Candy Young became synonymous with the hurdles
almost immediately upon entering competition as a high school
freshman in 1977. That year, she gained notoriety when she broke the
existing junior Olympic record, not once, but twice in the same day.
The following year, she took fifth out of a field of 24 world class
hurdlers at Madison Square Garden in New York. She became an
international sensation when she broke the 60 meters hurdle record,
also at MSG, with a time of 7.5 seconds. Candy was named the
nation's Most Outstanding High School Athlete in 1979. A
Pennsylvania state champ in her specialty each year she competed,
Candy qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team but she and
her teammates were unable to compete because of a boycott imposed on
the games in Moscow by President Carter. Candy maintained world
class status during her All American career at Farleigh-Dickinson
University. In 1982, she and Stephanie Hightower finished in a dead
heat in the 60 meter hurdles, both establishing a world indoor mark
of 7.38 seconds. In 1984, she capped her collegiate career by
winning the NCAA Indoor Hurdles championship. Candy
maintained her contact with track and she coached for three years at
Farleigh-Dickinson and three years at Seton Hall.
Candy Young became synonymous with the hurdles
almost immediately upon entering competition as a high school
freshman in 1977. That year, she gained notoriety when she broke the
existing junior Olympic record, not once, but twice in the same day.
The following year, she took fifth out of a field of 24 world class
hurdlers at Madison Square Garden in New York. She became an
international sensation when she broke the 60 meters hurdle record,
also at MSG, with a time of 7.5 seconds. Candy was named the
nation's Most Outstanding High School Athlete in 1979. A
Pennsylvania state champ in her specialty each year she competed,
Candy qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team but she and
her teammates were unable to compete because of a boycott imposed on
the games in Moscow by President Carter. Candy maintained world
class status during her All American career at Farleigh-Dickinson
University. In 1982, she and Stephanie Hightower finished in a dead
heat in the 60 meter hurdles, both establishing a world indoor mark
of 7.38 seconds. In 1984, she capped her collegiate career by
winning the NCAA Indoor Hurdles championship. Candy
maintained her contact with track and she coached for three years at
Farleigh-Dickinson and three years at Seton Hall.