Multisport athlete McMahon eager for WPIAL swim meet, grateful for SSA teammates

By: Marty Stewart
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 1:30 AM

As a forward on the Shady Side Academy girls soccer team, senior Sophia McMahon has experienced much success. The team finished second at the PIAA championships in 2016, won it all in ‘17 and made it to the semifinals last season.

“I was blessed to have amazing offensive players on the team,” McMahon said. “I’ve had far more assists than goals in my career. Part of our mission was to get the ball to our scorers as quickly as possible.”

She also was part of swim teams that won WPIAL championships in 2017 and ‘18 and placed in the top five at states both years. McMahon is hoping for medals for herself and her teammates as the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs begin.

“Personally, I’ve never won a medal yet, but my fingers are crossed for this year,” she said. “I’ve qualified (for WPIALs) for the 100 free, the 200 medley relay, the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay.”

“I really like swimming the 100 free. In swimming and track, I have tended to be the most successful in middle-distance sprints like the 400 in track. They’re fun because they go by so quickly, but they also leave you feeling like you just ran an entire marathon at the end of them.”

Once swimming season is over, the multisport athlete will be running the 400-meter dash and 1,600 relay and competing in the long jump. She will be a co-captain.

It was her involvement in soccer that got her started with swimming.

“Every year in soccer, there have been a couple of days in the season where our team does a pool workout to give our joints a break, since most of the team acquires injuries like shin splints throughout the season,” McMahon said. “During our preseason pool workout, my team was having relay races for fun at the end of the practice, and Coach (John) Landreth, my swim coach, saw us swimming and actually asked my sister why I don’t swim for school and if I would consider joining the team. My sister told me about their conversation, and I ended up signing up for swimming the next day. My body took a beating that soccer season, and I knew that swimming would be an amazing way to train new muscles and to heal my shin splints and the rest of my injuries.”

Of the three sports she’s involved in, she is partial to soccer.

“The girls on my team are my family and being able to play with them on the field has been one of my greatest highlights in high school,” McMahon said.

“I love to run, and I love the team aspect of the sport. There is no feeling that compares to the excitement of scoring in a close game, winning a game that took every bit of strength out of you, or cheering during the last seconds of a state finals game with your best friends.”

McMahon learned Feb. 15 that she has been accepted at Vanderbilt in the fall.

“When making my decision, I definitely wanted to go south. I don’t love the long Pittsburgh winters,” she said. “I wanted to go to a town with a lot of life and action, and Nashville definitely qualifies. I’m super excited because Vanderbilt has been my first choice for a couple years.”

She is unsure of her major but is gravitating toward biology and medicine with pre-med an option later.

“I will not be swimming or playing soccer at Vanderbilt, but I am definitely considering looking into soccer club teams,” McMahon said. “I have been playing soccer since I was 3, and I am still very in love with the sport and will most likely be finding ways to keep playing.”

With her focus on the WPIAL swimming championships, McMahon is optimistic.

“It’s going to be very tough to fill the enormous shoes of the graduated seniors from last year, but we are going to try our hardest and have fun doing it,” she said. “Anything is possible once we’ve finished tapering and have put on our fastskins, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

With her athletic career at SSA coming to an end after track season, she has nothing but fond memories.

“These sports have been so crucial in shaping the person that I am, and I am so happy and grateful that I have had the opportunity to be a part of these teams with the most amazing teammates in the world,” McMahon said.

“The memories that I have from each and every season will always be among of my favorite memories to look back on, and I just want to shout out my coaches and teammates for giving me the best experiences in the world!”

Tags: Shady Side Academy