EUGENE, Oregon — Ever since she was a little girl, track and field has been in Maygan Shaw’s blood.
In a long line of athletes in her family, the Northwestern State sprinter has not only proved to be the best in her family, but also arguably the best women’s sprinter the school has ever produced.
Shaw, a native of Pineville, has a chance to do what other family members couldn’t — become an All-American in an open event.
In 2024, she earned a second team All-American spot as a member of the Lady Demons’ 4×400 relay team after finishing 16th in the relay finals.
Two weeks ago, Shaw made the nationals individually after running a 51.68 in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA East Preliminaries in which she finished eighth to earn a spot in Oregon. She is one of 12 in the event to go to nationals from the East regional.
“It feels good to be able to go back,” Shaw said. “Eugene is such a beautiful city. And they have such a nice facility, so I’m excited to be able to run on such a quality track.”
She has the opportunity to become an All-American in the 400 at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the campus of the University of Oregon, as the women’s competition begins today. ESPN will provide coverage.
The semifinals in the 400 start at 7:41 p.m. CDT. Shaw is in the third of three heats with each heat having eight runners. The top nine reach Saturday’s final.
It did not take long for associate head coach Adam Pennington to see greatness in her as a freshman.
“Early on in her career, I knew how special she would be,” he said. “She won a conference title in her first ever championship. But I’d say this year I seen something different. It’s been the first year she hasn’t been overshadowed by other ladies. From the beginning of the fall you could just see she was on a mission.”
Growing up in a family with so many track athletes, she was able to forge her own path, but her love for the sport started with her parents, Rickey and Maggie Sanders.
Rickey (high jump) and Maggie (hurdles) each helped Maygan reach this point, especially Rickey, who helped her train in high school.
“I love my dad, and I appreciate how far I’ve been able to come with his help, especially since he helped me train a lot in high school,” Shaw said.
While her parents had a giant impact on her career in track and field, she held a special relationship with her grandfather.
Maygan’s grandfather, Larry Shaw, ran track when he was in high school, clocking in the 51s in the 400.
“My grandpa and I were really close,” Shaw said. “We used to visit him often and he would babysit us all the time growing up. I really loved spending time with him and I’m glad he got to see some of my races in middle school.”
One of Maygan’s goals was to run in the 51s, just like her departed grandfather.
Mission accomplished.
Going into her last home meet, the Leon Johnson NSU Invitaetional, she had a month — or as it turned out, two months — remaining in her collegiate career.
It turns out the elder Shaw was with her that day, as she ran a blistering personal best time of 51.87. Not only did she run a personal record, school record, meet record and Walter P. Ledet Track and Field Complex record, she also accomplished that elusive goal of running in the 51s — just like her grandfather.
“It felt rewarding,” Shaw said. “It felt great to be able to reach a goal that seemed impossible for my circumstances growing up. I’m glad I got to meet that goal, and I know he’s really proud of me.
“At first, it didn’t feel real. It was mind-boggling. And to this day, it feels surreal. I just really want to do it again.”
And then she did it again, just two weeks later, smashing that previous best with a new personal record, clocking a blistering 51.19 on April 26 at the LSU Alumni Gold.
If her grandfather were here right now, he would be excited for how much his granddaughter has accomplished and will be right with her every step of the way, both on the track and off. On the track, she has one more goal in mind—to become a first team All-American.
“Being an All-American would be huge,” Pennington said. “I believe if she became an All-American, it would be the first lady sprinter ever in an open event for NSU. We didn’t just come this far to come this far. So that would be huge for her and every lady to ever wear a Demon uniform.”
Going to college in Natchitoches made sense for the Pineville High standout, as she could compete and go to school near her family.
It also didn’t hurt that Pennington, who has Avoyelles Parish roots.
“When recruiting her, what stood out most was her just being from central Louisiana,” he said. “We are from the same area and for her to have some success in high school in that area, we knew she had upside.”
As she prepares for her final collegiate meet, what Shaw will miss the most is not what happened on the track, but the relationships built off it.
“I think what I remember most are at the relationships that I formed while going to this school,” Shaw said. “I’ve said it countless times, but the team is really close and I really feel like it’s a home away from home when I step on the track. I’m sure I’ll see a bunch of them at my wedding.”