STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford fifth-year senior Sean McGorty was named Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Week after his performance at the Stanford Invitational on Friday.
McGorty ran a personal record of 3:40.57 in the 1,500 meters, placing sixth in a tightly-bunched invitational section. It ranks McGorty as the No. 4 collegian in the country and was the fastest by a Cardinal since Justin Brinkley's 3:40.31 at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships.
McGorty showed his fitness during two distance medley relays during the indoor season, including a school-record effort. But, on the track, he had raced only once in an individual race, indoors or outdoors, since the 2016 Olympic Trials, which capped a season in which he was a two-time NCAA runner-up.
"I definitely think I can run faster than 3:40," said McGorty, making his outdoor season debut. "We haven't really done anything in training close to the redline, so I knew it was not going to feel great. But I'm incredibly fortunate to be running and competitive on the Stanford track. It's been a very long time. That, in itself, means the world to me."
So, how would McGorty evaluate himself at this point? He ran more than six seconds faster than his 1,500 at the Payton Jordan Invitational last year, in his only appearance of 2017.
"I think I'm getting back," he said after the race. "The fact that I was able to open up with this Is obviously a good sign. Is it where I want it to be? Not yet, but it's great to run an individual race again. This is a nice reminder that I have some things to work on. I felt like I'm in a good rhythm."
That's good news for Stanford.
"I'm definitely still working on that last 500 when you start to get tired and holding your form," McGorty said. "But, I would say I'm back."
This is McGorty's first Pac-12 Athlete of the Week honor.