Alex Young Throws 20.68 m in the Weight Throw, Second Furthest at Virginia Tech Final Qualifier
March 02, 2013 | Track & Field
Blacksburg, Va. - Freshman Alex Young competed in the men's weight throw at Saturday's Virginia Tech Final Qualifier with the hopes of earning a bid to next weekend's 2012-13 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Young (LaVergne, Tenn.) threw 20.68 m (67' 10.25") in the event, the second furthest of the day behind Penn State junior Will Barr's (21.29 m). The performance from the Runnin' Bulldog freshman, the second best distance of his career, was just .04 m shy of his personal best 20.72 m achieved at last weekend's Big South Indoor Championships.
Young won the event last weekend to earn his first Conference title.
Adding drama to Young's emergence in the last two meets is the fact that Young came into Saturday's Final Qualifier ranked 16th nationally in the weight throw event. The top 16 distances in the men's weight throw earn a chance to compete at 2012-13 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (March 8-9, Fayetteville, Ark.).
A host of athletes on the bubble of the Top 16 threshold for the men's weight throw were present Saturday at the Virginia Tech Final Qualifier. In addition to Young (16th, 20.72 m), Penn State's Barr entered the weekend ranked 15th at 20.87 m, Kent State's Matthias Tayala was tied for 17th at 20.67 m, Virginia Tech's Denis Mahmic ranked 29th at 19.94 m, and South Florida's Jared Thomas went into Saturday's Qualifier ranked 34th in the weight throw.
Barr, who was already ranked ahead of Young entering Saturday, was the only thrower to eclipse Young's 16th best 20.72 m at the Virginia Tech Final Qualifier.
In South Bend, Indiana, East Carolina's Montrell Morrow, who entered the weekend ranked 28th in the men's weight throw at 19.95 m, threw 21.00 m on Friday evening at the 2013 Alex Wilson Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame University. Morrow's season best throw bumps GWU's Young back to No. 17 in the NCAA Division I men's weight throw rankings.
Young also competed in the men's shot put on Saturday, throwing 15.97 m in the event.
Stay tuned to GWUSports.com for more information.
