Josh McFrazier looks to clear the program record in hurdling.
Sophomore Josh McFrazier may have missed out on indoor track last season, but in his first four meets this year, he has looked anything but rusty.
McFrazier, a hurdler for the track and field team, is gaining recognition as he continues to finish among the top performers in his competitions.
The Owls opened their season at the Jack Pyrah Invitational at Haverford College, where McFrazier placed second in the 55-meter hurdles. Franklin and Marshall junior Nils Michaelis beat out McFrazier by .01 seconds.
At the Father Diamond Invite, which featured a larger field of hurdlers, he finished third with a time of 8.16 in the 60-meter event. McFrazier earned Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America qualifying marks at the meet hosted by George Mason University.
At the New York City Gotham Cup, McFrazier placed third with his best finish ever, 8.12 seconds. Not only was it a personal best for him, but his finish also ranks among the best in the program’s history. The New Brighton, Pa. native came within .01 seconds of tying the school record, a record McFrazier hopes to hold by season’s end.
“I feel good,” McFrazier said. “I’m glad everything’s going the way it’s going. I’ve been working hard. I’ve been trying to break the school record. That’s what I’m really going for right now. Hopefully, I’ll get there.”
This is not the first time McFrazier has experienced success at the college level, however.
He missed the indoor season last year due to “surgery, personal losses, among other reasons,” but last spring in outdoor competition, McFrazier had a notably successful freshman season, qualifying for IC4As along the way.
McFrazier also earned success at a national level last year. At the USA Track and Field Championships, McFrazier placed ninth in the junior outdoor competition in a pack of more than two dozen hurdlers.
As for how the team is doing, McFrazier is more than satisfied with the way the group is competing and preparing.
“The team is working hard,” he said. “Everybody is doing what they’re supposed to be doing. Going to practice, giving it their all. Leaving it all on the track at the meets. I think everybody’s doing great.”
This past weekend, McFrazier placed second at a US Naval Academy hosted event, with a time of 8.24, finishing .03 seconds behind Rhode Island sophomore Wayne Seaton and still short of the school record. But with several meets left this year, McFrazier will have plenty of opportunities to break it at some point. But, even now, he has something bigger on his mind: qualifying for Olympic trials.
“I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me to get there,” he said. “But that’s what I’m here for.”
Avery Maehrer can be reached at avery.maehrer@temple.edu.
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