Clipper meet on tap

COLUMBIANA — The Clipper Invitational will be held Saturday at the Ward Athletic Complex.

Fifteen schools are entered including host Columbiana, Salem, South Range, West Branch and Western Reserve.

Action starts at 10 a.m. with the field events and the 3200-meter relay. The rest of the running events will start at 11:15 a.m. All will be timed finals.

The Ursuline boys and girls are the defending team champions.

YSU softball eliminated

YOUNGSTOWN — The top-seeded Youngstown State softball team had a rough time in the Horizon League tournament.

YSU lost for the second straight day and was eliminated while serving as tournament host.

The Penguins lost to fifth-seeded Green Bay, 2-0, Thursday and to third-seeded Robert Morris, 15-2, in five innings Friday at the YSU Softball Complex.

Robert Morris sophomore third baseman Mary Brant, a Poland High School graduate, singled in the Colonials’ five-run second inning that helped break the game open.

Youngstown State senior center fielder Bree Kohler, a South Range High School graduate, was hit by a pitch in the second inning and walked in the fourth inning in her two plate appearances.

The Penguins finish the season at 31-20.

Since 2021, the host team is 3-12 in the tournament, plus the No. 1 seed has not won the title since 2022.

Former Quakers compete for YSU

ROCHESTER, Mich. — It was like old times for five former Salem High School standout runners in Friday’s opening night at the Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Youngstown State sophomore Megan Stafford finished fourth in the women’s 10,000 meters final (36:37.37) at the Elaine Leigh Track and Field Complex..

Youngstown State senior Molly Hopple followed in 12th (37:24.06). Cleveland State freshman Annabelle Crissman from Minerva was 14th (37:31.52).

Robert Morris junior Julia Dill topped the 24-runner field in 35:08.21.

Youngstown State freshman Maggie Hopple, Molly’s sister, and senior Carly Hall and her sister, Oakland freshman Maggie Hall, all ran in the 1,500-meter preliminaries.

All three ran in different heats with Maggie Hopple taking second in her heat and fifth overall in 4:39.15.

The top 12 in the 34-runner women’s field advance to Sunday’s final at 12:20 p.m. YSU senior McKinley Fielding posted the top time in 4:32.79.

The Hall sisters did not advance. Carly Hall was fifth in her heat and 15th overall (4:47.81) and Maggie Hall 11th in her heat and 29th overall (5:01.19).

In the men’s 1,500 meters, YSU junior Connor Shingleton from Minerva reached the finals. He was second in his heat and seventh overall (3:56.70) out of 31 runners.

The men’s final will be at 12:10 p.m. Sunday.