Penn Hills track star, 10, setting sights on Olympics in her future

PENN HILLS, Pa. — A track and field star in the making is right in our own backyard.

Kaleah Young, 10, is lighting up the track and has her sights set on the Olympics one day.

When the Penn Hills sensation takes the track for a race, she doesn’t just win, she dominates.

She’s currently one of the best runners in the nation.

“I like going out there, having fun, run, get PR’s, break some records,” Young said.

Her mother, Terri Collington, knew early on that her daughter was a track star in the making.

“Seeing her each year grow to be from fifth place, to fourth place, to third place, to first place every race - we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s killing it,’” Collington said.

When Young takes the track before each race, the 100, 200 and 400 meter events are her specialty, she goes into what she calls “dawg mode.”

“I just go out there, run my fastest, my hardest and my bravest,” Young said.

“I’m on the track, I’m here to run, I’m beating that clock. I want to be better than what I was before, and she exemplifies that every single time she is on that track,” Collington said.

That mentality took the Penn Hills phenom to the Junior Olympics over the summer, where she placed fifth in the nation in the 200-meter, sixth overall in the 400-meter, and ninth in the 100-meter.

“Being able to see her put Pittsburgh on the map, Penn Hills on the map, even just her name out there, I was just stunned. I was in absolute awe and just so proud of her,” Collington said.

Young’s current time in the 400 is astonishing, 1:03.

“I’m surprised, I’m shocked and I’m really proud of myself,” Young said.

For the now two-time All-American, it’s just the beginning.

“My goal is to be in the Olympics one day, getting a lot of PR’s and breaking world records,” Young said.

While she dreams of Olympic gold, she looks at every medal and ribbon hanging on her bedroom wall she’s earned along the way - 68 to be exact.

“I’m reminding myself how much my work paid off,” Young said.

Running is in the family; Collington is a former runner.

She said Kaleah’s current time in the 400 was what she was running as a freshman in high school.

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