Horizon Christian School

Indianapolis, IN - History was made on September 4th as Corban McGaughey became the first student-athlete in Horizon Christian School history to commit to continue his collegiate career at the Division 1 level. There have been many great athletes to come through Horizon over the years. Some left and went on to do great things, most notably Cole Hocker who won a Gold medal in this years olympics (and has been a mentor/inspiration for McGaughey along the way), others stayed and continued their careers at the NAIA, Division 3 and Division 2 level, but Corban decided to stay the course, carve his own lane and has set a standard in doing so. In detailing how exactly he got to this decision, I asked Corban a few questions that will help give insight into his journey to this amazing accomplishment. As you'll quickly find out, He gives all of the glory to God. Q: How did you first become interested in XC/T&F? A: I first became interested in Cross country and Track and Field in 2nd grade when I was on the Island of St. Kitts. They hosted what was called the “steeple race,” a half-mile race through the town. I got second, and ever since then, I have loved it. Q: What is your favorite memory of XC/T&F? A: My favorite memory from Cross and Track would have to be when we won in record low points for our state championship. Just all of my Sophomore year cross country and track was so fun. Q: What are your goals for your athletic career? A: My athletic career goals are to make it to the Olympic Trials and break 4 in the mile within two years of college running. I would also like to break 3:40 in the 1500 and line up against Cole Hocker at some point during my career. Another goal is to make it to NCAA cross nationals with my team at Lipscomb and make it as an individual in Track. Q: How has your family supported your athletic journey? A: My family has supported me in my goals in just about every way possible. They have provided me with countless opportunities to race, train, and compete, and they have guided me to compete at the highest level I can. They have also taught me what it means to run for God’s glory and how to run for the King, and this will have an eternal impact. Q: How did you first become aware of Lipscomb? A: I first became aware of Lipscomb when I knew a guy who committed there to run and had nothing but amazing things to say about it. I believe I first saw it on his strava. Then I reached out to them, and Coach Polk was the first D1 coach to respond to me and show interest. Q: What factors influenced your decision to commit? A: Some factors that influenced my commitment were the team, the coach, the cost, and knowing this was what the Lord had. From the gun, the team was so incredibly kind and welcoming, not only that, but I could tell they cared about me spiritually, and would disciple me and help my walk with the Lord. Coach Polk was the first Coach to ever respond to me, and I could tell from the start that he really believed in me and that I was what I wanted, on top of that, he has a very humble, and meek heart, but strong leadership, that reminds me of Coach Doug, and that is something I loved and I knew right away I wanted him to be my Coach. Q: What was your initial impression of Lipscomb and their program? A: My initial impression of the school was that I absolutely loved it, and especially loved Coach Polk. The campus is beautiful and everything is within walking distance, and it is not overcrowded, or massive per se, but had a unique feel to it, that I really liked. I was very impressed with the facilities, the gear, and the caliber of athletes and followers of Jesus that are there. I knew it was where I wanted to go almost right away. Q: How did the coaching staff and team members interact with you during the recruitment process? A: The Coaching staff and team members were nothing but kind and Christlike to the whole team, and that meant volumes to me. Even just observing the Coaches you could really tell that they cared about every single athlete on the team, on an individual level and a spiritual level too. The team members were very welcoming, and I immediately connected with them and could tell this was a team I wanted to be a part of. On top of that, one of my best friends, Shane Conroy, is coming with me to Lipscomb to run, and my girlfriend, Brinkley Cooper, is going to Lipscomb to run as well, so to already have such close people to me going there will be amazing. Q: Did you have other school interested? and if so, why did you ultimately choose Lipscomb? A: I had a few other schools I was looking at and interested in, I was looking at Indiana State, Liberty University, Purdue, Xavier, and IU Indy, and I ultimately decided on Lipscomb because I knew that I wanted to be in a Christian environment, and I wanted to go where I connected with the team and Coach the most, and that was Lipscomb, by a long shot. I am very thankful for what the Lord has and so grateful and thankful for everyone who has supported me and prayed for me. Corban has blessed our athletic program with how much he pursues the Lord in everything he does and has allowed that to ultimately drive his passion for using the abilities God gave him athletically to bring more glory to the Lord. We will be announcing a signing day later on that will be an event held at Horizon Christian School, but for now we wanted to say Congrats Corban and we are so proud of you! Go Lions and Go Bison!