Cumberland’s Scullin headed to Quinnipiac
Cumberland All-State long jumper ready to test skills against Division I athletes
Track and field star Meaghan Scullin makes her college choice.
CUMBERLAND – Meaghan Scullin acknowledged that it’s her nature to be indecisive, a trait that helped create some uneasiness when it came time for the Cumberland High senior to make up her mind regarding her college plans.
“I was really stressed out,” said Scullin while sitting in athletic director Matt Campanelli’s office on Monday. “Obviously it’s the next four years of my life and possibly even more. Since I’ve been in public schools my whole life, I’ve never had to decide where I want to go.”
Given Scullin’s impressive class rank – she’s currently third among her 2016 Clipper peers – and the fact that she’s been an ace sprinter/jumper on the track & field circuit for seemingly forever, it’s no surprise to learn that this 17-year-old had no shortage of potential college suitors. She narrowed her choice down to Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University and nearby Brown University, two schools where she paid official visits.
After careful consideration, Scullin decided that Quinnipiac best suited the academic and athletic goals that she plans on pursuing upon graduating from CHS this June.
Scullin visited Quinnipiac the week prior to cross-country states last November. She verbalized her commitment to the Bobcat coaching staff in early December and plans to make it official in April when she signs her National Letter of Intent.
“They’re a good team and a developing track program, but one of the main things that I really liked about Quinnipiac is the physical therapy program, which is well known,” said Scullin.
“If I do the accelerated program there, I can get my bachelor’s degree in three years and wouldn’t have to apply to grad school. I would be automatically accepted into it.”
Scullin has been the state’s indoor long-jump champion in each of the past two seasons. She enhanced her reputation as Rhode Island’s long-jump queen this past Saturday with a personal-best and school-record leap of 18 feet and six inches. It was a performance that helped the Clippers gain valuable points in their eventual Bayha Division championship and assured Scullin of a spot in next month’s national meet in New York City.
“Sometimes it can be stressful with fouling, but I just love long jump,” said Scullin.
Truth be told, Scullin’s final go-around as an indoor track participant has already been quite memorable. The good fortune that she’s tasted in the long jump has been rivaled by her success in the high jump and the 300-meter dash. Scullin topped the Bayha field in both events as Cumberland went on to defeat longtime power La Salle, 86-77.
“This past weekend was great for our team,” said Scullin. “Obviously going into the class meet and states, something like this gives us a lot a confidence to try and perform at a high level and show everyone that we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
Perhaps the string of gold-medal finishes can be traced to the fact that Scullin knows exactly where she’s heading come this fall.
“Coach (Josh) Lima has said to me in practice that I seem a lot happier and a lot more stress free,” said the 5-foot-9 Scullin. “I knew that I wanted to do track in college no matter where I ended up, but I wanted to jump well for my team and try to make it to nationals.”
One of Scullin’s goals heading into the indoor season was to set a personal best in one of her preferred disciplines. She was coming off a cross-country campaign where a slow-and-steady approach was taken after suffering a hamstring injury during the spring of her junior year.
“She had to be very patient because she’s competitive. We held her back during summer training and early in the season,” said Cumberland coach Vanessa Malloy. “She was even tentative at the beginning of indoor because it was the first time she was jumping since injuring herself.”
Scullin’s coaches feel that her confidence is at an all-time high and can pinpoint exactly why that’s the case.
“She’s not thinking about getting her steps. She’s focusing on the jump now,” said Malloy.
Echoed Lima, “She’s an amazing athlete. At meets, we’re telling her the little things like ‘Keep your head up.’ She’s also taken the warm-up and practice aspect so much more seriously.”