Outstanding in her field

Track and field star Maggie Mullen earns a scholarship

Posted By BY DAVE BORODY, THE OBSERVER

While growing up, Maggie Mullen admitted she was a University of Michigan Wolverines fan.

The Sarnia resident also knows one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports is the one college football has between Michigan and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

She will now be cheering for the scarlet and grey, the colours of Ohio State.

That's because beginning this fall she will be one of 52,000 students on the campus of Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.

The 19-year-old graduate of St. Pat's recently signed a scholarship at Ohio State for track and field.

Mullen, who will have 80 per cent of her costs paid for over the next four years, will take a physical education course. She will concentrate mainly on javelin, but hopes to compete in discus and shot put as well.

"I went for a visit earlier this year and the campus there was amazing," said Mullen during a recent interview. "The facilities there were outstanding. I also visited the University of DePaul near Chicago and the University of Buffalo, but Ohio State is where I wanted to go."

She added, "they just built a new, state-of-the-art recreation centre for indoor meets. I also met the coach of the football team. The football stadium holds 105,000 people. It was awesome."

Mullen has spent the past five years at St. Pat's where she not only starred in track and field, but was a standout on the girls volleyball and basketball teams, and also played softball at the school.

She is also a member of the Athletics Southwest Track and Field Club.

"My coach Joel Skinner got profiles together and were sent out to Division One schools in the United States. In my case, it came down to Ohio State and DePaul, but in the end I really liked Ohio State. It's not that far away from home."

Throwing javelin is something she has been doing most of her life.

"I enjoy throwing javelin. It just came easy. I remember coming into Grade 9 I wasn't sure if I wasn't to go out for the track team because I didn't know very many people and nobody else was throwing the javelin. My coach, Mr. (Tony) Petrocco yelled my name and told to get out on the field and practice. That's how it started."

Mullen has been a standout when it comes to javelin over her high school career. She has won the Lambton Secondary Schools Athletic Association title five years in a row, won the Southwestern Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association twice and finished second at OFSAA, including this year when she had a personal best throw of 46.15 metres.

"I think in Grade 9 I threw 32 metres, In Grade 10, it was up between 38 and 40 and then 46 metres broke the LSSAA record set by Bonnie Brooks."

This year, she won the triple crown at the SWOSSAA championships placing first in javelin, shot put and discus. Her best throws in shot put is 13.11 metres and discus 40.36 metres.

Maggie's mother, Chris MacKenzie, admitted she always thought her daughter might land a scholarship for basketball.

"But this is something that Maggie has always wanted to achieve, to get a scholarship. I'm thrilled for her and the best part Columbus isn't that far away."

Maggie won the Bill Pataky Memorial Award this year for the top senior girls basketball defensive player in the city.

Her father Mark, a former standout hockey player with the Sarnia Bees and Petrolia Squires added, "she now has a great opportunity to take her career in a new direction with all kinds of opportunities. It's a real dream come true for all of us."

Mullen's coach at Ohio State, Karen Dennis, is also the javelin coach for the United States women's Olympic team who will be competing next month at the Games in China.

"We are very happy to have Maggie Mullen join our "Buckeye family" next year. She will add depth to our field program as well as mature into a fine javelin thrower. I like her competitive nature, her passion for the sport and her incredible up side for development."

Dennis added, "I expect her like most frosh to use the first year to adapt to the transitions involved in coming to college, particularly international students, then after that I expect her to become a strong contender for Big 10 championships in future years. We are excited about her prospects."

Mullen knows she has to work on several things when it comes to throwing javelin.

"I need to work on flexibility, strength and power and getting my technique down."

Mullen says she has lots of people to thank for getting her this far.

"My family has always been there for me. It's going to be a little weird leaving them. My coaches, Tony Petrocco, Joel Skinner, Jay Stewart and Pat Lepore. And my grandparents, Eric and Gail Mackenzie. They came to just about every sport I played."

If the name Eric Mackenzie sounds familiar, he once played pro baseball and was the longtime general manager of the Moore Sports Complex.

"I definitely look up to my grandfather," said Mullen. "It's because of him I play fastball with the Courtright Cardinals women's team. I play first base."

Maggie is the youngest of four children. Brother Grant is 27 along with sisters Michelle and Lauren.

Mullen has a hectic schedule leading up to her departure to Ohio State in September.

"This weekend is I will be attending the senior national track and field championships in Windsor. It's part of the Olympics trials. Later on in July, I will be going to British Columbia for the junior nationals. I have my regular training sessions. Actual classes don't start until September 24, but we have to be there the first week of September."

As for long term goals, Mullen said, "I would like someday to be able to tryout for the Canadian Olympic team after I get a few years experience. It would be nice to reach the INCA tournament as a freshman next year. After graduation, I would like to come to St. Pat's and be a teacher."

Mullen concluded by saying, "it's great what is happening and also a little scary. It looks like I'll be the only Canadian on the track and field team. I just found out my roommate, a high jumper is from Belgium. But this is a great chance to meet a lot of new people."

So if you see the Mullen family vehicle around town with an Ohio State bumper sticker, you will know why.