SPORTS

Union Catholic's McLaughlin named Gatorade Athlete of the Year

Lauren Knego

@laurenknego

The accolades just keep coming for Union Catholic's Sydney McLaughlin.

At the 2016 Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards ceremony, Jayson Tatum of Chaminade College Preparatory School (St. Louis, MO) and Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic High School (Scotch Plains, N.J.) were named the 2016 Gatorade High School Male and Female Athletes of the Year in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 12, 2016.

Two days after being named to the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team, McLaughlin was named the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Jayson Tatum, a basketball player from Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis who is headed to Duke in the fall, was named the Male Athlete of the Year.

McLaughlin, a Dunellen resident, joins an elite list of athletes such as Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Candace Parker, who have also been named Athlete of the Year.

"For 31 years, Gatorade has had the privilege of honoring the best and brightest athletes in sport by awarding them the Gatorade Player of the Year award for not only excelling on the playing field, but also in their classrooms and communities," Brett O'Brien, Gatorade senior vice president and general manager, said in a news release. "Jayson and Sydney embody the true spirit of the Gatorade brand at its core, and we're excited to see what's in store for them in the future."

MORE: McLAUGHLIN NAMED GATORADE NATIONAL TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

The 16-year-old McLaughlin, who was named the Gatorade National Track Athlete of the Year last month, became the youngest athlete to qualify for the Olympics since Cindy Gilbert competed in 1972. McLaughlin placed third in the 400-meter hurdles to earn a spot on the Olympic team on Sunday, setting a world junior record in the process. McLaughlin, who will be a senior at Union Catholic in the fall, finished in 54.15, breaking the record of 54.40 set by Xing Wang of China in 2005.

Her time of 54.15 also broke her record of 54.46, which she ran at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Championships, which broke a 32-year-old record set by former Olympian Leslie Maxie in 1984. McLaughlin also won the 400 hurdles at the U.S. Junior National Championships in a time of 54.54, which qualified her for the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

At the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, McLaughlin won the 400 hurdles for the third straight year in a time of 51.87, which was the No. 1 time among U.S. prep competitors.

McLaughlin is scheduled to compete in the first round of the 400 hurdles on Aug. 15 in Rio.

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego