What started as the second sport for Sheryl Fincher ’84 McGill led to a first for the North Central College women’s track and field program, as she wound up becoming the first Cardinal to earn multiple All-America certificates and established school records that stand to this day.
Initially recruited to North Central by the basketball program, McGill soon thereafter received a phone call from track and field coach Phil Van Lear, whose enthusiasm quickly rubbed off.
“I didn’t even think I was going to be on the track team,” she said. “Phil talked about how the team was still fairly new, and that he thought I would have a really good chance to excel.”
McGill qualified for the Division III National Championships (the NCAA only sponsored an outdoor championship at the time) in the high jump each of her four years at North Central. She earned All-America honors for the first time as a sophomore in 1982, placing third, then finished fifth in 1983 before closing her career with another third-place showing as a senior. Her clearance of 5 feet, 8 inches established the current North Central outdoor record, and she also remains the Cardinals’ indoor record holder in the high jump (5’8 ½”).
“The first year, I qualified for nationals but didn’t place,” McGill said. “Nationals were different from the rest of the season. Coaches weren’t allowed on the field, and you’re kind of out there on your own.
“Even though I didn’t place the first year, Phil was really excited. He kept saying, ‘You’ve gotta believe!’ The next three years, I was lucky enough to place, and every year surprised me more.”
As a basketball player, McGill used her jumping prowess to become one of the program’s all-time leading rebounders. Despite missing her junior season due to injury, she remains fifth in North Central history with 714 rebounds and helped lead the Cardinals to an appearance in the national semifinals as a senior.
Though competing in both sports proved rigorous, McGill believes doing so proved to be a valuable study in tackling multiple challenges and provided her with the confidence and toughness she has applied in a 29-year career with American Airlines.
“It was usually an adjustment to go from basketball to track,” she said. “I think it prepared me to be mentally tough. Once, before my sophomore year, I was invited to speak to the incoming freshman class about what it was like to be a student-athlete at North Central. I remember thinking it was a comfortable situation, whereas speaking in front of people before was never easy for me.
“Even today, almost 30 years later, when I have to get up in front of people and speak, I think about that day. I just try to remember how comfortable I was on that day and project that same confidence.”
