JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Junior Joe Young (Dorchester, Mass.) of the UMass Lowell men's track and field team competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA East Preliminaries on Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Young qualified for the meet after a successful 2023 outdoor season, punching his ticket with a personal-best 8:52.95 mark at the Penn Relays on April 27. In Friday's race, he earned an 40th-place finish, crossing the finish line with a time of 9:16.46, missing out on an NCAA Championship bid and ending his fantastic season. 

"Joe put himself in a position to qualify for the majority of the race," said Head Coach Gary Gardner. "Then the field made a big move he wasn't able to cover. This will be a great learning experience for him. This being his sophomore year of eligibility gives him two more chances to advance."

This spring, he found his rhythm in the steeplechase, first competing in the event at the Raleigh Relays (8:59.78), and improving on his time in his next two races. At the Larry Ellis Invitational, Young came in at 8:55.35, before running that personal-best race at the Penn Relays. Young then went on to dominate at the 2023 America East Outdoor Championships, winning the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 9:04.99, as well as becoming the America East 5K Individual Champion with a 14:39.69 mark. 

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 27 marks the final day of the NCAA East Preliminaries, and both graduate student Izzy Giesing (Bradford, Vt.) and senior Kenzie Doyle (Swansea, Mass.) will compete for the second time this week. Giesing will take part in the 800m quarterfinals after advancing on Thursday, and Doyle will run the 5K, just two days after qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 10K.