Although Friday’s meet may be an icebreaker event, Ohio will stay warm for its first indoor track meet of the season.
The Bobcats will take the track against 14 teams from throughout Ohio and neighboring states at the Youngstown State College Invitational on Friday afternoon.
Senior Juli Accurso looks to bring her cross country attitude to the track after finishing 19th at the NCAA Nationals race for the Bobcats.
Accurso looks to finish what she started. She was a standout in cross country this year and looks to stand at the top of the podium in track this season. After finishing fourth last season in the 3000-meter race at the Meyo Invitational, she will look to gain a podium spot this year in Youngstown.
She raced a season-best time of 9:32.92 last year and hopes to maintain her positive streak running another season best time.
Also running with Accurso will be sophomore Caroline Hildebrand. Last year at the Youngstown State National Invitational, Hildebrand set a personal best of 11:03.49 in the 3000-meter and a personal-best of 19:34.08 in the 5000-meter. She will look to capitalize on the meet this season to continue her hot streak.
Also looking to gain a podium spot this season is junior runner Chanda Cuckle, who after finishing fourth in the Mid-American Conference indoor meet in high jump will look to jump her way up to the top. Last time Cuckler was in Youngstown, not only did she win the pentathlon, but she also set a personal best time.
Accompanying Cuckler in their season debut are freshman Taylor Smith and Hailee Canna, along with sophomore Haylee Stegemiller.
During her freshman year, Stegemiller placed first in 800-meter, fifth in the high jump and shot put, eighth in the 60-meter hurdles and tenth in the long jump giving her a seventh place finish in the pentathlon. Stegemiller will look to continue to improve as the new season reaches its beginning.
The Penguins will host Ohio, as well as Notre Dame College, Robert Morris, Slippery Rock, Duquesne, Clarion, Washington & Jefferson, Waynesburg, Indiana (PA), Thiel, Buffalo State, Ursuline and Westminster.
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