program secured Horizon League titles at the Mastodon Cross Country Course in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Saturday.

It was the first time in school history that YSU has won men’s and women’s cross-country titles in the same year.

The men won their fourth-consecutive Horizon League Cross Country title, becoming just third program in conference history to achieve that feat, joining Notre Dame (1988-1994) and Butler (2002-2011). The Penguins had 50 points, while Oakland placed second, totaling 92 points, and IU Indianapolis finished third with 99 points.

The women won their second Horizon League title in program history, and first since 2014. The Penguins had 54 points, followed by Purdue Fort Wayne with 74 points, and Oakland with 79.

The men’s 8K kicked off the day’s festivities, and the Penguins were led by Horizon League Men’s Freshman of the Year, Patrick Burgos. He placed fourth individually with a time of 23:55.7. The Penguins placed six runners in the top 20, as Blaze Fichter finished sixth (24:00.2), Tobias Jones placed 10th (24:09.7), Sage Vavro was 11th (24:15.0), Owen Brady finished 19th (24:33.8), and Brock Farris rounded out the top 20 right behind Brady, clocking a time of 24:36.3. Ethan Cope was the next Penguin to cross the finish line in 27th place with a time of 24:41.7, while Josh Jones finished right behind him in 28th, clocking a time of 24:43.0. Connor Singleton placed 36th (24:57.8), Beau Gorby finished 46th (25:14.4), Zac Haley placed 49th (25:17.1), and Thomas Hunyadi rounded out the Penguin men with a time of 26:42.3, placing 95th.

The women’s 6K race was next, as McKinley Fielding etched her name in program history, placing first with a time of 20:10.9, which breaks her old program record by 30 seconds, and was 36 seconds quicker than the second-place finisher.

Fielding became just the second YSU female to win a Horizon League XC title, joining Morgan Cole, who was victorious in 2022. Caleigh Richards was the next Penguin to cross the finish line, placing sixth with a time of 21:08.5, while Jenna Razavi finished closely behind her in ninth with a time of 21:16.8. Freshman Maggie Hopple finished 18th with a time of 21:49, while Megan Stafford placed 21st, clocking a time of 21:52.8, and Lillian Katsaras finished 24th with a time of 21:55.0. Karis McElhaney wrapped up her first conference championship meet with a 36th-place finish, clocking a time of 22:26.7, while Molly Hopple finished in 39th with a time of 22:29.4. Kenzy Beckett finished 50th (22:39.0), Lauren Runion placed 58th (22:47.7), Carly Hall placed 63rd (22:51.5), and Linsey Plant rounded out the Penguin women with a time of 22:57.3, finishing in 67th place.