University of Richmond Athletics
Young Earns Spot On USA Junior National Team; Will Compete In World Junior Championships In Beijing
06/25/2006 | Women's Track & Field
June 24, 2006
Results
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Richmond freshman Jessica Young will be competing for the Team USA at the World Junior Track & Field Championships to be held in Beijing, China, Aug. 15-20.
Young earned a spot on Team USA's 4x400 relay team and will be an alternate on the 4x100 relay team after her performance at the 2006 USA Junior National Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday. She broke her school record in the 400-meter dash for the second time in as many days to place fourth in the finals of the event on Saturday. Young also finished sixth in the 200, also breaking her own school record in both the preliminaries and finals.
"Obviously we are ecstatic for Jessica," Richmond head coach Lori Taylor. "She is getting an incredible opportunity to travel with the U.S. team to Beijing. She just gave an amazing effort for a freshman to be one of the top 200 and 400 meter girls in the country."
The Columbia, S.C. native ran a 53.49 in the preliminaries of the 400 on Friday, which was the third-fastest time heading into the finals. She returned Saturday to run a 53.39 in the finals, which put her fourth.
Young won her preliminary heat of the 200 dash on Friday, breaking her school record with a time of 23.63, which was the sixth-fastest time entering the finals. Later in the day Friday, after competing in the preliminaries of the 400 dash, Young returned to run the 200 in 23.50, breaking her school record again on the way to finishing sixth in the event.
After just one year at Richmond, Young has her name alongside seven school records, including both the 4x400 indoor and outdoor relays and the 4x100 outdoor. She owns individual records in the 200 and 400 outdoors, and the 60, 200 and 400 indoors.
