Maggie Lally
Dr. Maggie Lally is one of the greatest female athletes to grace the basketball courts in Mercer County shortly after Title IX opened the door for women in sports and education.
She competed in athletics at Kennedy Catholic High School, excelling in basketball, softball, track and cross country, all under legendary coach Joan Rush. In basketball, she was starting point guard her junior year that won the District 10 title and finished 3rd at state. That year in track she qualified for state and finished 6th in the mile run (5:05).
Her senior year she was state Class A champion in the mile run (5:10) while placing third in the 880 (2:18). She was a national regional qualifier in Junior Olympics in the mile, 880 and 440. That year, 1977, she was third in cross country at state - only the second cross-country race she ever ran following the first, the district qualifier. In basketball she was named to several All-Star postseason teams.
She played basketball at the University of Notre Dame from 1977-1981, playing with her older sister Carol. Her freshman year was the first for varsity status at the school and she became the first four-year letter winner in the history of the college. She started every game at point-guard all four years. She won the Academic All-American Award her junior and senior years as a pre-med major. At graduation she received the Brian Kanaley Award, the highest academic/athletic honor given to a female and male graduating senior for superior academic achievement and athleticism/sportsmanship.
The current Pittsburgh dermatologist said she honed her athletic skills at the Buhl Club in her youth where she competed in gymnastics, diving, swimming and basketball. Her first "team" was with Coach Ella Christman who pulled together a handful of 8th graders from around the Shenango Valley for basketball.