McCarthy Officially Qualifies for NCAA Indoor Championships
3/5/2025 10:00:00 AM | Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — It’s officially official, Aidan McCarthy has qualified for the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, the NCAA announced.
The 800-meter phenom is slated to become the first Cal Poly athlete on the men’s side to compete at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships since Reynaldo Brown (men’s high jump) in 1973. McCarthy is Cal Poly’s first NCAA indoor national qualifier overall since Sharon Day-Monroe in 2008 (women’s high jump), who is a two-time Olympic qualifier and a member of the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame.
McCarthy opens his showing at the NCAA Indoor Championships held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia at 4:50 p.m. PDT on Friday, March 14 with the semifinals of the men’s 800. The top eight times between the two heats will advance to the 800-meter final at 3:30 p.m. PDT on Saturday, March 15. The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+.
McCarthy enters nationals with the top time ran in the NCAA this season after laying down one of the most impressive performances in NCAA history in the men’s indoor 800 at the Last Chance National Qualifier hosted by Boston University on Sunday.
McCarthy ran the fastest indoor 800 time by an American in collegiate history, posting an over one second all-conditions (indoor or outdoor) personal best of 1:45.19. It was the third fastest indoor 800 time by a collegian ever, only trailing Kenyans Paul Ereng (1989) and Michael Saruni (2018).
McCarthy’s time surpassed the BU facility record as well, bettering Georgetown’s Tinoda Matsatsa previous record of 1:45.21 which he set just two weeks ago at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Matsatsa is seeded second in the event entering the NCAA Indoor Championships.
McCarthy also owns the 10th fastest mile time ran in the nation this indoor season (3:52.83), but will only compete in the 800 at NCAAs.
The Pleasanton, Calif. native is no stranger to the national stage as nearly two years ago at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, McCarthy placed seventh in the 800-meter to become the first Mustang since 2011 to secure First Team All-American honors. McCarthy is the current school record holder in the indoor and outdoor 800, the mile and the 1,000.
By virtue of qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships, McCarthy has already earned All-American honors, becoming the third Division I indoor All-American in the history of the Cal Poly men’s track and field program, joining Mohinder Gill (1971 triple jump national champion) and Reynaldo Brown (1973, fifth in the high jump).
