Senior Spotlight: Sydney McCluer fights through adversity for successful track career

By Bud Denega 

ADA — Sydney McCluer didn't want the, "What if" notion rummaging around her mind. She didn't want her final race on an indoor track to be one filled with disappointment. 

While competing in the 60-meter hurdles during her senior year, McCluer stumbled over a hurdle. The misstep ended her race, and it could have been the end to an indoor career, as well. 

But after some thorough thought, and with one year of eligibility left, McCluer decided to make a return. She wanted to give her track career — which hasn't been easy or devoid of adversity — the conclusion it deserved. 

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McCluer played numerous sports growing up from basketball to softball to gymnastics. At the time, track wasn't a sport that was anywhere near the top of McCluer's to-do list. 

"My dad was a big track person, and he kept insisting that I do track," McCluer said. "But I didn't want to run track, so in sixth grade I played softball, and I hated it. My parents made me do a spring sport, so in seventh grade I did track, and I loved it."

It took awhile for the sport to grow on McCluer. She had loved gymnastics growing up, and it was that individualized aspect of gymnastics that McCluer found joy in whilst on the track.  

"Track practices are tough. You're running, sprinting and doing workouts all the time, and it's hard to love," McCluer said. "But when you get into the competitions, there's nothing like it."

McCluer, with some more encouragement from her father, found a sport she not only learned to love but a sport that could take her places. As a junior, McCluer had several college suitors, and it was full steam ahead for a memorable high school senior campaign. 

But alas, adversity struck. While playing high school basketball, McCluer tore her anterior cruciate ligament, and was instantly worried about what that meant for her track future.

She wouldn't be able to run as a senior, and was concerned that colleges would stop recruiting her because of the injury. Ohio Northern put those worries to bed quickly.  

"The night of the injury, I called coach (Casey) Gantt," McCluer said. He was the only coach that said, 'No, we definitely still want you. This isn't the first time this has happened. You can get through this injury and still be a good track runner.' He just had that constant belief in me."

A few months later and McCluer made it official, she was signed to be a Polar Bear.

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A torn ACL is unlike many other injuries. It takes nine months to a year to rehab the knee, meaning competing as a freshman during indoor season was in doubt for McCluer. 

She recovered in swift fashion and began training in preseason only to injure her knee again, forcing he to the sideline for the entire season. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and that redshirt year would be worth its weight in gold.

McCluer flourished in her four years of outdoor track and three years of indoor. She found a niche in the hurdling events and contributed at the Ohio Athletic Conference level for multiple seasons. 

"Sydney did whatever was necessary to help her program be successful," ONU head coach Jason Maus said. "She was a tremendous leader and mentor to the young women in our program. She's also is as accountable and reliable as they come, not only on the track but off it, as well."

McCluer had the option to leave ONU following her fourth year, even though she had a year of indoor eligibility remaining. With a decision to make, a couple things pulled her back into the fray. 

McCluer was set to have a phenomenal OAC Indoor Championships as a senior in the 60-meter hurdles, however, one misstep caused her to fall. While she had outdoor season to escort those bad memories out of her mind, the possibility of another shot at an indoor conference meet remained. 

"I was happy with my whole year up to that point," McCluer said. "I knew I was capable of so much more."

That hunger to redeem herself and the attraction of one more season as a Polar Bear made McCluer's decision quite easy in fact. 

"I just couldn't give it up," McClure said. "I told the coaches that they created a program that was very easy to love and very hard to leave."

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McCluer returned to the indoor track and finished her career at the OAC Championships with the ending she deserved. She ran the final leg of the 800-meter relay, finishing fourth. 

McCluer has hit some hurdles and suffered some injuries in her track years. But the adversity gave her career deeper meaning and a storybook conclusion she won't ever forget.