It’s Double-Gold for Deja Young
Deja Young, a junior sprinter on Wichita State’s track
and field team, competed for the United States in this summer’s Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil —
and she brought home two gold medals.
Young, whose shoulder was disabled by an injury at birth, won the T47 200 meters and the T47 100 meters. “The success that I have obtained here at the Paralympics is absolutely amazing, and I am still in shock,” Young said
after her second win.
The Mesquite, Texas native added, “Hearing the national anthem with me on the podium for the second time was so much better. The camaraderie between the competitors was absolutely amazing. The competition is what motivated me the most.” The Wichita State All-American holds the American Record in the T47 100 meter classification — with a time of 11.92 set at the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Normal, Ill. — which is also a World Best time.
Young earned All-American honors as a freshman member of the Shockers’ 2015 4x100 meter relay team that finished 16th at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and also holds the WSU 4x100 meter relay record (44.30).
She was one of 47 athletes (30 male, 17 female), including four guides, that were named to the 2016 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Team in July, after the Team Trials. She was named to the U.S. National
Team in January.
Taylor Takes Silver
Wichita State was well represented at the Paralympic Games in Brazil: Nick Taylor ’04/05/07, along with his doubles wheelchair tennis partner David Wagner, won silver in quad doubles competition. Veterans of the sport, Taylor and Wagner are three-time Paralympic gold medalists: having won in 2004, 2008 and 2012. They have also won more than a dozen Grand Slam titles.
Former WSU Bowler Wins U.S. Open
Francois Lavoie ’15, who was a standout member of the Shocker bowling team from 2011 to 2015, rolled a perfect 300 game on television en route to his first-ever PBA title — the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nev.
Lavoie qualified as the No. 2 seed for the live telecast, which aired on CBS Sports. This was Lavoie’s first live telecast, but one could not tell by his even-keeled emotions.
“It was pretty exciting to qualify for my first live show,” he says. “We bowled pretty late, so I had all day to think about it. Nerves were definitely there during the show, but I really don’t think that’s a bad thing. I just reminded myself to stick to the process and focused on controlling my breathing.”
His first match was perfect, as he rolled 12 strikes and shot 300, the first one ever bowled on TV during the U.S. Open. It was Lavoie’s second 300 of the tournament. He earned a $10,000 bonus from Pepsi for shooting 300 on television.
“I try to approach every tournament the same,” he says. “I tend to not put any extra emphasis on one over the other. I think that helps with the nerves as well. After all, it is just bowling.”
“Francois has a unique set of mental and physical skills. It’s awesome to watch him use those to be successful. He is a special person, a special athlete, and we couldn’t be more proud of him!” head coach Gordon Vadakin says. Lavoie is the ninth alum of the Shocker Bowling program to win a PBA title. His was the 44th title won by players in the program.
— Wichita State Bowling
