Indoor track: Union Catholic siblings Taylor and Sydney McLaughlin were born to run

Taylor and Sydney McLaughlin are like most teenage siblings.

They like to poke fun at each other and joke around with one another when they the chance. But Taylor, 16, is protective of his younger sister and lends advice. Sydney, 14, leans on her big brother for support and looks up to him as a role model.

Then they get on the track, and the Union Catholic athletes are no longer like most teenagers.

Kids of former track stars Willie and Mary McLaughlin, Taylor and Sydney were born to run, and have continued the family legacy of track and field excellence this season.

"There's some pressure living up to the McLaughlin name,'' said Sydney. "People expect you to break records and set a high standard. But I'm just trying to focus on doing my best, not worrying about what other people are running, and just having fun.''

Fun for the McLaughlin siblings, who live in Dunellen, seems to be taking New Jersey track and field by storm. They are the currently the most potent brother-sister combination in the state and possibly in the nation.

Taylor, a junior, emerged as a star during his sophomore year, running on three national championship relay teams, earning multiple All-American honors, and breaking the state sophomore record in the 400-meter hurdles when he placed second at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

Sydney, a freshman, wasted no time displaying her remarkable talent with a stunning debut on Dec. 21, when she smashed the state record in the 300-meter dash in 38.55 at the Bishop Loughlin Games in New York.

Sydney McLaughlin competes at the Union County Championships last week at the Jersey City Armory. (Frances Micklow/The Star-Ledger)

Last Friday, the McLaughlin siblings stole the show at the Union County Championships at the Jersey City Armory. Sydney won the 400 in a meet-record 56.47, the 55 hurdles in a meet- and state-freshman-record 8.16, and anchored the winning 4x400 relay with a sizzling 54.4 to give Union Catholic a one-point victory over Union for its first girls' team county title.

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Indoor track: Union Catholic siblings Taylor and Sydney McLaughlin were born to run