GREENSBORO, N.C. — University of South Carolina rising sophomore KD Young added to her impressive junior résumé Wednesday night as she captured the shot put title in the women’s 17-18 division at the 2018 USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships. It was Young’s fourth-career National Junior Olympic victory in the shot put.

Young dominated the competition, taking the lead after the first round with a throw of 13.72m (45-0 ¼), and she never trailed. The Decatur, Ill., native posted the four best attempts of the competition and finished with a high watermark of 15.24m (50-0), nearly three feet clear of second place.

On Monday, Young competed in the hammer throw at the National Junior Olympics, finishing second with a mark of 50.89m (166-11). She’ll finish her run in Greensboro Friday when she competes in the discus.

Young’s first season at the collegiate level was a strong one. She finished as a Freshman All-SEC selection indoors and outdoors in the shot put, and she earned a spot at the NCAA East Regional Championships. She won the shot put at three regular-season events and moved into Carolina’s all-time top-10 in both the shot put and the hammer.

The Junior Olympic Championships is the second national meet of the summer for Young. In June, she finished fourth in the shot put and ninth in the hammer at the USATF Junior National meet in Indiana.

Hammer Throw 17-18
2. KD Young 50.89m | 166-11

Shot Put 17-18
1. KD Young 15.24m | 50-0