Repeat state champion Cella McLaughlin of Corning has been selected as Elmira Star-Gazette/Corning Leader Girls Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
The senior earned the award for the second straight year and third track & field season in a row, including the 2025 indoor and outdoor seasons.
McLaughlin was the only girl in New York to complete the 55-meter hurdles in sub-8 seconds, capturing her second consecutive indoor state title in the event with a time of 7.89 seconds at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.
She came up one spot short of repeating as the state public schools indoor champ in the girls long jump, with McLaughlin’s top effort of 18 feet, 6.75 inches good for second place.
Also that weekend, McLaughlin helped Corning finish sixth in Division 1 in the girls 4×800-meter relay with a time of 1:44.5.
McLaughlin had a 17th-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at the New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston. She placed 37th in the long jump.
Her efforts this season added to one of the most accomplished track & field careers in Section 4 history.
Along with her indoor prowess, McLaughlin won federation and public schools titles in the 100 hurdles at last year’s NYS outdoor track & field championships.
McLaughlin will compete in track & field in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the University of Pittsburgh.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Corning’s McLaughlin named top girls indoor track & field athlete by Star-Gazette/Leader
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
