University of Idaho Vandals Athletics - Idaho Athletics
Washington Nationally Ranked Multi-Event Athlete Commits to the University of Idaho The University of Idaho Track & Field/Cross Country program is excited to announce the signing of Maya McFadden of Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, WA. Maya is a nationally ranked heptathlete. She was ranked #14 in the country in the heptathlon in 2016, while also being the fifth ranked heptathlete in the class of 2017. She has a personal best of score of 4509 points in the heptathlon. She has twice placed second at the Washington Multi-Event Championships as a sophomore and junior. Maya also placed fifth in the javelin at the Washington State Championships as a junior, she has a personal best of 136 feet nine inches in the javelin. She also placed eighth at the state meet in the 100m hurdles. Some of Maya’s other personal best include 15.19 seconds in the 100m hurdles, 5’2” in the high jump, 17’0” in the long jump, 35’10” in the shot put, 27.0 seconds in the 200m, and 2:32 in the 800m. Maya’s father, Pat McFadden, competed at the University of Idaho in track & field. He ranks fourth all-time on the school’s decathlon list with 7,141 points, which he achieved during the 1994 season. “Maya is one of the best heptathletes in the country, and quite talented in the javelin as well. She is truly the triple threat with great character, academics and athletics, we couldn’t be more proud to have her in the Vandal family.” -Tim Cawley, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country
Maya McFadden will follow in her father’s footsteps and compete as a Vandal.
The Inside Track with Maya McFadden 11 Questions to Get to Know this Future Vandal
1. First off, why did you choose to pursue your collegiate track & field and academic career at the University of Idaho? I choose the University of Idaho because it felt the most like home. Campus was beautiful, and I didn’t meet one person I didn’t like. I also identified with the mission statement that the coaching staff has laid out for the team. The practice I went to had a really fun vibe that I wanted to be a part of. There are also many opportunities here for me academically and hopefully I’ll be able to do some undergraduate research. 2. What do you plan to study in your time at the University of Idaho? I plan to major in microbiology and do some biomedical research as well. 3. What are you most looking forward to next year training and going to school in Moscow? I’m really excited to get to know the team and be a part of the community at the University of Idaho. I’m also ready to become more independent and experience something new in Moscow, while becoming the best athlete I can be. 4. You can have dinner with anyone in the world past or present, who do you decide to eat with? I would definitely have dinner with Jesus. There are so many questions I could ask him, and I think our conversation would be beautiful and insightful. 5. If you had a warning label, what would it say? My warning label would say “WARNING: can be sarcastic and sassy; don’t take it personally.” The mission of Idaho Track & Field/Cross Country is to create and foster a culture that thrives on excellence in character, academics, and athletics, while focusing on the process in a positive and collaborative environment.
6. Who do you look up to the most in your life? I look up to grandma the most. She never stops trying to help others and she always keeps a positive mindset, no matter what happens. 7. What are your goals for your final track & field season at Glacier Peak High School? I want to get better every day and be the best I can during my senior season. My goal is to win a state championship title in the javelin with a throw over 140. I would also like to go under 15 seconds in the 100 hurdles and under 2:30 in the 800. 8. What other schools did you consider during the recruiting process? I took official visits to Montana State University, the University of Montana, and the University of New Mexico. I considered Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania as well. 9. What stood out at the University of Idaho over other schools you considered? The deciding factor for me was the family feeling that I got from the University of Idaho. I felt as if I was already welcomed into the community and that I would always have a support system with the team and coaches. 10. You can pick the world of any movie or book and make that your reality to live in, what do you choose? I would choose the world of “Phineas and Ferb” for sure. It’s always summer, and they create a new adventure every day. Anything they can think of, they can do. I would love to be a part of that. 11. What do you anticipate your goals at the University of Idaho will be? My goal at the University of Idaho is to get better every single day and never stop improving, not only as an athlete but as a student and overall person as well. I don’t quite know what my goals are in terms of numbers yet.
GO VANDALS! The mission of Idaho Track & Field/Cross Country is to create and foster a culture that thrives on excellence in character, academics, and athletics, while focusing on the process in a positive and collaborative environment.
Maya McFadden will follow in her father’s footsteps and compete as a Vandal.
The Inside Track with Maya McFadden 11 Questions to Get to Know this Future Vandal
1. First off, why did you choose to pursue your collegiate track & field and academic career at the University of Idaho? I choose the University of Idaho because it felt the most like home. Campus was beautiful, and I didn’t meet one person I didn’t like. I also identified with the mission statement that the coaching staff has laid out for the team. The practice I went to had a really fun vibe that I wanted to be a part of. There are also many opportunities here for me academically and hopefully I’ll be able to do some undergraduate research. 2. What do you plan to study in your time at the University of Idaho? I plan to major in microbiology and do some biomedical research as well. 3. What are you most looking forward to next year training and going to school in Moscow? I’m really excited to get to know the team and be a part of the community at the University of Idaho. I’m also ready to become more independent and experience something new in Moscow, while becoming the best athlete I can be. 4. You can have dinner with anyone in the world past or present, who do you decide to eat with? I would definitely have dinner with Jesus. There are so many questions I could ask him, and I think our conversation would be beautiful and insightful. 5. If you had a warning label, what would it say? My warning label would say “WARNING: can be sarcastic and sassy; don’t take it personally.” The mission of Idaho Track & Field/Cross Country is to create and foster a culture that thrives on excellence in character, academics, and athletics, while focusing on the process in a positive and collaborative environment.
6. Who do you look up to the most in your life? I look up to grandma the most. She never stops trying to help others and she always keeps a positive mindset, no matter what happens. 7. What are your goals for your final track & field season at Glacier Peak High School? I want to get better every day and be the best I can during my senior season. My goal is to win a state championship title in the javelin with a throw over 140. I would also like to go under 15 seconds in the 100 hurdles and under 2:30 in the 800. 8. What other schools did you consider during the recruiting process? I took official visits to Montana State University, the University of Montana, and the University of New Mexico. I considered Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania as well. 9. What stood out at the University of Idaho over other schools you considered? The deciding factor for me was the family feeling that I got from the University of Idaho. I felt as if I was already welcomed into the community and that I would always have a support system with the team and coaches. 10. You can pick the world of any movie or book and make that your reality to live in, what do you choose? I would choose the world of “Phineas and Ferb” for sure. It’s always summer, and they create a new adventure every day. Anything they can think of, they can do. I would love to be a part of that. 11. What do you anticipate your goals at the University of Idaho will be? My goal at the University of Idaho is to get better every single day and never stop improving, not only as an athlete but as a student and overall person as well. I don’t quite know what my goals are in terms of numbers yet.
GO VANDALS! The mission of Idaho Track & Field/Cross Country is to create and foster a culture that thrives on excellence in character, academics, and athletics, while focusing on the process in a positive and collaborative environment.
