Inspired By Father, McGorty Seeks Two National Titles in One Week Span
By Chris Lotsbom
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
June 21, 2013
DES MOINES, IOWA, USA — Held concurrently with the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are the USA Junior Championships, a meet that brings some of the best high school and college athletes together here at Drake Stadium. While Bronxville High School’s Mary Cain garners most of the headlines –rightfully so, considering she is a contender to make the IAAF World Championships team– a number of other athletes are making their own statements.
Among them is Chantilly, Virginia’s Sean McGorty. Attempting to win his second national title in the span of one week, McGorty is ready to etch his name in the record books.
“It would be unbelievable to do that,” said McGorty, who is competing in the junior 1500m here.
One week ago Saturday, McGorty led wire to wire in the two-mile at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, the American athletics championship for high school student-athletes. Lap-by-lap, the senior wore out the rest of the field, which included the likes of New Balance Nationals Indoor 5000m champion Elijah Armstrong, 4:01.71 miler Bernie Montoya, and Nike Cross Nationals winner Sam Wharton.
“I wanted to come in here and run the way I do, sort of going out at a quick pace from the start and trying to hold on or pick it up if I feel good,” he said then, moments after accepting his All American award.
A mere six days later, McGorty was again racing on the track, this time here in Des Moines. In section one of the 1500m preliminary round, McGorty led three of his future teammates at Stanford University for the first 1000 meters before relinquishing the lead to Justin Brinkley. Running comfortably in second, McGorty qualified for Saturday’s final with a time of 3:51.16.
“I think I executed pretty well, I wanted to be near the front,” he said. “When some of the other guys came around, I wanted to finish strong.”
Unique to McGorty is his family ties to the USA Junior Championships. In 1983, McGorty’s father Kevin won the Junior Decathlon title; he also competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in both 1988 and 1992.
“It would be pretty cool to follow in his footsteps [by winning a USA national title], but I obviously have some pretty tough competition,” said a modest McGorty. “I have my work cut out for me tomorrow but I’m going to give it my best race and I hope that works out.”
McGorty said that coming into this weekend’s competition –his first USA Championships– he relied on his father’s advice on what to expect.
“It’s definitely nice to have a parent who has gone through all this,” said McGorty. “He can tell me, ‘this is what happened when I was here and this is what I did.'”
One of the best things McGorty says his father has shown him is his collection of kits, especially those from his international competitions.
“It’s always cool to look at his uniforms from when he did World Juniors. He definitely passes on advice and I definitely appreciate having him there,” he said.
If McGorty places in the top two on Saturday, then he will earn a Team USA vest of his own, one that he could take to Medellin, Colombia, if he chooses to compete at the 2013 Pan American Junior Championships.
“I’d have to talk to coach,” he said, referencing Stanford University coach Chris Miltenberg. “But it would be a great experience.”