Salem runners help Penguins win Horizon League
FORT WAYNE, Indiana — Every Youngstown State University cross country meet is like a Salem High School reunion.
Four former Quakers helped the YSU women’s cross country team capture their second-ever Horizon League title Saturday and the first since 2014.
Freshman Maggie Hopple, sophomore Megan Stafford, senior Molly Hopple and graduate student Carly Hall were key contributors in the Youngstown State victory.
YSU won with 54 points, while host Purdue Fort Wayne was second with 74 points in the 11-team field.
The women’s 6K race was held at the Mastodon Cross Country Course.
Maggie Hopple finished 18th out of 119 runners in 21 minutes, 49.0 seconds, followed by Megan Stafford in 21st (21:52.8), Molly Hopple 39th (22:29.4) and Carly Hall in 63rd (22:51.5).
Another Salem graduate, Oakland (Mich.) freshman Maggie Hall, Carly’s sister, was at the meet but did not run. She expects to be red-shirted this season.
The Hopple’s younger sister, Addison, is a freshman standout on the Salem girls cross country team and helped the Quakers to a sixth-place finish at the state meet in Columbus also on Saturday.
The Crissman sisters from Minerva ran for Cleveland State in the Horizon League Championships.
Freshman Annabelle Crissman was 56th (22:46.9), freshman Kayla Crissman was 70th (22:59.9) and senior Madeline Crissman was 119th (26:01.2).
The Youngstown State men won their fourth straight Horizon League cross country title with 50 points. Oakland (Mich.) placed second with 92 points.
Local participants in the 108-runner men’s field on the 8K course were Youngstown State junior Connor Shingleton from Minerva in 36th (24:57.8) and Wright State freshman Emmitt Slabach from South Range in 37th (24:58.7).
The Penguins will compete in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships on Nov. 14, at the Angel Mounds Cross Country Course in Evansville, Indiana.


