Union Catholic's Sydney McLaughlin is the CN Girls Indoor Track Athlete of Year
Who else?
Sometimes, selections are tough to make for Athlete of the Year picks with several outstanding performances throughout the season. But when a competitor is an Olympian, a world record holder, a state record holder—heck, she even has her own Gatorade bottle—then the vetting process becomes easy.
Sydney McLaughlin is the Courier News girls indoor track Athlete of the Year.
Who else?
Months after dazzling fans with a run to the Olympics in the 400 meter hurdles, the Union Catholic senior continued her career with historic times and gold medals. She juggled running with Union Catholic freshmen one week, and then Olympians another week.
First, the New Jersey high school hardware. At the Meet of Champions in late February, McLaughlin won the 400 meters in 53.17 at the John Bennett Indoor Sports Complex in Toms River, breaking her own meet record. The second-place finisher was Rancocas Valley’s Aliyah Taylor in a distant 56.24.
The Dunellen native also anchored the Vikings’ 4x400 relay team that captured MOC gold along with senior Cassandra Lamadieu and freshmen Leena Morant and Felicia Quainoo.
READ: SOUTH BRUNSWICK'S CAMPBELL IS THE HNT GIRLS INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
RELATED: UNION CATHOLIC WINS TWO MEET OF CHAMPIONS TITLES
Now, the national scene. McLaughlin set a national record in the 300 meters in 36.82 at the Artie O'Connor College Invitational at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York on Feb. 17. Of note, McLaughlin’s Union Catholic teammate, sophomore Khamil Evans, placed fourth in 41.10.
The previous record was Francena McCorory's 36.96 set in 2006. McCorory attended Bethel in Hampton, Virginia, the same high school as former NBA star Allen Iverson, and won Gold Medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics as a member of the 4x400 relay team.
On Jan. 14, McLaughlin nearly broke the record with a 37.11 also at the Armory during the Molloy Stanner Games.
On March 12, the marks fell again at the Armory. She set the national 400-meter record in 51.61 at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet. The old record holder? Someone named Sydney McLaughlin from Union Catholic, who sizzled to a 51.84 in the same meet last year.
On Jan. 28, she was picked for an all-star relay team, of sorts. McLaughlin, who has committed to the University of Kentucky, joined three fellow Olympians on a distance medley relay team that competed at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center. They set a world record in 10:40.31, as McLaughlin ran the 400-meter portion in 52.32.
The other Olympians were Emma Coburn (Olympic bronze medalist in the 3000-meter steeplechase), Brenda Martinez (Olympian in 1500 meters) and Jenny Simpson (Olympic bronze medalist in 1500 meters).
This winter, there were many talented athletes in the Courier News coverage area, including two other Meet of Champions individual winners—Pingry senior Julia Dannenbaum in the pole vault and Governor Livingston freshman Victoria Vanriele in the 800. In the 4x800 showcase, the Ridge team of Meghan Convery, Brooke Fazio, Catherine Giuseffi and Kaitlyn Van Baalen captured gold. Additionally, Montgomery sophomore Abrianna Barrett placed second in the high jump.
Track and field fans will certainly watch them in the upcoming spring outdoor season. But whenever McLaughlin races, there is a buzz and eyes toggle in her direction. And this winter, she didn’t disappoint.
Who else?