ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Northwestern Oklahoma State University is announcing the return of men's track and field to Ranger Athletics. The men's program has been dormant since 1996 and will end a 27 year hiatus when they begin competition in the Spring of 2024.
With this addition, current Assistant Coach for women's track and field, Derrick Young, Jr., has been tabbed to lead this new era in men's track and field at Northwestern.
This will make a total of 13 NCAA Division II teams across Ranger Athletics with six teams on the men's side and seven teams on the women's side. The Rangers also compete in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) on both the women's and men's side. The men's track and field program will join the other 12 Ranger programs and compete out of the Great American Conference.
"I would like to thank Mr. Franz and Dr. Hannaford for entrusting me with this position it is such an honor. Northwestern is dear to me having family participate on the national championship football team in 1999. I'm humbled to have the opportunity to create that winning culture and environment again from scratch. In 1995 and 1996 the men's track and field program were back to back OIC champions so the standard has been set. We will establish winning ways in the classroom, and community that will translate to our sport and continue with that tradition," stated Young.
Young has been with the Rangers since the Spring of 2022. In two seasons, Young has been an integral part of the program as the program has produced two Great American conference champions in 100m and 200m sprints, a conference runner up in the long jump and NCAA Division II National provisional qualifier, and two 3rd place 4x100 meter relays in 2022 and 2023. The Ranger sprinters have been nationally ranked in the top 25 the entire 2023 outdoor season reaching as high as 18th. With his assistance the program has produced 12 first team all-conference, 15 second team all-conference, and 10 honorable mention athletes. 122 personal records have been set and 20 school records.
Stated President Dr. Bo Hannaford, "I'm very excited about Coach Derrick Young leading our men's track and field program. I believe he will bring in student-athletes who will compete soon within the GAC conference. With the success of our women's program, this was an exciting decision to bring back the program."
"I am very happy to have Coach Young head up our new men's track and field program. His work ethic and coaching skill was evident early on and when we made the decision to restart the program here, he was an easy choice. He is knowledgeable and understands the track world and is very well connected. He did an outstanding job assisting our women's program grow and be as successful as we have been. He is a fantastic recruiter and one of the hardest workers I have been around. He will grow the program and its student-athletes as young adults, academically in the classroom and champions in the sport," stated Franz.
Young came to Northwestern after spending four seasons at NCAA Division II Bemidji State University (BSU) where he made an immediate impact in recruiting and coaching sprinters. During that four year span, they had multiple sprinters ranked top 13 in America from 2018-2020 USTFCCCA event squad rankings. Young coached Sprinter Venice Stewart to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) All Conference status in 2018. Stewart was the first BSU athlete since 2012 to garner those honors and was also the first BSU athlete since 2011 to run at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships. Young coached six NCAA provisional mark athletes in sprints (100m, 200m, 4x100 meter relay) and oversaw 14 school records and 80 personal records. Bemidji improved in team standings from 15th place to 7th from 2017 to 2019 and had their highest finish of 6th place in 2021 at the NSIC Indoor Championships.
Prior to BSU, Young was the head cross country track and field coach at Salem International University. During his tenure, he completed sponsorship for the cross country season after starting the program.
Young spent two seasons at Notre Dame College of Ohio where he was the recruiting coordinator and coached sprints, hurdles, jumps, and in charge of fundraising and academics. Young helped build a roster of almost 100 student-athletes. That recruiting class saw one of the most decorated athletes in school history Toure McCully. McCully was a 2x Division II All-American (60 meter hurdles and 110 meter hurdles) and Mountain East Conference Athlete of the Year in 2016. Young coached seven NCAA provisional mark athletes, four Mountain East Conference Champions (2) high jump, (2) 400 hurdles and one Mountain East Conference Cross Country Champion. 85 Athletes set personal records and 15 school records were broken.
Young spent one year at Tiffin University as a graduate assistant for facilities, intramural sports, and recruiting for the track and field team. The men finished 5th at the 2014 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships and saw the school's first National Champion. That season saw 10 All-Americans and 20 conference champions.
Young is USATF Level One certified in Sprints, Hurdles, and Jumps.
Young graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business in 2013 from Tiffin University. He competed for the nationally ranked Dragons for two seasons in sprints. Young also was all-region sprinter and a member of a nationally ranked 4x100 relay at Kentucky State University for two seasons. In 2014, he graduated with his MBA in Sports Management from Tiffin University. He currently resides in Alva, Oklahoma.
For the latest news and updates on NWOSU Men's Track and Field, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com.
