BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Carleton College athletic director Gerald Young was one of four individuals celebrated by the membership of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) with the conference's Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented annually to an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to their institution and the conference. It is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual from the MIAC.
 
Young will be retiring at the end of the 2023-24 academic year after 32 years at Carleton. He spent 17 seasons as an assistant football coach, 10 seasons as an assistant softball coach, and assisted with the Knights' men's and women's track & field programs before taking over as athletics director in 2010. He has served on the NCAA Division III Management Council, the MIAC Budget Committee, and has been an active leader in the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association among numerous other roles and responsibilities in and around college athletics.
 
"Gerald has left an important impact on Carleton, the MIAC, and the NCAA in his extensive years of service," Carleton associate athletics director and senior woman administrator Heidi Jaynes said. "Whether through his leadership on the Division III Management Council to the working groups making change at the conference level, he is thoughtful, inclusive, kind, and cares about the student-athletes and coaches. He is a champion for women in athletics and is always available to listen, give advice, and remind us how lucky we are to get to work with amazing student-athletes every day!"
 
Young is the second Distinguished Service honoree from Carleton College, joining his predecessor former Knights AD Leon Lunder, who received the award in 2010.
 
This year marks the first time since 2001 that more than two individuals received the MIAC Distinguished Service Award. The other 2024 recipients are Bethel University faculty athletics representative Bruce Olsen, Saint John's University cross country and track & field coach Tim Miles, and Saint Mary's University sports information director Donny Nadeau.