On March 3, Maggie Piwowarczyk ‘18 and her teammates had just completed their shot put portion of the York Invitational, but still had the last three hours of the meet to wait for the rest of the events to finish. Instead of waiting and watching, they decided to explore the large school by walking around, listening to music  and getting even closer through the team bonding.

“All of the other teams were looking at us, but we were just having a good time being weird,” Piwowarczyk said. “I think us having fun getting closer is what matters most to success in a sport.”

Piwowarczyk has been playing water polo for three years, making it to varsity her junior year, she said. At the start of the track season, she was planning on doing shot put until water polo season starts, and then switching sports. After shot put was going well, she had a harder decision to make.

“It was definitely one of the hardest decisions I had to make,” she said. “I had been having so much fun doing shot put so far in the season, but I had been doing polo for so long, I didn’t know which one to give up.”

Piwowarczyk had a hard time deciding, and took up until Feb. 25, the day before water polo started, to decide, she said.

“The only time I’ve seen Maggie upset was when she was trying to decide whether to do water polo or continue shot put,” teammate Francesca Mitchell ‘20 said. “I got out of practice and saw Maggie crying-which was weird since she’s always happy-because she was having such a hard time deciding which to choose.”

Eventually, she came to a decision that she would continue her shot put season and not go to water polo, Piwowarczyk said. She realized it was the right decision as she was getting even closer to her teammates and as she was improving during the season.

“When she came to her first practice, I thought who is this small girl trying shot put,” Coach Kate Derning said. “But once she got into the season and started throwing, I realized she has so much strength and power, which is so essential to the sport.”

Piwowarczyk practices everyday after school from 3:30-5:15 and on Saturdays from 8-10, Mitchell said. She also attends many invitationals where she competes as one of the two varsity shot put athletes.

“The most surprising thing about her personality is she is always so upbeat,” Derning said. “She focuses on how to get better but is bright, happy and brings her positive attitude to every single practice and meet.”

Piwowarczyk focuses on making the sport fun by connecting with teammates and always goofing around, but still working hard, she said.

“I am so glad I stuck with shot put because it is nice to try out something new,” Piwowarczyk said. “Plus, I was able to meet and become such good friends with new people that I would not be as close with if I left shot put.”