Scullin finishes season with titles
Senior wins 300-meter hurdles, high jump at Brown; third in long jump
After suffering an injury prior to last season’s outdoor state meet, Meaghan Scullin won two titles last week at Brown
PROVIDENCE – For years now, it has seemed Meaghan Scullin never much liked being interviewed.
She’s quiet and unassuming to begin with, and apparently prefers to let her athletic prowess do the talking.
The Cumberland High senior jumps captain caught media types by surprise near the end of Saturday’s R.I. Interscholastic Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Brown Stadium. The tall, lanky and phenomenal student-athlete couldn’t have been more forthcoming, or patient, after snaring two individual titles, placing third in another and anchoring her Clippers’ 4 x 100meter relay, which finished fourth overall.
After settling for No. 3 in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 0.5 inches, Scullin reigned in both the high jump (5-1) and 300-meter low hurdles (45.30). All told, she racked up 26 points all by her lonesome, and helped Cumberland take fifth in the team standings with 50.
In addition, she claimed her firstever outdoor titles after amassing four on the state indoor circuit over the past three years.
“I had a season PR in the 300 hurdles, and my best-ever long jump,” she grinned after winning her second event. “I had never broken 18 before, so it feels good. I had just jumped 1710, then I saw (Woonsocket High junior) Quinn Harlan go out and jump 18-4.5. I was thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh! I’m going to have to PR if I want to win.
“I was a little disappointed with my (third) placement, mostly because I wasn’t able to score as many points as I wanted to help the team, but I’m still pretty happy with breaking 18. I fouled on my last jump, but it looked really far. I just wish I hadn’t fouled. If I had won, it would’ve meant four more points for us.”
Call that vintage Scullin. Sure, she wants to accomplish all of the personal goals she sets for herself, thought it’s more important to her to collect as many points as possible for her beloved CHS.
That’s one of the reasons she decided not to compete in the 400, instead choosing the 300 hurdles, where she held the state’s top clocking in 45.3 (hand-held).
“I went with the 300 to mix it up,” she stated. “I had run the 400 so many times before at states, and I wasn’t sure how high I could place, plus I had the fastest time (in the distance hurdles); again, I was going for the most points. My seed time was 45.3, and I wanted to give it a shot.
“That was probably the hardest 300 I had in my entire life,” she continued, as Smithfield frosh Grace Beaudry took runner-up honors in 45.87. “Obviously, the field was stacked. Coming up to the 200 (mark), we were already pretty close, so I knew I had to kick it in the last 100. Obviously, my legs were tired, but I was happy I could hold on.
“I’m pretty satisfied with the high jump, as I’ve done that since my freshman year. I’m glad I could end it with a state title, especially with such good jumpers … I had won three long jumps and one high jump in indoor (at the state meet), and I’m very excited about these in outdoor.”
In the process, she garnered AllState first-team laurels with the victories, and a third-team spot in the long jump.
When asked which season is more important to her, she chuckled, “I don’t know. I’d probably say indoor is my favorite because every pit and board is the same, and there’s no weather issues to worry about. I love it so much, though a lot of it has to do with the fact we run the 4 x 200 relay, which is my favorite.”
She didn’t say how she hoped to fare at that “last hurrah,” as she continued to bask in the glory she achieved at Brown. She did state she’s anxious to begin the next phase of her life as a student-athlete at Quinnipiac College in Connecticut.
“It’s a great way to end my career,” she said, peering around at the hundreds of fans and athletes watching or competing in the final races. “I’m just happy I could get as many points as I did for our team. That’s definitely what means the most to me.”