McLaughlin only repeat recipient of Gatorade award

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Sydney McLaughlin was surrounded Tuesday by Super Bowl winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers, four-time Olympic basketball gold medalist Tamika Catchings, two-time winner of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Abby Wambach, 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns and the world’s best server in beach volleyball April Ross, and the Union Catholic NJ graduate was the athlete in a class by herself at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey, Calif.

McLaughlin became the first individual, male or female, in the 15-year history of Gatorade’s National Athlete of the Year ceremony to repeat as the recipient of the prestigious award.  POST-CEREMONY INTERVIEW  |  PRE-CEREMONY INTERVIEW

"This means a lot, both to me and my family. When you think about the history of this award and who has won it, to be the only one to do it twice is pretty amazing. It's hard to find the right words to explain how special this moment is," McLaughlin said. "Having people support you that don't even know you and wanting to see you succeed, both young and old, kids looking up to you and older people commending you for what you've done, I think that puts any accomplishment over the edge."

The Kentucky signee made history after lowering her own national high school and World Junior records in the 400-meter hurdles to 53.82 seconds with her sixth-place finish June 25 at the USATF Outdoor Championships. McLaughlin also set the national high school, World U-20 and overall American records in the 300-meter hurdles April 8 when she clocked 38.90 at the 50th Arcadia Invitational and ran the fastest 400-meter split ever by a prep female athlete June 16 at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor when she delivered a 49.85 anchor on Union Catholic’s national record 2:05.93 Swedish relay.

McLaughlin was honored along with left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore of Whiteville, N.C., who was recently drafted third overall by the San Diego Padres in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

McLaughlin and Gore are also featured on the cover this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, featured on newsstands Wednesday.

Gore, only the second baseball player to be selected Gatorade National Boys Athlete of the Year, received a $6.7 million signing bonus after going 9-0 with a 0.22 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings and leading Whiteville to a North Carolina Class 1A state championship.

McLaughlin was honored last year along with Jayson Tatum, who played one year of basketball at Duke before being selected third overall by the Boston Celtics in this year’s NBA Draft.

In addition to her outdoor records, McLaughlin also set indoor national high school marks in the 300 (36.82) and 400 (51.81), along with being part of a world record 10:40.31 in the distance medley relay Jan. 28 with Emma Coburn, Brenda Martinez and Jenny Simpson at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

McLaughlin also made it three consecutive years a female track star received the Gatorade National Girls Athlete of the Year, including Rockdale County GA graduate and ASICS professional Candace Hill in 2015. Chanelle Price was also honored in 2008 and Allyson Felix was the first overall female athlete of the year recipient in 2003.

Along with Felix, former winners of the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year award include fellow Olympians LeBron James, Candace Parker, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart, but none of them secured back-to-back honors like McLaughlin.

Grandview CO graduate and Cal signee Brie Oakley, the National Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year, was also a finalist for top female honors.

American Fork UT graduate and BYU-bound Casey Clinger, National Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year, was a finalist for the boys award along with National Track and Field Athlete of the Year Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, a junior from Lafayette LA who didn’t attend the ceremony since he was training in Europe for the IAAF World Championships in August in London.

In addition to the Sports Illustrated cover, McLaughlin and Gore will be recognized Wednesday at the 25th annual ESPYs ceremony.