APSU Men’s Cross Country
Clarksville, TN – Josh Yeckering, a former Austin Peay State University cross-country runner, reportedly drowned, Thursday, after being swept out to sea during a recreation swim at San Diego’s Del Mar Beach.
Yeckering, 25, of Owensboro, KY, was a Navy petty officer stationed with Camp Pendleton’s 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. According to reports, he went into the ocean with another sailor and was swept out to sea around 5:30pm, Thursday. The other sailor made it back to shore safely. As of Friday night, the Coast Guard’s recovery search had been suspended.
“This came to me as a total shock,” APSU head coach Doug Molnar said. “Josh was always in great shape and it’s hard to see something like this happen to someone in the prime of their life. He was great guy and will be missed by everyone that knew him. He was a guy that everyone loved and loved to be around. This is a sad day for his family and for the Austin Peay track and cross-country programs.”
A four-year member of the Governors Cross Country team, Yeckering was one of Austin Peay’s top runners in each season. As a freshman, he qualified for the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000-meter run. He ran in 21 meets for the Govs, with his career-best 8k time (26:09.32) coming during his junior season.
