Meghan Quinn ’24, a sprinter on the women’s track & field team from Lititz, PA majoring in Psychology, has been awarded The Bucknellian’s Excellence in Athletics award for 2024.
Quinn has been a member of Women’s Track and Field since her first year, and has broken several school records while acquiring many other accolades to her name in that period.
Quinn realized she was quick during her childhood, during a moment as simple as elementary school recess.
“I remember I was in elementary school, I raced some of the guys during recess and I was beating some of them, so I was like ‘Oh maybe I’m fast.’ I played field hockey since fourth grade, and then in seventh grade I decided to also pick up track. And, it kind of just stuck ever since.”
It ended up being a great decision for Quinn to pick up track as it eventually led her to a storied career at Bucknell. She ended her Bison career with a staggering nine school records, while breaking some of her own in the process. In addition, she has had the opportunity to be a part of multiple Bucknell teams that have finished in the top 5 of the Patriot League Championships between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Outside of being a captain of the women’s track team, Quinn also serves as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in Psychology, is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and is a part of the Bison Cares club.
Quinn discussed what ultimately led her to Bucknell as she was coming out of high school.
“The location of it, I’m pretty close to home right now. And, honestly, the athletics and academics combined is kind of what led me to choose Bucknell. I wanted to compete at the Division I level, but I also wanted to get a pretty good degree.”
Despite all of her hard-earned success on the track and in the realm of academics, Quinn definitely had her fair share of challenges throughout her four years at Bucknell. She mentioned how interesting of a sport track & field is due to the individual nature of it mixed with a team structure, which can cause a lot of mental challenges.
“Track is such a different sport because of the individualized aspect, and then paired with the team aspect, it’s really easy to get in your head and compare yourself to others, me comparing myself to others in the Patriot League. I’ve definitely struggled with that.”
But, the team aspect of track is what really means a lot to Quinn. The pride she feels of being able to represent Bucknell athletics is what will stick with her for years to come, even with all of the impressive feats she has accomplished.
“The experience I’ve had on this team is really unlike any other I’ve had. The support I’ve gotten these past four years has been crazy and I’m so grateful for it,” Quinn stated.
Through great bonds with teammates and determination, Quinn was able to consistently build on her successes as an athlete at Bucknell. She talked about how fortunate she was to be able to build such long-lasting friendships with her teammates that not all collegiate athletes have the privilege of getting to do. Beyond all that, she touched on one friendship she made beyond those she was competing with: a coach she was competing for. Richard Alexander ’03 is the sprints and hurdles coach for Bucknell Track & Field, and he left a lasting impression on Quinn throughout her career.
“He doesn’t get enough credit. He’s truly been the best friend and the best coach I’ve ever had. Just as a support system and my coach, he’s really been the best. I know a lot of other college athletes don’t have that experience with their coach and so I’m really lucky to have (Coach Alexander) in my life,” she said.
Now, as her career as a Bison comes to an end, Quinn reflects on what’s next for her in her journey.
“I’m going to grad school next year to get my master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Penn State. I hope to one day work with athletes, I’ve definitely benefitted from working with our sports psychologist here, Nick Fuller, and so that’s what kind of pushed me in that direction.”
Through a career that will leave a lasting legacy in the Bucknell Athletics community, Quinn has been able to share in countless fond memories with her teammates and coaches she will never forget. And as she moves on, she hopes to use the challenges she faced to help other athletes as she pursues her career.
