Lacrosse star Magarity knows joy of being a women’s champion

As the United States women's soccer team punched its ticket to Sunday's World Cup final, Colleen Magarity had flashbacks to the team's triumphant run in 1999 and how meaningful it was to her.

Over a decade ago, that squad showed the Germantown Academy alum that female athletes can be on the same stage as men. She said it was an awesome feeling to see a women's team gain the attention of the nation.

Now a graduate of Northwestern University, Magarity is a three-time women's lacrosse national champion. Last week, she drew comparisons between her just-ended career and that World Cup championship she watched on television as a preteen in Montgomery County.

"It's not the same level, but when we won a national championship and everyone going nuts, it was a cool feeling," Magarity said. "Just walking out onto the field and seeing a packed stadium, I think that's the coolest thing about playing a Division I sport."

After not starting a game her first two years, Magarity started all 45 games as an upperclassmen. In her senior season, she tallied a career-high 31 ground balls and was named to the NCAA all-tournament team after the Wildcats knocked off Maryland in the championship game at Stony Brook University.

"The reality of winning it is indescribable," said Magarity. "After my junior year and not having that same feeling, it was the worst thing ever. We really wanted to get it back this past year."

A human-development and psychological-services major at Northwestern, Magarity will be moving back to Chicago in August to start her career. She plans on staying involved with the lacrosse team, helping out at practices and training with the players, which she said is common for alumni.

She said the city of Chicago fully embraced the team and took an interest in the Wildcats. After capturing the national championship, the team was honored before a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and Magarity carried out the trophy.

"It's really cool to be in a big city, where they know what's going on with women's lacrosse because it's not really that big of a sport," Magarity said.

While at Germantown Academy, Magarity also was a four-year starter in soccer and basketball. After her senior year, she was named The Inquirer's Southeastern girls' athlete of the year for her contributions in all three sports. She had hoped to play basketball in college before becoming more focused on lacrosse in her sophomore year at GA.

As women's sports continue to grow, Magarity hopes that girls aren't pressured to play just one sport. She said that being a multidimensional athlete made her attractive to her college coach, as it proved she was athletic and "wouldn't burn out."

"When I went to high school, I didn't think it was an abnormal thing to play three sports," Magarity said. "I was just used to always being busy."