On the Road Back: Injured in a Powder Puff Game, Lynn Classical Track Star Mcguffie Receives Scholarship to Merrimack

This was supposed to Hulerie McGuffie’s signature senior season in the Lynn Classical High School girls track program.

A state individual championship, NEC titles, All-Scholastic honors, and a Division 1 track scholarship were reachable goals. There were many who felt her final indoor and outdoor track seasons would lead to her recognition as the greatest female track athlete in school history.

But everything changed for senior Hulerie McGuffie last November when she sustained a devastating injury in the annual powder puff game versus Lynn English at Manning Field.

“I dislocated my left knee in the game while running the ball and then I ran on it [toward the end of November] and tore my ACL,” said McGuffie. “

While the injury ended her competitive high school running career, college coaches still recruited the talented athlete who had been a force throughout high school and had competed in the nationals in North Carolina.

The good news is that Hulerie McGuffie has received a $72,000 track scholarship to Merrimack College and will begin her studies in the fall. Merrimack competes at the Division 2 level in track and McGuffie’s event will be the 400 meters.

“I guess Division 1 would have been nice, but I’m perfectly fine about going to Merrimack,” said McGuffie.

She said if she could turn back the clock, she would not have played in the powder puff game.

“Definitely not,” said McGuffie. “It’s a fun thing to do and it was my senior year. I just did it to have fun. I never knew that I would get injured.”

To her credit, McGuffe is still involved with the track team as a captain under the guidance of coach Katie Miller. She was seen rooting on her teammates at Saturday’s dual meet against Everett.

“My knee is doing better,” said McGuffie, who underwent surgery on Feb. 3. “I’m able to start running next month, but I’m going to take the entire high school season off so I can be ready for college.”

Classical athletic director Bill Devin said he was “heartbroken” when McGuffie suffered her high school career-ending injury but he’s very happy that she will be resuming her athletic career in college.

“She’s a great kid who worked really hard to get to the level of excellence she was at,” said Devin. “She’ll be an asset to the Merrimack program. I wish her nothing but success and I’m sure there will be a spot in the Classical Hall of Fame for her one day.”

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