Head up, long strides, little wasted effort. When Gwyneth Young moves, it is an exercise in efficient motion.

Young has been working on her running form for the better part of a year now, all with the hopes that it will pay off with results.

This weekend at Hempfield High School, Young reaped the benefits of that hard work – as well as her guts and determination – at the annual Lancaster-Lebanon Track and Field Championships. The Cedar Crest freshman copped a pair of bronze medals, in the league meets’ two distance events.

On Friday evening, Young posted a 10:57.91 in the 3200-meter run, a time that was faster than any other Lancaster-Lebanon girl had ever run in the event in prior years. But it was a feat that the two competitors in front of her – Jamie Zamrin of Cocalico and Warwick’s Kate Dickow – also accomplished.

Then on Saturday morning, Young returned to Hempfield and again finished third, in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:05.85. Young executed her plan of keeping the front-runners, Katie Locker of Elizabethtown and Lianna Tirado of McCaskey, in her sights the entire way.

Now it’s on to the District Three Class AAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium for Young, where she’s seeded fifth in the 3200 and 12th in the 1600.

– Jeff Falk