July 16, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Cory Young, who was named the 2011 Division II National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, has been named an assistant coach for the University of Kentucky track and field team, head coach Don Weber announced Saturday. Young will coach the throwing events for the Wildcats.
“We are very excited to have Cory join our track and field staff,” Weber said. “I have had great appreciation for his work at Grand Valley State both as a recruiter and a coach, and we look forward to him bringing that same enthusiasm, work ethic and results to Kentucky.”
Young comes to UK after five years at Grand Valley State as the throws coach, where the Lakers won the 2011 NCAA Division II National Indoor Track & Field Championships. During his tenure with GVSU, Lakers throwers made an impact at the national level, totaling 33 All-America honors and four national champions.
The GVSU women throwers accounted for 34 of the Lakers’ 82.5 points at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 30 of the 83 points at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. GVSU won national titles in the shot put and hammer throw in outdoor competition and took first and second place in shot put at indoors. Young’s throwers scored 55 points at the outdoor Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.
Young said he believes the UK throws group can continue to develop and add student-athletes who will compete at the national championships each year.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to join the UK track and field family,” Young said. “Kentucky has a strong tradition of throwers and I look to continue that success. I plan to bring that same passion and excitement to the program while continuing to add depth to the throwers. I really think we’ll be able to do some big things in the near future.”
During the 2010 indoor campaign at GVSU, school records were set in the women’s weight throw and men’s and women’s shot put. During the 2010 outdoor campaign, Lakers throwers continued to excel with nine throwers advancing to the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships and three student-athletes earning All-America status.
Before arriving at Grand Valley State, Young was formerly the throws coach at perennial national contender Western State College. In one year, Young had two female freshman throwers compete at Outdoor Nationals and his student-athletes broke numerous school records and rewrote the top-10 lists.
While at Western State, Young also managed and coordinated events at the school’s conference center. Some of Young’s other duties included creating and implementing workouts for the throwers, consulting with other events coaches with their workouts, and teaching weight training courses in the spring.
Young graduated from the University of Indianapolis in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. As an athlete, Young was a two-time All-American in the weight throw and was also a two-time outdoor national qualifier in the hammer and discus.
For all track and field news, go to UKathletics.com and follow Kentucky track and field on Twitter at @KentuckyTrack.
