Nico Young is one of the top college distance runners in the country, and this weekend the out gay athlete is racing for two NCAA Division I National Championships.
Running in Boston, he just won the National Championship in the 5,000-meter. And then on Saturday he followed that up with a National Title in the 3,000-meter.
He won the 3k in a meet-record time.
Previously, Young was the top seed in the 5k headed into the Championships in Boston. He was also the 4-seed in the 3k. The two events were run on Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9.
Earlier this year, Young set the NCAA record in the 5,000 meter with a time of 12:57.17. He is the only college runner to ever break the 13-minute mark in the 5,000 meter. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed a title as every race is different.
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Last year, Young finished fourth in the 5k at the NCAA Championships.
Young came out publicly in 2022, saying that he had struggled with being gay, and that everyone should be accepted for who they are.
“I want and hope to be a representative and advocate for others like me,” Young said at t the time. “I want anyone who is struggling with who they are to know that you are never alone, and that the people who truly matter to you will always be there to love and support you.”
Regardless of the ultimate outcome at the National Championships in Boston this weekend, he has been an incredible representative of gay athletes everywhere during his time running for the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
Young is a multi-time All-American. He has been on the Lumberjacks’ National Championship cross-country team three times. They finished second to Oklahoma State last year. He has multiple personal top-10 finishes at the cross-country national championships.
