Student-Athlete Of The Month: Upton Young

At Severna Park High School, Upton Young is known as a guy who keeps things light. Once he crosses that line, though, it’s a different proposition.

Whether in basketball, where he was one of the Falcons’ leading players, or in lacrosse, where he anchored a defense that helped Severna Park win an eighth successive state championship, Young gives opponents headaches every second he’s in the game.

In basketball, he’s a bulldog, fighting through traffic and putting himself in positions to be successful. In lacrosse, he’s more of a steady hand that leads his teammates and harasses opposing attackers.

And he leaves a little bit of humor still mixed in.

“Practice can be hard or intense, so I like to bring a little humor — even in games I’ll try to make the opponent laugh, maybe throw them off a little bit,” Young said. “I’ve always told myself to work hard, play hard, have fun when it comes to sports, but keep things in perspective. Be competitive but don’t be overly competitive.”

The only returning defender with significant playing experience for Severna Park, Young turned that magnetism into a leadership role for a team that had plenty of attacking firepower but needed calm, capable play in the rearguard.

It was a different thing for Young compared to basketball, where he was one of the team’s leading scorers and playmakers. But different is just fine in his book. In fact, it’s being in a variety of situations that causes Young to thrive.

A 4.6 GPA student, Young played two sports in his senior year, loaded up on STEM classes, and completed his dual-enrollment pathway at Anne Arundel Community College.

“I’ve always been busy even growing up. I played three sports on five different teams, two different sports on the same day on the weekends. I’ve always given it my all in everything, so balancing school and sports is something I’ve always had to do,” Young said. “For basketball, I’d finish up the game and I’m in the locker room, the guys will be wanting to go get some food, and I’ve got to finish my homework. But when I step into the gym or on the field, that’s what I’m locked in on, but it requires a lot of outside focus when I’m not on the field. Busy is normal for me. When I’m not busy, I feel like I did something wrong.”

Outside of all of that, Young is involved in his community by mowing lawns and keeping yards beautified, hanging out in nature with his friends, and training local kids in basketball. At the school, he participates in leading basketball camps, as well as supporting the entrepreneurship and environmental clubs in their respective missions.

Though his varsity career may be over, Young hopes to stay busy with club basketball or lacrosse at Cornell University, where he plans to study mechanical engineering.

“It’s the best engineering program in the Ivy League, with lots of great people and great professors,” he said. “I hope to have a good well-rounded experience, but to get that degree at such a well-established institute, their networking is one of the best, so I can meet some great people and put me on a successful path. Engineering is a big commitment, so club’s great, and it’s a little more lenient. It’d be fun just playing the sport I love so much during college and being able to play at a semi-competitive level.”

The Voice’s Student-Athlete of the Month is proudly sponsored by Matt Wyble of Next Step Realty. Contact Zach Sparks at zach@severnaparkvoice.com to nominate a local student making a positive impact through sports.