2023 Cross Country Roster

Courtney Vondracek
Courtney Vondracek
Courtney Vondracek
Peyton Bartsch

Nico Young

  • Class Junior
  • Hometown Camarillo, Calif.
  • High School Newbury Park High School
  • Major Exercise Science

Biography

2023: Competed in four meets this season...Placed second at the Nuttycombe Invitational with an 8K time of 23:26.1…Was the individual champion at the Big Sky Conference Championships with an 8K time of 22:49.9, earning All-Conference honors…Placed second at the NCAA Mountain Regional with a 10K time of 28:59.6 to earn All-Region honors…Placed sixth at the NCAA National Championship with a 10K time of 29:04.2.

2022: Member of the National Championship team...Competed at six meets this season…Finished second at the George Kyte Classic with a 4.5 mile time of 22:11.0…Finished second at the Nuttycombe Invitational with a time of 23:10.0…Placed fifth at the Cowboy Jamboree, running an 8K time of 23:24.4...Named Big Sky Athlete of the Week on Sep. 27 and Oct. 18…Won the individual title at the Big Sky Conference Championships, finishing first with a time of 22:31.5 to earn All-Conference honors…Won the individual title at the Mountain Regional with a 10K time of 28:01.8, earning All-Region honors…Placed second at the NCAA National Championships after running a time of 28:44.5, earning All-American honors.

2021: Member of the National Championship team...Earned All-Amercian honors with an 11th place finish at NCAA Championships (28:57.5)...Finished second at Mountain Regionals (29:40.8)...Placed second at Big Sky Championships (23:16.0)...Finished ninth at FSU Invite/Pre-Nat (23:12.4)...Placed fourth at Cowboy Jamboree (23:41.3).

2020-21 (COVID-19 Season): Member of the National Championship team...Earned All-American honors with a fourth place finish at NCAA Championships...Finished second at Battle Born Collegiate Challenge (22:30.8)...Placed at Silver State Collegiate Challenge (22:52.7).

High School: Ran a personal best 3,200-meter time of 8:40.00...Had a personal best time of 3:48.74 in the 1,500-meter...Ran a personal best 5K time of 13:50.55...Had a personal best indoor 3K time of 7:56.97...Ran a personal best time of 5:17.89 in the indoor 2K.

TF/XC Accomplishments: 2019-20 XC National Gatorade Player of the Year...2019-20 Track and Field National Gatorade Player of the Year...2019 NXN Champion...Arcadia 3200m Champion...Two-time California XC State Champion (2018 and 2019)...California 2019 3200m State Champion...National High School 3K and 2K Indoor record-holder...National XC 3-Mile record-holder...NXN course record-holder.

Why did you choose NAU?

I chose NAU because it provides the best training environment in the country to succeed in distance running. This includes the coaches, trails, altitude, and the team. NAU has the best coaches and training partners in the NCAA. The team is also very friendly and tight-knit. NAU has countless soft-surface trails and is at 7000ft; it is a beautiful place to live with good weather. Flagstaff is an inviting college town.

Academic: Majoring in Exercise Science.

Personal: Son of Lynne and Andrew...Brother to Lex and Leo...Birthday is July 27.

Historical Player Information

  • 2020Freshman

  • 2021Freshman

  • 2022Sophomore

  • 2023Junior