Watch Olympian surprise Kentucky recruit McLaughlin with national award
University of Kentucky signee Sydney McLaughlin has been named Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row.
The speedy 17-year-old from Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, N.J., was surprised with a trophy presentation from six-time gold medalist Allyson Felix in San Francisco on Monday. McLaughlin was touring San Francisco after her appearance last weekend in the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Sacramento, Calif.
Watch the video below, provided by Bleacher Report, to see the surprise presentation unfold.
Six-time gold medalist Allyson Felix surprises Sydney McLaughlin with the @Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year award pic.twitter.com/H7o5wurmoC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 27, 2017
On Sunday in Sacramento, McLaughlin broke her own under-20 record in the 400-meter hurdles, lowering the mark to 53.82 seconds while finishing sixth in the event.
McLaughlin qualified for the U.S. Olympic team last summer in the 400-meter hurdles as a 16-year-old, becoming the youngest American to make the Olympics in track since 1972.
This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Watch Olympian surprise Kentucky recruit McLaughlin with national award."