Athlete of the Week: Maggie O’Neil ’17

Maggie O’Neil, a native of Woodbury, Connecticut, is a member and significant contributor to both the Women’s Track and Field and Basketball teams. O’Neil was recently named Centennial Conference Field Athlete of the Week for her incredible performance at the Coach I Open at Franklin and Marshall College. She came in first in shot put with a 12.79m throw and fourth in weight throw with a 11.49m performance. The 2015 Centennial Conference Honorable Mention also holds the school records for javelin (33.78m) and hammer throw (33.88m). On the basketball court, O’Neil is shooting a solid 71.9 percent from the free-throw line, while also collecting 5.1 rebounds per game.
THE PHOENIX: What do you like most about being a student-athlete?
MAGGIE O’NEIL: My favorite thing about being a student athlete is the structure it provides to my day. I love the fact that I get to spend two to three hours a day working hard with my best friends, and I thrive on the challenge of this time commitment in the context of being a student at Swarthmore.
TP: How do you balance being on two varsity teams on campus?
MO: Until this year, I was fortunate in that my seasons never overlapped, and so I was able to treat and devote myself to each one separately. This year is a little different in that there is some slight overlap, but with a little more discipline and focus on time management, it has been going smoothly.
TP: What is your major and what influenced you to pursue it?
MO: I am a double major in political science and psychology. I was drawn to these subjects because of the introductory classes I took in my first two years at Swarthmore. Although I intend to get a job more in line with my political science degree, I’m still pursuing both because I remain fascinated by the material I’m learning.
TP: Being a senior, what are your after-college plans?
MO: After graduation, I plan to work for a year while I study for the LSAT and apply to law school. My end goal is to be a Judge Advocate General in the Military.
TP: What is your favorite Swat athletics memory?
MO: One of my favorite Swat athletics memories has to be our home victory against Muhlenberg my freshman year. We had lost to them in overtime earlier in the season, and I had my career-high 19 points in the rematch. Off the court I have too many memories with my teammates to even try to pick a favorite.