Lynn’s McGuffie setting goals at UMass-Boston

Hulerie McGuffie hadn?t originally intended on going to UMass Boston. But that is where she ultimately decided to attend after graduating from Lynn Classical in 2012. Now entering her third year as a sprinter on the Beacons’ women’s track team, there is no place she?d rather be.
?I thought about transferring after my first year,” McGuffie said. “I told myself not to get too comfortable, but I ended up just loving it her. I love the team. I love the coach. It’s a good environment.”
And it’s a good bet they love her.
McGuffie has spent the last two years setting records and going where few other runners in the Beacons’ women’s track and field program have gone before. She was named an All-American in indoor and outdoor track as a sophomore ? the first Beacon to accomplish that feat since the 1980s. She was named the Little East Conference indoor and outdoor track athlete of the year last year, when she also took home several athlete of the week honors. She set program records in the indoor 60-meter and 200-meter races. She was on the 4×400 relay team that set a New England Alliance meet record.
McGuffie ran a career-best 55.24 in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, earning a third-place finish. The list of accomplishments goes on, and that was just her sophomore season.
Even McGuffie was surprised by her success at the college level.
?I knew I was going to run, but I didn’t expect to be where I am now,” she said.
McGuffie started running track at Pickering Middle School. She credits her high school coaches, Lauren Phelps and Katie Miller, with encouraging her to pursue the sport at the college level. The road to running in college hit a bump when McGuffie tore her ACL in the powderpuff football game her senior year and missed both the indoor and outdoor seasons. But she was ready to go by the time indoor season rolled around her freshman year at UMass Boston.
McGuffie has set goals for herself this year and at the top of the list is winning an NCAA Division III outdoor championship in the 400-meter dash. Having taken third in the event last year, McGuffie believes it can happen. Her coach, Consandria Walker, is also optimistic. Walker has coached McGuffie for three years and has witnessed the Classical alum?s love of the sport emerge.
?Each year she becomes more focused on her goal towards earning (a) national title in her event. Earning a national title is more than a reasonable goal for her,” Walker said, adding she’s looking forward to seeing what McGuffie can accomplish in the upcoming seasons.
The Beacons have their first indoor meet Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center. McGuffie normally runs the 400, 200 and 4×400 relay, but she’ll be running the 500-meter race this weekend.
?My coach puts us in events that we have to work harder at,” McGuffie said, adding that it helps when she goes back and runs the 400.
McGuffie’s indoor bests include 7.89 in the 60-meter dash, 25.16 in the 200, 43.76 in the 300, 55.28 in the 400, and 1:24.05 in the 500. She has also competed in the long jump with a PR of 17 feet, 9.5 inches.Her outdoor PRs are 12.21 in the 100, 24.57 in the 200, 52.24 in the 400 and 17-6.75 in the long jump.