Nico Young

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Nico Young
Young at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (2002-07-27) July 27, 2002 (age 22)
Home townCamarillo, California
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and Field
Events
University teamNorthern Arizona Lumberjacks
Coached bySean Brosnan
(2016-2020)
Michael Smith
(2020-Present)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Representing
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks/
Big Sky Conference
NCAA Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Stillwater Team Gold
Gold medal – first place 2021 Tallahassee Team Gold
Gold medal – first place 2022 Stillwater Team Gold
Silver medal – second place 2022 Stillwater 10 km
Silver medal – second place 2023 Charlottesville Team Silver
NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Boston 5000 meters
Gold medal – first place 2024 Boston 3000 meters
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team 4th place
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham 5000 meters
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Eugene 5000 meters
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Eugene 5000 meters

Nicolas Young (born July 27, 2002) is an American long-distance runner. He is a two-time NCAA champion having won both the 3000 m and 5000 m at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships while competing for Northern Arizona University. He also holds the collegiate records in the 5000 m (12:57.14) and 10,000 m (26:52.72), both set in 2024.[1] He came out as gay in 2022.[2]

Athletic career

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High school career

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Young ran for Newbury Park High School in Newbury Park, California. He broke the 3 mile cross country American high school record at the 2019 Woodbridge Invitational, running a time of 13:39.7,[3] and lowered the American high school indoor 3000m record (previously held by Drew Hunter), running a time of 7:56.91.[4] At the 2019 Nike Cross Nationals, Young won the race and set the course record with a time of 14:52[5] and led Newbury Park to the team victory. Young was named the 2019-20 XC National Gatorade Player of the Year[1] and the 2019-20 Track and Field National Gatorade Player of the Year.[1] He was the first to sweep both awards in the same season. His brother Leo picked up the California version of the Cross Country award in 2022. His senior season in 2020 was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His season amounted to time trials with his brothers and teammates.

Collegiate career

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2020–2021

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During the 2020 cross country season, Young placed 4th place at the 2020 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 29:58.3[6] at the 10 km distance, the highest a true freshman has placed since 2013. He set an American junior record in the 5000m at the 2021 Drake Relays with a time of 13:24.26.[7] With this time he qualified for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he ran 13:35.94 and finished 9th.[8]

2021–2022

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Later that year, Young placed 11th at the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 28:57.5, but he also would lower the American junior record in the indoor 5000m with a time of 13:22.59 at the BU Season Opener on December 4, 2021.

In 2022, Young placed 3rd in the 5000m and 7th in the 3000m at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.

On May 6, Young ran 13:11.30 at the Sound Running Track Meet in San Juan Capistrano, which is the fastest 5000m ever run by an American teenager and the 3rd fastest outdoor 5000m in collegiate history.[9] He would end up placing 3rd in the 5000m at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Young placed 8th in the 5000m, running a time of 13:19.15.

2022–2023

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During the 2022 cross country season, Young would set a 10 km personal best of 28:01 at the NCAA Division I Mountain Region Cross Country Championships on November 11, 2022, before placing 2nd at the 2022 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 28:44.5. Two weeks later, Young lowered his indoor 5000m personal best to 13:15.25 at the BU Season Opener on December 3, 2022, finishing 5th in a field of collegiate and professional runners.

2023–2024

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Young placed 6th at the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 29:04.2.

On January 26, 2024, at Boston University's John Thomas Terrier Classic, Young placed 2nd to Adrian Wildschutt's 12:56.76 in the men's 5000m White Heat, with a new personal best time of 12:57.14, defeating the 13:00.00 barrier, setting a new NCAA record, and hitting the Paris 2024 Olympics' qualifying standard of 13:05.00.[10][11][12]

On March 8, Young won his first NCAA individual title at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships over 5000m. His last three 200m laps were recorded at 28.47, 27.10, and 27.29 seconds, respectively.[13] He followed up the victory the next day with an NCAA title at 3000m in 7:41.01. North Carolina's Parker Wolfe finished second in both events, but was not within a second of Young in either.

Just one week after his double-gold performance at The Track at New Balance in Boston, Young made his debut in the 10,000 m on the track, competing at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano with the goal of achieving the Olympic qualifying standard of 27:00.00.[14] Finishing in second place behind American-record holder Grant Fisher, Young broke the collegiate record[15] of 27:08.49 set by Sam Chelanga, and hit the Olympic standard, running a time of 26:52.72.[16][17] Later that month, on March 25, Young announced he had signed an NIL deal with adidas.[18]

Two weeks after the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he placed second in the 5000m to Parker Wolfe, Young competed in the 10,000m at the Olympic trials. He out-kicked Drew Hunter to place third and qualify for the Olympic Games.[19][20] At the Olympics, he placed 12th in the 10,000 m in 26:58.11.[21]

Personal achievements

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High school personal bests

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Event Time Date Location Notes
Outdoor 800 m 2:06.8h April 23, 2018 Newbury Park, California
1600 m 4:07.33+ March 23, 2019 Azusa, California
Mile 4:08.82 March 23, 2019 Azusa, California
3000 m 8:11.02+ April 6, 2019 Arcadia, California
3200 m 8:40.00 April 6, 2019 Arcadia, California
5000 m 13:50.55 June 23, 2020 Portland, Oregon
Indoor 1500 m 3:58.64+ January 29, 2019 Boston, Massachusetts
Mile 4:14.92 January 26, 2019 Boston, Massachusetts
3000 m 7:56.97 February 8, 2020 New York City, New York High School Record
XC 3 miles 13:39.7 September 20–21, 2019 Norco, California Former High School Record
5 km 14:28.5 November 30, 2019 Fresno, California

College personal bests

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Event Time Date Location Notes
Outdoor 800 m 1:47.65 April 27, 2024 Tucson, Arizona
1500 m 3:37.75 April 15, 2022 Azusa, California
5000 m 13:11.30 May 6, 2022 San Juan Capistrano, California
10,000 metres 26:52.72 March 16, 2024 San Juan Capistrano, California Collegiate record
Indoor 800 m 1:54.21A January 21, 2022 Flagstaff, Arizona
Mile 3:56.00 January 29, 2022 Seattle, Washington
5000 m 12:57.14 January 26, 2024 Boston, Massachusetts Collegiate record
XC 8 km 22:30.8 February 9, 2021 North Las Vegas, Nevada
10 km 28:01.8 November 20, 2021 Albuquerque, New Mexico

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Nico Young - Track & Field". Northern Arizona University Athletics. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "College Runner Nico Young Comes Out As Gay in Emotional Instagram Post". www.out.com. September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  3. ^ Ochsner, Steve. "Best All-Time Boys Individual (SilverLakes course)". Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  4. ^ S, Rich; s. "High School 3000 Record Falls To Nico Young". Track & Field News. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "Nike Cross Nationals", Wikipedia, September 24, 2021, retrieved September 26, 2021
  6. ^ Curley, Joe. "Nico Young to complete memorable freshman collegiate year at Olympic Trials". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  7. ^ "Nico Young Posts Breakthrough Performance at Drake Relays". Northern Arizona University Athletics. April 23, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  8. ^ Newman, Eric. "Northern Arizona runner Nico Young reflects on freshman season". Arizona Daily Sun. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Mull, Cory (May 7, 2022). "Lex Young, Colin Sahlman Generate Historic 5K, 1,500 Efforts". MileSplit United States. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  10. ^ "Athletics track & combined events at Paris 2024: The entry standards".
  11. ^ "Track Scoreboard". live.lancertiming.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "Men's Indoor Collegiate Records". Track & Field News. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "NCAA Indoor Championships". flashresults.ncaa.com. NCAA.
  14. ^ "Sound Running's The TEN Sees Fastest 10,000m On U.S. Soil And 12 Runners Under Olympic Standard". March 17, 2024.
  15. ^ Nico Young Breaks Collegiate 10,000-Meter Record to Begin Outdoor Season Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
  16. ^ "Gebreselama and Fisher Highlight The TEN Sound Running with Record Breaking Performances | Watch Athletics".
  17. ^ Grant Fisher, Nico Young lead eight under Olympic 10,000 standard Daily Breeze
  18. ^ "Excited to Announce". Instagram. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "NAU Track & Field Sees Four All-American Performances on Third Day of National Championship Competition". Northern Arizona University Athletics. June 7, 2024.
  20. ^ "U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials: Grant Fisher punches ticket to Paris, Sha'Carri Richardson advances in 100 meters". NBC News. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  21. ^ "Men's 10,000 m Final Results". Olympics. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
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