Photo by: West Coast XC
McCarthy Earns Third Career Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week Award
5/9/2023 3:00:00 PM | Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Aidan McCarthy's record-breaking performance Saturday for Cal Poly track and field allowed him to take home this season's final Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week award.
This is the second time this season and the third time overall McCarthy has received the distinction. He and freshman Rory Devaney are the Mustangs' only two repeat Big West weekly award winners this spring.
The Pleasanton, Calif. native is the first Mustang since Justin Robinson in 2021 to earn multiple Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors in a season.
McCarthy obliterated the school record in the men's 1,500-meter at the Oxy Invitational on Saturday night, running a blistering time of 3:39.56 to surpass Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Famer Dan Aldridge's 1978 school record (3:40.67) by over a full second. The time is currently the 14th-fastest in the West Region and the 28th-best in Division I. The performance allowed McCarthy to capture first in the 1,500 and shatter the meet record.
The redshirt sophomore earned his first Big West weekly award of the season on April 18 after smashing a 53-year-old school record in the 800-meter at the Bryan Clay Invitational, posting a time of 1:47.24 to move in front of Mathyas Michael — another Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Famer. McCarthy's time is the sixth-best in the West Region this spring and tied for 11th in the nation.
During this indoor season, McCarthy and teammate Xian Shively became the first two Mustangs in program history to run a sub four-minute mile.
McCarthy was just 0.08 seconds away from earning an automatic qualifier berth to the NCAA Championships in the 800 at last year's NCAA West Preliminaries, placing 15th overall with a time of 1:48.00.
McCarthy is one of five Mustangs to garner Big West weekly praise this season, the program's most in a year since 2013.
McCarthy enters the Big West Championships this week as the conference leader in the 800 and 1,500. The Amador Valley High grad will be looking to defend his Big West title in the 800 when he competes this Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Track Complex.
This is the second time this season and the third time overall McCarthy has received the distinction. He and freshman Rory Devaney are the Mustangs' only two repeat Big West weekly award winners this spring.
The Pleasanton, Calif. native is the first Mustang since Justin Robinson in 2021 to earn multiple Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors in a season.
McCarthy obliterated the school record in the men's 1,500-meter at the Oxy Invitational on Saturday night, running a blistering time of 3:39.56 to surpass Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Famer Dan Aldridge's 1978 school record (3:40.67) by over a full second. The time is currently the 14th-fastest in the West Region and the 28th-best in Division I. The performance allowed McCarthy to capture first in the 1,500 and shatter the meet record.
The redshirt sophomore earned his first Big West weekly award of the season on April 18 after smashing a 53-year-old school record in the 800-meter at the Bryan Clay Invitational, posting a time of 1:47.24 to move in front of Mathyas Michael — another Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Famer. McCarthy's time is the sixth-best in the West Region this spring and tied for 11th in the nation.
During this indoor season, McCarthy and teammate Xian Shively became the first two Mustangs in program history to run a sub four-minute mile.
McCarthy was just 0.08 seconds away from earning an automatic qualifier berth to the NCAA Championships in the 800 at last year's NCAA West Preliminaries, placing 15th overall with a time of 1:48.00.
McCarthy is one of five Mustangs to garner Big West weekly praise this season, the program's most in a year since 2013.
McCarthy enters the Big West Championships this week as the conference leader in the 800 and 1,500. The Amador Valley High grad will be looking to defend his Big West title in the 800 when he competes this Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Track Complex.
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