As if there was any doubt, Sydney McLaughlin (Dunellen, NJ) dominated the New Jersey Meet of Champions this past week, winning in the 400m hurdles  and the 400m dash.

McLaughlin capped off an amazing high school career in the two events, wining each by over three seconds. While they weren’t her best times, the two golds added to her state record of eleven Meet of Champions golds. 

McLaughlin of course made the United States Olympic Team in Rio after completing her junior year of high school, and has set numerous records during her time at Union Catholic High School. She will leave having national records in 400m hurdles, as well as state records in the 400m and 200m dashes. 

Her total of eleven golds at New Jersey state high school championships are a culmination of her indoor and outdoor endeavors, covering both the winter and spring seasons. The mark ties the state record for individual gold medals, arguably her most impressive feat yet. 

In her state sectional finals, McLaughlin lowered her own national high school record in hurdles to a 54.03. That time would’ve placed her in fifth at the Rio Olympics. The world record in the event is only at 52.34 seconds. McLaughlin is fairly close to the record already and she only turns 18 in August. 

At the Rio Olympics, she battled illness while still making the semifinals in the 400m hurdles. While she didn’t reach the podium, or even a final, she made the impression on everyone that she would be a fixture on the track and field circuit for years. 

She has one more meet as a high schooler, nationals in North Carolina next weekend, before heading to the University of Kentucky in the fall. It’s safe to say that even more records will likely fall when McLaughlin takes the track in the NCAA. 

Sydney McLaughlin dominated New Jersey high school sports, drawing comparisons to even LeBron James by several writers. While this is likely her last meet in the state for some time, McLaughlin has made herself known in the record books, and she won’t be outdone for a long time.