There’s been plenty of firsts this spring season and records shattered for the Cal Poly Track & Field program. Redshirt Sophomore Aidan McCarthy added to that list at the NCAA West Region this past weekend winning the 800-meter advancing to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.
“It was a little bit of shock at the end of that race, just being able to beat guys in that race that are usually national contenders and a little bit of validation that I do belong at the NCAA championships and I can compete with some of the best people,” McCarthy said of winning the 800-meter race.
With a time of 1:46.26, McCarthy was the fastest 800m in both the West and East prelims as a late surge in the final lap secured him victory.
“The plan for us was to just not let any gaps form between me and the the guys at the front and just stay connected.”
Last year, McCarthy had a chance to advance to NCAA Championships in first ever track and field season but missed the automatic qualifying time by .08 seconds in the 800m.
“I think last year was more of a bittersweet moment because it was a huge PR for me at the time and I wasn't really expecting to be at Regionals last year anyway, but I think going into this year at Regionals, I was a lot more confident. I was in a different place physically and mentally.”
McCarthy is all business leading up to his NCAA debut looking forward to competing against the best in the country and literally putting his best feet forward.
“Being able to compete with some of the best people in the NCAA, that's that's a really special thing for me. I don't take it like lightly and I just want to be able to compete with everyone there and run as fast as I can.”
It’s been an incredible year for McCarthy in both cross country and track and field placing third in the Big West Cross Country Championships as well as earning Big West Track Athlete of the Year. Additionally, under first year head coach Ryan Vanhoy, the programs have flourished with new PR’s and school records established throughout the spring. For McCarthy, it’s his perspective on the successes this season that perfectly define why him and the program are where they are.
“It's been a really amazing experience. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and just enjoy what's happening. I realized that this isn't going to last forever, and so it's just a really good opportunity for me and the whole team in general.”
McCarthy is the first Mustang to qualify for the NCAA Championships since Peyton Bilo in 2017 while is the first male athlete in the past 11 years for the program to reach the national meet.
