Provided by Katie McDermott

McDermott competes in the hurdles event during a meet at WA.

Although she started her career late, her passion for her chosen sport has been anything but trivial. Inspired to begin track in eighth grade, senior Katie McDermott soon fell in love with the versatile sport. After realizing that she wanted to pursue athletics in college, McDermott worked hard to secure her commitment to Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) for Division II track and field.

After going for an official overnight visit to the university in the fall of 2025, McDermott was able to attend practices and a marketing class, and she quickly fell in love with the welcoming environment that SCSU exuded. From that point on, McDermott knew that she would do whatever it took to become an SCSU Owl.

For McDermott, despite starting in middle school, high school was truly where her track and field career took off. She was able to try different events that were not offered at the middle school level, such as hurdles and pole vault, and apply her gymnastics abilities to a new environment.

“I immediately fell in love with [track]. I have done gymnastics my whole life, and it was just something different, which I really liked,” McDermott said. “Something that I loved about track was that there are so many different [events] you can do.”

During her freshman season, McDermott focused on pole vaulting, which as a gymnast, she has a natural inclination for. However, she does not consider it her favorite event. When Girls’ Track and Field Head Coach Ashley Smith asked her to do the heptathlon at the end of the year, McDermott was ready to jump into something new. According to Smith, because the heptathlon is seven events – 100 meter hurdles, 200 meter sprint, 800 meter, high jump, long jump, shot put, and javelin – many athletes, including McDermott, go into their first one not having trained for each and every event. Nevertheless, McDermott was up for the challenge, and after her freshman year, she knew that she wanted to continue pursuing the heptathlon.

“I had only trained for maybe half of the events, but I was up for the challenge and loved the group of girls that I was doing it with,” McDermott said. “After that [first] heptathlon I knew this was my event.”

Her sophomore season mirrored her freshman year as McDermott continued to strengthen and focus on her pole-vaulting abilities. However, by the time she completed her second heptathlon, she knew that she wanted to solely commit herself to those seven events. McDermott did not just choose the heptathlon because of her skills in the competition, but also because she is genuinely passionate about it.

“I think the heptathlon is the coolest event ever. It shows all of someone’s capabilities [and] it challenges you in so many ways,” McDermott said. “It is also special because you don’t have to be exceptional at every single event. You can shine in a few and still get enough points to score well in the whole thing. And if you stick with it, then you have the ability to excel in seven events. I just think that’s so awesome.”

After her sophomore season, McDermott knew that she wanted to pursue track and field in college. Still, according to McDermott, it was difficult for her to explain to people that she was pursuing track and field in college when gymnastics had been a central part of her life for several years already.

“[As] someone who has done gymnastics since she was three, it was hard to explain to other people that I wanted to pursue track,” McDermott said “The thought of not doing a sport in college kind of scared the life out of me, so once I realized if I worked hard enough I could actually continue my heptathlon journey, I just committed and ran with it.”

Once she dedicated herself to a collegiate track and field path, McDermott knew that she would have to do more than just train in the spring with the WA team, so she took it upon herself to be privately trained by a coach who, according to McDermott, helped her in ways she could not imagine.

Beyond just training, McDermott has also worked hard to be a positive influence on the team.

“[McDermott] is not only extremely hard working [and] dedicated to the training and the sport itself, she’s just such an all-around great person,” Smith said. “She’s really friendly, she’s really outgoing and enthusiastic, and all those qualities are great to have on a team sport like [this].”

Even though McDermott remains very focused on her personal goals, many people have noticed that she always has the passion and energy to cheer on her teammates and fellow heptathletes; which will transfer to her future endeavours as captain during the spring track season.

“[McDermott] is always fun to talk to during practice and [she] makes my day ten times better. Especially during the heptathlon, she was a major support system for us all and [she] would encourage us during difficult events,” junior Maria Reuther said. “I think [McDermott] will be a good captain due to how driven she is, she is kind to everyone [and] she is a very strong leader.”

Her experience was not without difficulties though, as McDermott’s recruitment process did not follow the conventional path. Although coaches normally review an athlete’s junior season, McDermott struggled with certain health problems throughout her junior year that prohibited her from doing any physical activity. However, according to McDermott, as soon as she was well enough to be back, she was signing up for as many meets as she could over the summer and emailing college coaches so that they could watch her compete.

While touring schools, track and field was not her highest priority at first; rather, her dream major, exercise and sports sciences, was at the forefront of her mind. Yet after visiting more schools and emailing coaches, she realized that the Northeast-10 Conference was where she would best fit.

As McDermott’s senior year approached, SCSU was the final school that she toured in the late summer. While looking at the school, she discovered that SCSU had it all: her major and a highly-ranked track team and coaching staff. McDermott then met with some of the team members and more of the coaching staff before finally signing in the fall of 2025.

According to McDermott, the support she has received from the WA Track & Field team has pushed her to become an even stronger heptathlete.

“The WA track coaches are the best. That is the other awesome thing about the heptathlon, you get to work with all the coaches,” McDermott said. “The track environment is just so much fun and the amount of friends I have made through the process makes me feel so lucky. The support between the WA team is incredible.”

Not only have her coaches and teammates encouraged her throughout her journey, but her family has also been beside her at every step of the way. From her older brother helping her keep her nerves to a minimum throughout the recruitment process, to her dad always being ready to do a track or weight-lifting workout together, McDermott’s family has always supported her.

“Between the money they have put into it and the constant support through injuries, bad practices, bad meets, all of it, I can’t even put into words how grateful I am for them,” McDermott said.

As McDermott approaches her final track and field season in high school, she is excited to soon be a part of a collegiate sports team. McDermott recalls watching her brother during his freshman year on the Assumption University baseball team and seeing how special the environment and experiences were, and she is now ready to step into those shoes herself.

“Even seeing the atmosphere of the team at SCSU when I visited just proved to me that if you get on the right team with the right people, those people can become your family, and that is something I am so grateful and excited to experience,” McDermott said.