Feels good to be Young

By David Felton, On-line Forty-Niner

May 6,1998

 

Lewis Young is no stranger to the competitive world of track and field. At present, the Cal State Long Beach sprinter is ranked third in the state and second in the conference. Young is moving at great speeds toward his goals.

 

Young competes in the 100-, 200-, and 400- meter runs, and is part of the 49er team in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

 

He was on fire last weekend at the Steve Scott Track and Field Invitational at UC Irvine, placing first in four events. But that just scrapes the surface of his crowning achievements.

 

At 21, Young has won more awards than he has wall space to hang them.

 

He holds the CSULB indoor record and freshman outdoor school record in the 400. In 1996, Young was the Big West Conference outdoor champion in the 400, and the 400 indoor champion in 97 and 98.

 

Between ages 12 and 16, he won the National Team Cross Country Award four times. And the list goes on.

 

"With Young's marks, anywhere else in the world he would be a champion," Track Coach Andy Sythe said. "Young represents the (best) attributes of athletes at the Olympic or U.S. National level."

 

Young has been polishing his athletic skills since he was in elementary school. His mother is a former marathon runner. One day, for the fun of it, Lewis decided to run. The rest is history.

 

When Young was just starting, he was a distance runner. He started with 10K races, then went down to the 5K, and 1500-meter races, and eventually down to the sprints.

 

"I guess I just got lazy," he jokingly suggested.

 

At Redlands High School, Young's track team was ranked seventh in the state.

 

At 19, Young missed qualifying for the Olympic Trials by just .03 of a second.

 

Young attributes a big part of his present success and progress to track and field assistant coach Donna Waller.

 

"She has helped me to be a faster runner," Young said. "I see track in a different light; I feel faster."

 

Waller has qualified as a hurdler for the Olympic trials, and was a two-time All-American hurdler at Colorado.

 

"I feel better having a coach who's been where I want to be and has accomplished the things I want to accomplish," Young said

 

Young is a senior finance major. He said he is not ready to graduate yet; he has one more year of track to complete.

 

The future is bright for this up-and-coming star, and Young is focused and determined. He plans on someday participating in the Olympics or World Championships.

 

He tries not to dwell on it though.

 

"If I think about something to much," Young said nonchalantly. "I seem to lose."

 

Breaking mental barriers is Young's number-one goal.

 

" (His) physical progress has superseded his mental progress," Waller said. "When it comes together, he will meet all of his expectations."