McCabe calls McLaughlin's gold 'really exciting'

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Hours after Sydney McLauglin of Union Catholic broke the World Youth Championships meet record in the 400-meter hurdles and won her first international gold medal, the reaction back in New Jersey was a mixture of excitement and relief.

Mike McCabe, coach of Union Catholic, found a web stream from Colombia to see the race although he feared something was wrong when he saw an endless bloc of commericials in the minutes leading up to McLaughlin's final.

"There must have been 15 commercials in a row," McCabe said. 

This was the race he'd been waiting for, had been setting McLaughlin up for, all year. 

In 2014, McLaughlin earned a spot on the U.S Junior (19-and-under) team but was  not considered for it because she was not old enough. In 2015, the mission was to make the Youth team and get some valuable U.S. team -- and international -- experience.

So Saturday's success was a thrill -- not just for her father and brother, plus assistant coach Luiz Cartagena, who are in Colombia -- but also back at UC headquarters.

"It's really exciting," McCabe said. "This has been the goal for about a year. You just think back to all the time, the blood, sweat and tears. It was amazing."

Truth be told there was also some anticipation for a new all-time U.S. high school record. Everyone watching McLaughlin expects that to eventually come. She ran 55.28 to make the team in Illinois and then 55.94 in the final. But it's been a long season and there have been nagging injuries to fight through. 

"She went out very aggressively," McCabe said. "When she went through 100 to 200 (meters) it was like she was in a car."

The coach, though, is happy that all of the work and the long season has paid off.

McLaughlin's potential for improvement is still great. She uses the same lead leg -- her right -- for all 10 hurdles. 

In the next year, McCabe said the plan is to help her become adept at switching lead legs. That next-level skill could help drive her time down even more, possibly secure that elusive record and even make her a formidable presence at the Olympic Trials.

But that's next year. 

On Saturday, there was time to relax and enjoy the spot where McLaughlin's star has risen to -- and appreciate it.