By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Lloyd Young has always wanted to serve his country.

That's why the Saint John's University sophomore cross country runner enlisted in the Minnesota Air National Guard after his graduation from Bloomington (Minn.) Kennedy High School in 2019.

His father, Jacob Young, is a Master Sergeant who has spent 19 years in the National Guard himself - a career arc his son thinks he might follow as well.

But when it comes to the way Lloyd is able to successfully navigate his extremely busy schedule … well … that just might be his mother's influence at work.

"Growing up, my Mom (Cynthia Young) was kind of a drill sergeant in her own realm," Lloyd said with a laugh. "She kept me pretty organized and on-task. So I was already pretty good at staying disciplined even before I joined the military."

And those skills have only grown since. 

Young, who did not enroll at Saint John's until the start of the spring semester of the 2019-20 school year because of his Air National Guard duties, is a member of the Johnnies' cross country and track and field teams.

He also continues to attend National Guard drill each month, working as an Air Transportation Journeyman with the 133rd Airlift Wing based out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. And he's an accounting and finance major who maintains a 3.91 GPA and still finds time to attend meetings of the finance club on campus.

"It just comes down to organization and completing a plan," he said. "It may be a plan you actually write down, or it may be one you come up with on the fly. But structure is a huge thing.

"Building some structure into your daily life will take you a long way."

Young, a two-time individual qualifier for the Class 2A state high school cross country meet, earned All-State honors as a senior in 2018. He arrived at SJU in time to run distance for the Johnnies during the indoor track and field season in early 2020. But the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the outdoor season that year.

COVID also forced the cancellation of the cross country season last fall. And while Young was able to run track last spring, he had not competed at a cross country meet since his senior year at Bloomington Kennedy.

But he shook off any rust he had quickly, winning the season-opening Saint John's 4-Mile Triangular on Sept. 4 in a time of 20:49. Then, after missing the St. Olaf Invitational on Sept. 18 because of drill, he returned to lead his team by finishing second out of 108 runners in a time of 25:40 at the Hamline Invitational on Oct. 1.

He'll next compete at the Jim Drews Invitational hosted by Wisconsin-La Crosse at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15 in West Salem, Wis. He will be the lone Johnnie competing at the meet. The rest of his teammates compete Friday at Crown's St. Boni Invitational in St. Bonifacius and at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Saturday in Oregon.

But Young again has drill to complete and could not make that trip.

"Especially at his age, Lloyd is incredibly mature," Johnnie head coach Tim Miles '76 said. "He has an even temperament and he is consistent and patient. As a runner and as a racer, he knows when to settle in and he knows when it's time to go hard.  

"We are fortunate to have him, and I predict more good things."

Young is hoping those good things include placing highly at the MIAC Championship Meet on Oct. 30 in Northfield, with an eye on the NCAA North Regional on Nov. 13 in Colfax, Wis., and hopefully the Division III national meet on Nov. 20 in Louisville, Ky.

"It would be huge if I was fortunate enough to go to nationals this season," he said. "But that's certainly not something that's in the bag. I still have a lot of work to do to make that happen.

"It's definitely something I'm aiming for though."