Greatness Times Two:Paula McGinn to be Inducted in to Endicott College Hall of Fame

Paula McGinn, one of the greatest high school athletes in Lynn history, is heading to her second Hall of Fame in two

Paula McGinn.

years.

A Lynn Classical High School Hall of Fame inductee last year, McGinn will make her grand entrance in to the Endicott College Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony on Sept. 22.

“I am extremely overjoyed and honored to be inducted in to the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame,” said McGinn, who starred in soccer and softball at the college that is located in Beverly. “My experiences as a student-athlete at Endicott were some of the best years of my life and I truly owe it to my teammates, coaches, friends, and family. In addition to a great education, one of the most impactful things Endicott gave me was my confidence in setting goals and understanding my own abilities on and off the field. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with and I wouldn’t be receiving this prestigious award if it wasn’t for the incredible teammates that walked out on the field with me every day.”

McGinn is a 2004 graduate of Lynn Classical, where she was a Northeastern Conference All-Star in soccer, basketball, and softball. She started in the backcourt for coach Gene Constantino’s 20-0 Classical basketball team that advanced to the Division 1 North sectional finals at the Tsongas Center (formerly Tsongas Arena). Other players on that memorable contingent were All-Scholastic Monique Lee, Mary Baldini, Courtney Ferrari, Manise Louinord, Ashley Donovan, and Irene Saranteas.

Constantino said the Hall of Fame recognition is well-deserved. “Paula had a great career at Endicott and this honor is  well-deserved. She’s just been a great role model and a great kid. We were fortunate to honor her by putting her in our Classical Hall of Fame.”

Classical softball coach Chris Warren helped McGinn become a highly skilled slap hitter from left side, using her speed and dexterity to generate numerous base hits. She was also a tremendous outfielder. The Rams stunned No. 1 seed Reading in the State Tournament in what ranks as the school’s biggest softball win ever.

Warren, who transformed Classical in to a perennial Northeastern Conference powerhouse, remembers McGinn’s stellar contributions to the program.

“Paula came an played JV as a shortstop and righthanded batter,” said Warren. “Sophomore year she was a slapper and an outfielder for the varsity. She made the switch seamlessly. She is an ultra competitor. All her hard work led to her earning MVP her senior year. She was one of the first kids for us to switch as a slapper. She was a great example for the players after Paula to look up to. This is a very well-deserved award for Paula.”

Following is the Endicott summary of Paula McGinn’s college athletic career:

As an eight-time CCC champion, Paula McGinn’s name is synonymous with success at Endicott, especially when considering that she is the only student-athlete in Endicott history, male or female, to win eight conference championships throughout her four-year career. McGinn accomplished the historic feat as a member of the women’s soccer  and softball programs, claiming five all-region honors, two CCC Player of the Year accolades (both in soccer) and seven all-conference awards (three in soccer, four in softball) along the wau during her illustrious career.

McGinn was a major force in the success of both teams as the women’s soccer program went 67-19-2 during her four-year career, highlighted by an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2006, while the softball program boasted a 135-37-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 2008. Overall, McGinn’s record as a student-athlete at Endicott sits at 202-56-3 (.780).  McGinn also ranks first all time for triples (9) and stolen bases (71) in softball and third all-time in points (139) and goals scored (64) in women’s soccer.

(Information from the Endicott College press release on the Hall of Fame class was used in the compilation of this story).

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