Pauric McLaughlin (10/10/2011) - Athlete Awards - Oklahoma City University Athletics

Athlete Awards

Athletes of the Week

Pauric McLaughlin

Award

Athletes of the Week
Week Of

10/10/2011
Sport

Men's Cross Country
Bio

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Running at Oklahoma City University is a completely different experience from what Pauric McLaughlin was used to.
“Back home I would just do 13-mile runs or 10-mile runs on my own, just slogging around the fields, bored all the time,” McLaughlin said. “Here you have a brilliant team to train with, and it’s just easier to get out there and do it.”
McLaughlin, a freshman from Donegal, Ireland, has turned in some impressive performances in his first year running cross country at OCU.
McLaughlin was the first collegiate runner to cross the finish line at the Central Oklahoma Land Run en route to becoming the first Star to be named Sooner Athletic Conference runner of the week. McLaughlin added 11th- and seventh-place finishes this season, and is this week’s Super Star of the week.
OCU cross country coach Conor Holt points to McLaughlin’s “Irish mentality” to explain his early success.
“I guess it’s about getting out there and training and not asking any questions,” McLaughlin said. “Just go out and do what your coach says, and don’t be like, ‘Well he told me to do six, but I’ll do five.’ Just get out and do what he tells you to do, and you’ll be grand.”
McLaughlin admits he came to OCU without many expectations.
“I didn’t really have many expectations other than to make it to nationals because I had a long layoff,” McLaughlin said. “I was injured for nine months, and about eight weeks ago I was only running for about 20 minutes, just 20 minute runs, and I didn’t really have any expectations. But now I feel like I’m in shape, but just the strength, I’m lacking in that a little bit, so if I make nationals I’ll be happy.”
According to McLaughlin, having teammate to train with makes a big a difference.
“It has definitely boosted my morale,” McLaughlin said. “Whenever you’re down the team is always there to pick you back up and vice versa. Whenever they’re down I’m there to pick them back up, so it works both ways.”
McLaughlin, a mass communications major, plans on pursuing a career in sports journalism, and has already started his own website.
“It’s called running man athletics,” McLaughlin said. “It’s the latest news of all the top athletes. I’ve got three top athletes that are potentially going to make the Olympics, and one of them has already made the Olympics for London 2012. I just hope that I can take it a step further.”
According to McLaughlin, his experience at OCU is much better than his previous schooling experience.
““Here you have to work really hard, you have to read over your notes when you go home because who knows when you’ll have a pop quiz in class, and back home basically you just go in, they put notes on the board, you write them down and then you have an exam,” McLaughlin said. “Here you have to take part in class, and I enjoy it way more.”

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