Sterling graduate Marquise Young broke Rowan’s 60-meter hurdles record at the Villanova Invitational at Ocean Breeze with one of the fastest times in NCAA Division 3 history.
Young came into the meet with a PR of 8.02 from his season-opener at Ocean Breeze in early December. He ran 8.09 in the trials, 2nd-fastest behind Delaware State’s Jamie Shelton 8.07.
But in the finals, he broke eight seconds for the first time, edging Shelton 7.96 to 7.99.
Young broke the school record of 7.98 set by David Benjamin when he won the 2017 NCAA Division 3 title at the North Central Rec Center in Naperville, Ill.
The 7.96 is No. 12 on the all-time NCAA Division 3 list. Benjamin is No. 15. Rowan is one of three schools with three hurdlers under 8.00 seconds. Lincoln of Oxford Township, Chester County, Pa., and Washington of St. Louis are the others. Another Rowan hurdler, Bobby Cooks, ran 8.01 in 2018.
Young is No. 2 this year in NCAA Division 3, behind only Luke Schroeder of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who ran 7.92 in the trials of a meet on his home track. His time is No. 47 among all U.S. men.
Young is a seven-time All-America in the high hurdles, intermediate hurdles and various relays.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 