Brooklyn Heights track star Eddie Owens, who became the first-ever runner from New York City to capture the New York State Cross Country Championship last year during his senior season at Joralemon Street’s Packer Collegiate Institute, has qualified for next month’s World Junior Track and Field Championships in Barcelona.

“I’m very pleased to have been selected to compete for Team USA,” said Owens, now running for Princeton University, after a second-place at the USA Junior National Track and Field Championships at Indiana University earlier this month. “It’s quite an honor and I am extremely proud to represent the United States in the competition.”

Owens will join a team of American men and women, who will compete against athletes from 186 countries from July 10-15 in Spain.

The Brooklyn native is entering his third Team USA event, having already helped the junior squad win first place in the Bupa Great Edinburgh International Cross Country meet In January, as well as capturing the silver medal in the steeplechase at the 2011 Junior Pan American Games last August.  

Owens, the 2011/12 recipient of the Freshman Rosengarten Cross Country Trophy, as well as the Baab Memorial Award, given to the freshman who in sportsmanship and performance has contributed most to the sports of cross country and track at Princeton, was the national champion in the 2,000 and 3,000 meter steeplechase during his days with the Pelicans. On June 17 at IU, he helped Team USA to a first-place team finish in the 6K men’s steeplechase while coming in fourth individually with an impressive time of 20:08, behind only teammate Kirubel Erassa, and Kieron Clemens and Mark Shaw of Great Britain.

The New York City Parks Foundation will officially kick off its 2012 Summer Sports Program for young people on July 2.

Throughout the summer, City Parks Foundation provides over 13,000 New York City children free tennis, golf, and track and field instruction, including free use of equipment in over 60 locations citywide.

This year, programs will be taking place in Fort Greene Park, McCarren Park, Leif Ericson Park, Lincoln Terrace Park, Jackie Robinson Playground, Prospect Park, Kelly Playground, Kaiser Park, Marine Park, McKinley Park, Lucille Ferrier Playground, Betsy Head Playground, Linden Park, Red Hook, and Herbert Von King in Brooklyn.

 For more information and a full list of City Parks Foundation’s 2012 kids programs, visit www.CityParksFoundation.org.