Union Catholic (NJ)'s graduate Sydney McLaughlin has been a rising star since she stepped foot on the track. Breaking records and making USA teams are now part of the "norm" for McLaughlin.
But the 2016 Olympian and 2019 World Championship silver medalist in the 400mH has also broken the World Junior Record in the 400mH more than once.
Not twice. More like four times.
She broke the World Junior Record for the first time in the 400mH at the 2016 US Olympic Trials with a time of 54.15. McLaughlin then broke her own record in June 2017, when she won her fourth consecutive title in the Non-Public A section at the NJSIAA (above), authoring a time of 54.03.
Twenty days later, at the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she broke it a third time and stopped the clock at 53.82. Then, 10 months later at the Arkansas National Relay Championships, she ran 53.60 seconds to set another World Junior Record on April 27, 2018.
On top of breaking the world junior record multiple times, she set a national record in the 300mH at the 50th Arcadia Invitational with a 38.90.
During her senior year of high school, McLaughlin was the fastest girl in four different events. She ran a 22.96 (0.0) in the 200m, 51.88 in the 400m, 38.90 in the 300mH, and 53.82 in the 400mh.
She continued her track career at the University of Kentucky for one year, before becoming a professional athlete for New Balance. McLaughlin's ran a personal best at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar to earn the silver medal behind the world record holder, Dalilah Muhammed. Muhammad ran 52.16 over McLaughlin's 52.23 to win the world championships.
