Bay Shore's Maggie McCormick named New York girls track and field player of the year
Bay Shore senior Maggie McCormick won New York’s top girls track honor, after ranking No. 1 in the state in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. She heads to Florida on scholarship.
Maggie McCormick capped a dominant senior season with one of the highest honors in high school track and field, becoming the 2025-26 Gatorade New York Girls Track and Field Player of the Year. The Bay Shore High School senior was announced June 25, and Gatorade said the award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character and community involvement.
The honor carries added weight in Suffolk County because it reflects both McCormick’s results and the program around her. Gatorade said the Player of the Year award was established in 1985, and this year’s recognition came in the program’s 41st year honoring elite high school athletes. Newsday reported that McCormick finished ranked No. 1 in New York in both the 1,500 and 3,000 meters across the indoor and outdoor seasons.
McCormick’s track résumé has already made her a familiar name on Long Island. In January 2026, News 12 and Bay Shore schools noted that she ran 4:48.00 for the mile, describing it as the fastest high school girls indoor mile in the country that season. Bay Shore Schools also recognized her for competing at Nike Cross Country Nationals, and local coverage identified her as a three-time All-State distance runner with nine All-County awards and as track captain since ninth grade.
The award also puts a spotlight on the profile Gatorade says it evaluates beyond the finish line. McCormick was involved in Students Against Destructive Decisions, served as yearbook editor, tutored peers in math and mentored middle school athletes. That combination helped define her as more than a standout runner, even as her times and championships set her apart statewide.
The local significance extends beyond Bay Shore High School. Newsday noted that McCormick was the third consecutive Long Islander to win the New York girls track and field Gatorade award, a run that underscores the region’s depth in distance running. For Bay Shore, the recognition is another statewide marker for a school that has continued to produce athletes who compete at the highest level.
McCormick has signed a written letter of athletic aid to compete on scholarship at the University of Florida this fall, giving her next chapter a clear path. She leaves Bay Shore as a statewide standout whose award now stands as a rare honor for the school and a point of pride for Suffolk County.
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