Shaelan McNally hasn’t always been the fastest runner at the dinner table.
The Paul VI High School junior has spent a lifetime keeping in stride with her mother, Mary McNally, who was also a sensational runner at the Haddonfield high school and got her daughter interested in the sport of cross country.
“She’s the one that really motivated me to run,” Shaelan McNally said. “She taught me how to compete. It’s something that we share together.”
Mary McNally is a 1988 graduate and was a top tier All-South Jersey runner at Paul VI who ran in college at Glassboro State (now Rowan University). But Shaelan has already topped her mom’s high school running achievements and has her eye on the biggest prize by attempting to break 1983 grad Dawn Cody’s school records in both cross country and track.
“Dawn was a classmate of mine and graduated in 1983,” Paul VI girls cross country coach Mike Lyons said. “Basically, Dawn has the record in all the events and Shaelan is second, so she’s racing against history right now. And she has a really good chance of taking down the Holmdel time [at the State Championship] and the one-mile and two-mile races in the spring.”
Lyons is up on his history, serving as the girls coach at Paul VI for the last 35 years. He’s seen what it takes to hit those times. He believes McNally is right there.
“I always say there is talent, and there is work ethic, and then there is actually getting it done,” Lyons said. “Some kids train really hard but don’t race well. She races tough, and has the talent and trains hard. She’s got all three.”
It just took a while for McNally to discover it. It wasn’t until freshman year that she started noticing she could hang with the best runners in South Jersey.
McNally received All-South Jersey honors during her freshman and sophomore years, and she’s put together quite a junior season, having finished first in the Camden County Championships (19.29.77) at Timber Creek High School on Oct. 14; first in the Olympic Conference Championships (18:13.17) on Oct. 19 at Dream Park in Logan Township; and first in the Bob Kiessling Invitational (18.50.57) on Oct. 29 at Dream Park.
McNally’s competitiveness with herself took over after the meet. She expressed disappointment in her time despite capturing the win.
“I was kind of hoping to do better,” McNally said. “I still won, but it wasn’t my best. Last week was my best.”
That drive and motivation is certainly catching on with her teammates. The Eagles had five athletes finish in the top 15 at the Bob Kiessling Invitational as Macy Huber, Giovanna Mantuano, Madison Pedicelli and Gisella Croge all posted impressive times.
“She’s got great teammates behind her,” Lyons said. “It’s all coming together for us. The state meet is next week, and we’re excited to run there.”
McNally, who likes to draw and has played the piano since age 6, is looking forward to the challenge.
“My motivation is always to do better for myself and always to improve,” said McNally, who is also a National Honors Society inductee and part of the school’s yearbook club. “I’m always looking for new goals and new races to motivate myself.”
All that’s left is Cody.
“I really am hoping to get some school records this year,” McNally said. “I’m about 10 seconds away from the school record at the state meet. I’m hoping I can get that this year and set a good one for the rest of the school.”
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