From setback to success: Park City’s Megan Magee heads to Tufts

Photo: Sabrina Boehlke.

Tufts University, located just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, is considered a “little” or a “mini” Ivy. These schools, though not as prestigious as those in the Ivy League, offer academic excellence, closer-knit communities, personalized education, and high-level opportunities right after graduation. Tufts follows this pattern, with an undergraduate population of less than 7,000, and a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1. However, don’t mistake the small class sizes as an easy entry—Tufts has an acceptance rate of only 10.1%, and the average weighted GPA required is 4.11. On top of high academic standards, Tufts has a strong athletic program, which includes an impressive D1 (Division 1) Women’s Lacrosse team headed by Courtney Shute. This team has made it to the NCAA Tournament—essentially nationals—10 times since 2009, making Tufts one of the top lacrosse schools in the nation.

All of that is to say, Tufts University is no small feat to get accepted to—and Park City’s own Megan Magee happens to be heading there this fall to study economics and play D1 Lacrosse!

After moving to Park City at the age of four, Megan tried out a variety of sports, including dance and soccer. But, while playing soccer in elementary school, she couldn’t help but get her hands involved. Jokingly, her parents signed her up for lacrosse when she was in fifth grade—that way, her hands would be busy with the stick—and Megan instantly fell in love. From the start, Megan enjoyed how competitive lacrosse was. She quickly improved her skills and speed, trying to become better than her yesterday self. Megan also was driven from the get-go because she looked up to her family and their success in lacrosse. Megan’s dad played in college, and her brother was highly successful at it, making varsity as a freshman. 

As Megan grew up, her love for lacrosse didn’t falter. By her freshman year in high school, Megan was a midfield starter, known for her speed and agility. During her sophomore year, this linear line of success was tested. While in California for a match, Megan’s teammate and fellow midfield starter suffered an injury and had to withdraw from the competition. Megan’s hamstring had been feeling tight leading into the game, but she pushed on, not wanting to let the team down. Sadly, during the game, Megan tore her hamstring, pulling her out of training and competition for two months. 

Although this was clearly a setback, Megan was able to take away key lessons from this injury. On a personal level, Megan started to learn how to listen to her body to find the finicky balance between dedicated training and overuse injuries. Also, during her time on the bench, Megan took the time to be the team’s cheerleader and coach, hyping the girls up before matches and giving supportive advice. 

In and out of injury, Megan explains that the lacrosse community has been unparalleled. Even as each player is reaching for personal success, the team love is never forgotten. For one, when a teammate scores a goal, Megan says everyone is filled with even more excitement than if it had been their own point, because, as a teammate, they know all about the dedication each person has put in. And, when a teammate slips up, they are not met with shame. Instead, there is a universal understanding that the player will recognize and try their best to fix their mistake, because the team is in it together. 

After healing from the torn hamstring with the support of her community, Megan went into her junior year with big dreams. For lacrosse, the summer before junior year is filled with the most pressure for success, with recruiters from top colleges looking for their next star players. As she prepared for this key junior season, Megan continued a rigorous training schedule. During the fall and winter, she joined the Park City track team to improve her speed for lacrosse, making sure to run five to six times a week. On top of running, Megan lifted three to four times a week, and she practiced her skills with a wall ball in her backyard daily. Her training was going well, and everyone expected a highly successful junior season for Megan—then she strained her compromised hamstring. This injury took her out of competition and diminished her dreams of being recruited to top Ivy league schools. 

Although disheartening at the time, it provided Megan with a different perspective. Recruiters from larger schools weren’t reaching out to Megan, so she started looking into smaller schools that had tried to recruit her. In the fall of her junior year, Megan toured Tufts, and, like with her instant love for lacrosse, she knew that this was where she wanted to go. Describing it as a “magical visit,” Megan was immersed in the university’s culture in just a few days. She met with, and immediately connected with, the women’s lacrosse team coach and players, easily sliding jokes and breaking into laughs. Tufts, with its close proximity to a large city, small class sizes, and stellar academics, checked all her boxes. She knew it was a perfect fit. 

Megan looks back on her unfortunately timed injury, explaining that “everything happens for a reason.” If she hadn’t torn her hamstring and strained it again during her junior year, she wouldn’t have found Tufts and the amazing opportunities that it holds for her future. As she starts her freshman year, Megan is looking forward to the next four years at Tufts, where she’ll improve her lacrosse skills, connect with new friends, and study economics. One of her goals in this next chapter of life is to help the Tufts lacrosse girls reach the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time, and possibly take home a national title. 

From injury setbacks to attending a top university, Megan Magee is a resilient young lady, taking great strides to success.