As part of Allen Community College’s first Athletic Hall of Fame class, the Iola Register is featuring a biography of each inductee.
Isiah Young, Track and field
Isiah Young competed for the Red Devils track team in 2009 and 2010, earning numerous accolades throughout his collegiate career.
During the 2009 indoor season, he became the conference and region champion in the 60-meters and the conference champion in the 200 meters. He earned All-Region honors in the 200m and was named an All-American in the 60m. In the outdoor season that year, Young achieved All-Conference and All-Region status in both the 100m and 200m. He also earned All-American honors in the 4x100m relay and the 100m.
In the 2010 indoor season, Young continued his success by earning All-Conference and All-Region honors in the 60m and 200m, while once again being named an NJCAA All-American in the 60m. During the outdoor season, he claimed conference titles in both the 100m and 200m and was named an All-American in the 100m dash.
After his time at Allen, Young transferred to the University of Mississippi, where he continued to shine. He won the SEC championship in the 200m, broke the school record, and placed 4th in the 200m at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships. That same year, he competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials, finishing third in the 200m to secure a spot on the U.S. team for the London Olympics. At the Olympics, he advanced to the semifinals in the 200m, a race ultimately won by Usain Bolt.
Following his Olympic debut, Young pursued a professional career in track and field, achieving remarkable milestones, including running a sub-10-second 100m with a personal best of 9.89 seconds.
Kaitlyn Shoemaker, Track and Cross Country
Kaitlyn Shoemaker competed for the Red Devils cross country and track teams from 2015 to 2017, earning numerous accolades.
In the 2015 cross-country season, Shoemaker won the conference championship, placed third in the region, and finished 21st in the nation. She was named First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Region. Her leadership helped the team secure a conference title and finish 12th nationally.
During the 2016 outdoor season Shoemaker earned All-Conference, All-Region, and All-American honors in the 10,000 meters. She won both the conference and regional championships in the 10,000m and finished third nationally. Shoemaker also placed seventh in the 5,000 meters at nationals and was named a Coaches’ Association All-American.
During the 2016 cross country season, Shoemaker once again won the conference and finished second in the region. She placed ninth at the NJCAA Division I National Championships, earning All-American status. Additionally, she finished fourth in the half-marathon, securing another All-American honor. Her strong performances helped the team finish seventh in the nation in cross country and 4th in the half-marathon.
The 2017 indoor season was another successful chapter for Shoemaker. She claimed conference and regional titles in the 5,000m, 3,000m, and mile, earning All-Conference and All-Region recognition in all three events. At the NJCAA National Championships, she won the 5,000m and finished second in the 3,000m, earning All-American honors in both events. Her contributions helped the team finish 11th nationally.
In the 2017 outdoor season, Shoemaker earned All-Region and All-Conference honors in the 1,500m, placing second in both the conference and regional championships. She claimed the National Championship in the 10,000m and finished third in the 5,000m, earning All-American status in both events.
During her time at Allen, Shoemaker set school records in eight events: the indoor 3,000m, 5,000m, mile, distance medley relay, and 4x800m relay; as well as the outdoor 10,000m, 5,000m, and 1,500m. She was named the Female Athlete of the Year for Allen Athletics in 2017.
After her time at Allen, Kaitlyn continued her athletic career at Missouri Western and later at St. Mary’s, where she remained an outstanding athlete.
