Conner Mantz, Clayton Young embrace Olympic journey together

On a warm February day in Florida, training partners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young were running side by side. 

To the former Brigham Young cross country and track and field teammates, this may have seemed like any other day. After all, Mantz and Young had been training together for quite some time. 

But this was no ordinary day. 

This was the 2024 Olympic Marathon trials, and the former teammates and good friends were approaching the finish line in a way that felt all too familiar: together. 

The journey of the two teammates began in 2017, when they met in college. As Young is three years older than Mantz, he often served as a mentor in the early stages of Mantz's college career. The two quickly became friends and training partners, enjoying the team culture and legacy of the Brigham Young program. 

"I loved having a team environment," Mantz said. "It's nice when you have such a close-knit group of friends. It's what you do for your workout, it's what you get to do for fun … it's kind of a bunch of things all in one. And I thought that was a wonderful thing at BYU." 

The two competed on the team together until 2019, often finishing races within a few seconds of each another. Young finished his career on a dominant note, earning a national title in the 10,000-meter race and a sixth-place finish in the 5,000-meter race, adding his third and fourth first-team All-American honors to his resume. He then signed a professional contract with Asics and continued to train in Utah. 

Mantz remained on the team for another two years and continued to dominate collegiate competition. Earning back-to-back individual Division I cross country titles, he wrapped up his college career in 2021 as an eight-time first-team All-American and three-time individual national champion. He also contributed to the 2019 Division I team cross country title. 

"It was fun to be part of a program that was fighting for a national title every year," he said. "It was really cool to be in an environment where everybody wanted everybody to do their best. It was very team-focused." 

Despite having different competition schedules throughout these two years, Mantz and Young carried this mindset with them, and their relationship never wavered. They found opportunities to push one another and train together, often alongside other former teammates also competing at the highest level. 

"I think that really prepared me to be professional because I was able to train with guys who were going to go professional, and they were just at the highest level of college athletics," Mantz said. "It made that transition really smooth for when I did go pro in 2021.… I was able to run with people and train at a level that most people don't get to train at. I was pushed by great teammates and training partners." 

Ready to embrace the next level of competition, Mantz signed a professional contract with Nike in 2021. Like Young, he decided to remain in Utah and train under the guidance of Brigham Young head coach Ed Eyestone. 

The decision has proven to be a good one for the two competitors, who have risen to dominance in recent years. In October 2023, they had the opportunity to display this dominance at the Chicago Marathon and did just that. 

Mantz and Young placed sixth and seventh, respectively, and were the top two American finishers in the event. With both clocking Olympic qualifying standards in the process, they emerged as the two clear favorites heading into the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. 

But the work was far from over. The grueling 26.2-mile race is often unpredictable, and the teammates would likely have to finish in the top two to earn roster spots on Team USA. As the overall number one and two seeds, the pressure was on. Confident but cautious, the teammates knew that having a good day on the same day in a field of fierce competitors would be difficult. 

Difficult, but not impossible. 

"There was a lot of pent-up emotion before the race," Mantz said. "Heading in, I just knew that we both had a really good chance, but there was more than likely only going to be two spots." 

Eyestone's directions to the teammates heading into the race were clear: chill, cover, close.

This mantra would serve as a reminder for Mantz and Young to be patient early in the race, cover any moves made by the leaders and close the final miles strong. 

At some point in the later stages of the race, Mantz stuck his hand out to Young, who was running on his heels. The two high-fived, as if to signal that they were ready to follow through on their final instruction from Eyestone. 

"It was like, 'It's nice knowing Conner's still on my team,'" Young said of the moment in an interview with Citius Mag following the race. "Obviously we practice day in and day out together. He's always on my side, he's always my teammate but also we're competitors … to see that he was still team Clayton, like 'let's do this together,' was very validating for me, just 'cause he's been there since day one." 

The scene on the course with 3 miles to go looked like it could have been any other training day in Utah. The two ran together, just as they had so many times before, with no other competitors in sight. However, this time it was toward the fulfillment of an Olympic dream. Young lifted his arms to pump up the crowd. 

"I was like, 'I'm just going to enjoy this,'" Young told Citius Mag. "'I'm going to enjoy every moment to the finish line, I'm going to take the lead. I want him to be right there with me.'"

With Mantz sticking close behind, they approached the finish line together. Steps from witnessing their Olympic dreams come true, Young stuck out his arm as if to invite his mentee to take the victory. The pair crossed the line just a second apart, guaranteeing them a trip to Paris together. 

"It was kind of like a big sense of relief," Mantz said. "All the what-ifs that could happen both for me and for Clayton … having us run the last 3 miles together and finally finish, it was a big weight lifted off my shoulders." 

With the 1-2 finish, Mantz and Young became the third and fourth Utah natives to qualify for the Olympic marathon. The second Utah native to do so was fellow Brigham Young grad Jared Ward, who qualified in 2016. He was a mentor to both athletes.

The first Utah native to do so had been with them every step of the way and had just coached them to this moment.

It's safe to say that Eyestone, two-time Olympic marathon runner and four-time NCAA champion at Brigham Young, knows a thing or two about what it takes to reach this level of success. 

As they took in their first moments as Olympians, the two couldn't help but thank all those who helped them reach this moment. For both Mantz and Young, Ward and Eyestone were at the top of the list. 

"I'd like to give a big shoutout to our coach, who really made it happen, and to Jared Ward, who was our mentor," Young told NBC after crossing the line. "We ran this race for him and all those who helped get us here." 

In Paris, Mantz and Young will have the opportunity to run for all those individuals once again, all while carrying on the legacy together. 

"I don't know how to put it into words," Mantz said of qualifying with his former college teammate. "It's kind of an indescribable feeling. We've run over 10,000 miles together. It's pretty cool that we both made the team."