Maggie Gormley, a Tinley Park High School freshman, loves running. Not only does she love running, but she is so good at it that she is turning things around for Tinley Park High School Cross County.
“I started cross country in seventh grade just for fun, and then I realized that I was good at it in eighth grade,” Maggie said. “I really wanted to do volleyball this year, but I decided to do cross country because I knew I was good at it, so all year I kept building up to be the best I could be.”
Maggie had no idea that her passion for running would earn her a spot in the top ten at the IHSA Sectionals, making her the first female student at Tinley Park High School to qualify for the IHSA 2A State Cross Country meet since 1993.
“I was shocked because I didn't really think that I would be able to go to state at first. I thought sectionals was just a fun race, I would be fine, it’s just the last race of the season,” Maggie said. “Then it turned out that it wasn't the last race. When I heard that I was the first girl after 30 years, I was like, ‘That's insane!’ and that's a big accomplishment, especially as a freshman.”
Maggie was ecstatic to participate in the state meet. Although she did not score the top slot, she soaked up every moment of the process.
“My thought process during the race was blurry. I said ‘ just keep going. Don't give up. You made it here. That's a huge accomplishment. Just keep going. There's no reason to stop now because you made it.’”
Tinley Park High School Athletic Director Mike Mongan said this is a huge win for Tinley Park High School.
“This is such an amazing accomplishment for our school. Maggie is leading the way for TPHS kids,” Mongan said. “We’d love to bring an entire team of kids to state. This was an amazing accomplishment that shows our students they can do anything they put their minds to.”
Maggie is excited to continue her cross country career at Tinley Park High School, and is looking forward to participating in golf, volleyball and track.