Hunter Christopher will be staying close to home next year as he embarks on his college career. The Salem senior informed MileSplit that he'll suit up for the Youngstown State Penguins beginning in the fall of 2020 for cross country and then distance track events during the 2021 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Christopher has put together an excellent XC campaign for the Quakers with four individual race victories and the establishment of a new personal best 5k time, 16:00.92. He's scheduled to be on the start line for the Division 2 contest this Saturday at the National Trail Raceway, which will mark his third consecutive appearance at the OHSAA State Championship meet.
In track, Christopher takes on all distance events, but his specialty is the 3200. He's made multiple trips to both the OATCCC Indoor State Championship and the OHSAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, highlighted by 2nd and 3rd place finishes during his junior year. In 2019, he was the runner-up indoor at the D2/D3 meet with a 9:29.88 clocking and the third athlete to cross the line outdoor in Division 2 due to a 9:34.16 effort.
MileSplit tracked down Hunter to gather his thoughts on the news -
"I chose YSU because of the success that the program has had, the coaches on staff, and the team in general. I really trust Coach Gorby and Coach Rupe and am confident that they can turn me into a successful collegiate runner. YSU has a history of recruiting successful athletes, many of them I had the chance to race or watched when I was a freshman. I felt that I just really fit in well with the team. It's very nice already knowing a couple of guys on the team and getting the opportunity to hang out with them. Having the Watts Center and an amazing outdoor track is a huge advantage and the other track facilities are unbeatable. My teammates and coaches, at Salem, really helped me throughout the process by being supportive and pushing me to be my best everyday."
Hunter Christopher's All-Time Bests -
High School
| Outdoor | |
| 800 Meter Run | 2:04.73 |
| 1600 Meter Run | 4:23.43 |
| 3200 Meter Run | 9:34.16 |
| Indoor | |
| 800 Meter Run | 2:11.30 |
| 1600 Meter Run | 5:06.21 |
| One Mile Run | 4:33.77 |
| 3200 Meter Run | 9:29.88 |
| CC | |
| 5000 Meter Run | 16:00.92 |
MileSplit caught up with Hunter earlier this season following his 1st place finish at the Malone Invite -
