2022 Standard-Times Girls Track Athlete of the Year: Old Rochester's Maggie Brogioli

Maggie Brogioli started her senior year off by winning a state championship in volleyball.

She ended it by being named an All-American for track and field.

“Maggie is one of those kids that is going to excel in whatever sport she’s going to play,” said Old Rochester track coach and athletic director Bill Tilden. “She’s such a competitive athlete who can match up. She’s got great footwork and great hand-eye coordination.”

Known as “Playoff Maggie” on the volleyball and basketball courts for playing her best on the biggest stages, Brogioli saved her top track performances for the championship meets.

She captured her first-ever Div. 5 championship this spring by jumping a school-record 5-6 in the high jump.

“I was really excited,” said Brogioli of winning the high jump. “That definitely made the day a lot better. I was not expecting that.

“Knowing it was one of my last meets, I went out there hard. Just the competition there got me more motivated. I didn't know what to expect. I really wanted to do my best and get first and get a new PR.”

Brogioli showcased her versatility and athleticism with her performances in the pentathlon, which includes the 800 meters, 100 hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot put.

She placed third in the pentathlon at the Div. 5 meet and set a school record with her third-place total of 3,138 points at the Meet of Champions (formerly All-States).

“Being so good at the high jump and the hurdles will grab you a lot of points,” Tilden said. “If she gets to work on the 800, she’ll see even a much larger jump.”

Brogioli got to see how she stacks up with the nation’s best as she completed in the pentathlon at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in June at the University of Pennsylvania.

Despite not feeling well leading up to the meet, Brogioli came in sixth place, earning All-American honors.

“It was very exciting,” Brogioli said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. I had no clue how many girls would be there. There was no ranking so I didn’t know where I stood. I was just going for the experience.

“The whole week before a weird stomach bug was going around. I was ill the day we left. I said, ‘I can’t not go.’ I’m glad I pushed through it. The morning of the meet I was better but not 100 percent.”

Even though Brogioli is more known for her achievements in volleyball and basketball, her success in track and field shouldn’t come as a surprise.

It’s the sport she’s competed in the longest. Brogioli started participating in the summer program run by the Mattapoisett Track Club when she was four or five years old. She also did the Marion Mile.

“I've just been running my whole life,” the 18-year-old from Mattapoisett said. “Once seventh grade came around, they had the club there. None of my friends would do it with me, but I was so excited. I did the high jump in junior high and I liked it. I knew I was going to do that in high school.”

Right away, Brogioli jumped 5-2 in the high jump as a freshman. She added four more inches by her senior year despite her sophomore year being canceled because of the pandemic and a shortened junior campaign.

“Not having a season my sophomore year took a toll on my high jump,” Brogioli said. “Sophomore year I was hoping to jump 5-4 and I never got a season. Junior year I jumped 5-4 and I jumped 5-6 this year.

“It doesn’t seem like four inches over four years is a lot, but my form got so much better.”

Brogioli thrived off the competition she faced on a daily basis against teammate Jen Williams, a two-time Standard-Times Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

“We definitely both have our own friendly competition,” said Brogioli. “Having each other helped push each other.”

Tilden agreed, “These girls saw it every day and in every practice. It took each other to push to those limits.”

Williams, a Super Teamer, also set the school record in both the high jump and pentathlon this season before Brogioli broke both marks.

When Brogioli won the high jump at the Div. 5 meet, Williams was the first person she turned to.

“I remember jumping off the mat really excited,” Brogioli said. “I hugged Jen first. She was probably more excited than me. It was great.”

Brogioli will continue competing in track and field next year at Div. 1 Sacred Heart University.

“I’ll be running track there in the winter and spring,” she said. “I never expected to go Div. 1. I didn’t really care what division I ended up playing.

“I wanted to find a school I liked first before deciding on what sport (I wanted to play). It had the major I wanted. I filled out a questionnaire for the track team and I heard back from the coach and visited. I really liked the team chemistry.”

Brogioli will study exercise science while competing in the high jump and part of the multi-event group.

“I definitely think going off a better season has motivated me and got me more excited to continue my track career,” said Brogioli. “Ever since I started track, something about it really clicked. I like any competition. I’m a competitive person. I’ve enjoyed it more than other sports I've played.”

ALL ABOUT MAGGIE BROGIOLI

WHY SHE WAS SELECTED: Brogioli saved her best performances for her last as she set a pair of school records, won a divisional title and earned All-American honors in her final three high school meets. … Teammate Jen Williams was also considered for the top honor as she also broke a pair of school records and won two titles at the South Coast Conference meet and was named the SCC’s MVP.

KEY STATS: After winning the high jump and taking second place in both the 100 hurdles and long jump at the South Coast Conference meet, Brogioli won the high jump at the Div. 5 championship with a school-record 5-6. She also came in fourth in the 100 hurdles and third in the pentathlon. Brogioli went on to place third in the pentathlon at the Meet of Champions with a school-record 3,138 points and took sixth at New Balance Nationals Outdoor to earn All-American honors.

MVP MOMENT: While Brogioli’s record-breaking performances at the Div. 5 and Meet of Champions were impressive, the fact that she was able to place sixth at Nationals in the pentathlon despite not feeling well stands above the rest.

NOTES: Brogioli is a two-time Standard-Times Girls Volleyball Player of the Year and a Standard-Times Super Teamer for girls basketball and girls track. … The daughter of Mark and Stella Brogioli, Maggie has two brothers, Matthew and Luke, and a sister, Caroline. They all play sports.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Old Rochester's Brogioli is 2022 Girls Track Athlete of the Year