May 18, 2019 at 12:38AM
Cheerleader Maggie Magruder adds high school basketball, soccer and track to her routine during her recovery from surgery. Ken Ruinard, Anderson Independent Mail
Maggie Magruder's parents always knew she was special. Even when she was a toddler, it was hard to contain her passion for sports.
Her first sport was gymnastics.
"She really took to it and really wanted to be there all of the time," said Ryan Magruder, her father. "She wanted to stay when it was time to go home. After a few years of that, you could really see her growing into it."
As Maggie grew as a gymnast, her intensity grew with her. In the fifth grade, she asked her parents to home-school her so she could train even more. In the seventh grade, her parents obliged. Ironically, that extra time pushed her away from the sport.
"I think I outdid myself. I ended up doing nine hours a day of practice," Maggie Magruder said. "I just burned myself out, so I went back to school and Carol said, 'You should come out for the cheer team.' "
Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School, is a state champion cheerleader, but also plays soccer, basketball, and track. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
Carol Brooks is Palmetto High School's competitive cheer coach. It didn't take long for her to see Maggie's potential.
"It took me about two days to figure out she's an athlete," Brooks said. "Some athletes can do one thing well, a few things, but she excels at everything."
Magruder has been cheering ever since and has been a focal point for the three-time defending state champion Mustangs. But excelling at one sport is not enough for Magruder, now a high school sophomore.
Maggie plays four sports for Palmetto: competitive cheer in the fall, basketball in the winter and soccer and track and field in the spring. Two sports -- basketball and soccer -- she started playing this year after completing the competitive cheer season.
"People ask how I'm going to do things, and I like to push myself," Maggie said. "I like having a challenge, so that made me want it even more."
Challenge would be the perfect word to describe the past year for Magruder and her family. A challenge that threatened Maggie's life was the catalyst for the impressive athletic run she's on now.
Unexpected major obstacles
Throughout her life, Maggie has had to deal with ovarian cysts. Last summer she went into the hospital thinking she had another. Tests showed there were no cysts, but doctors suggested an appendix removal as a precaution.
However, the effects of that surgery changed the foreseeable future for Maggie in ways she could not imagine.
"They accidentally clipped a part of my colon. Therefore, I couldn't use the bathroom," Maggie said. "I was steady throwing up, but I was throwing up the insides of my stomach because I couldn't go, so it was a big cycle."
Three days later in another surgical procedure, doctors removed one-third (about seven to nine inches) of her small intestine. During that time, her parents saw their strong athlete lose 15 pounds and hooked to a ventilator.
"It was a really emotional time and definitely the hardest thing I've ever gone through," said Stephanie Magruder, Maggie's mother. "It's really hard to describe and to even talk about."
In total, Maggie spent eight days in the hospital.
"I don't remember much because I couldn't eat, so I was really delusional," Maggie said. "Most of the time I was scared, didn't sleep much either, and I was in a lot of pain."
Stephanie Magruder, left, and Ryan Magruder with their daughter Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School. Maggie had a surgery and recovered to come back and be part of another state champion competitive cheer championship, but also plays soccer, basketball, and track for her school. (Photo: Courtesy photo Magruder family)
Through it all, Maggie's spirit remained unbroken. She never cried, nor did she complain once. There was only one thought on her mind: What can I do to get better and get back to competing? However, the doctor's prognosis regarding her recovery wasn't as optimistic as she had hoped.
"They were afraid that I wasn't going to be able to cheer that season," Magruder said. "They said I should take it slow and work my way back into things and go easy."
Those words were hard to hear and especially to obey. She jumped back into cheer, often leaving frustrated because her body couldn't keep up with the physical demands. She would leave practice wondering why she couldn't just be better, but her family, friends, coaches and teammates kept her encouraged.
LOCAL SPORTS
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"We were at her doctor's office every week as she started to get back," Ryan Magruder said. "We went by, 'If she's up to it, then we'll let her push herself,' but she pushes herself more than we would like sometimes."
In addition to her regular recovery training, Magruder would try competitive cheer maneuvers around the house when no one was watching. After some time, she felt ready to try stunts in practice again. When she hit a back tuck for the first time, it sent the gym into a frenzy.
Stephanie and Ryan Magruder, left, follow Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School, in whatever sports she takes on, whether it a state champion cheerleader, soccer, basketball, or track. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
"We all just cried," Brooks said. "We didn't know if she was ever going to get it back."
Maggie had her surgery in early August. She was supposed to miss the whole season – if not more – but on Oct. 13, Maggie was in a Mustangs uniform competing with her teammates at Dutch Fork High School. The emotion that filled the gym prompted Stephanie Magruder to do something she had never done before: She ran down onto to the mat after their routine, and mom and daughter shared a moment together.
"She wanted to be there, and she definitely deserved to be there," Stephanie Magruder said. "I think we all shed a few tears that day, like the whole stands shed a few tears."
One month later, Palmetto captured its third consecutive state championship. Then, at her father's suggestion, she took up basketball.
"Just with her athleticism and competitiveness, I thought it was something she'd be good at," Ryan Magruder said.
Adding to her arsenal
Along with a few friends, Maggie tried out and made the team. She went from a sport where she dominates to a new sport against players with years more experience. Maggie practiced extra time, both before school and on the weekends, with her father to improve. One area of her game earned her playing time as a point guard for Palmetto: defense.
Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School, is a state champion cheerleader, but also plays soccer, basketball, and track. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
"She is very aggressive, and she also gives 100 percent every time," Stephanie Magruder said. "She also practices hard. and that's a big part of her development is the time and effort you put in."
Maggie helped the Mustangs to a third-place finish in Region 1-AAAA, and as winter transitioned into spring, the opportunity to play two more sports arose.
"I used to play soccer when I was younger, and my friends encouraged me to come out," Maggie said. "Track was kind of the same way. They just said, 'Come out and try it,' and I did."
Maggie's aggressive, defensive identity was a natural fit as a defender for the Palmetto girls soccer team. In track, she sprinted and did relays, but her main event was the triple jump. She came within inches of breaking the school record that has stood for more than 30 years.
"She's really good especially because she splits time with other sports," Palmetto track coach Micah Roberts said. "She's the best on our team probably and one of the best in the region."
Balancing life's responsibilities
Spring presented a new challenge of juggling two sports along with school. Maggie woke up between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. for school, followed by soccer practice from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and then she went to the track to practice on her own for as long as time would allow. She handled her schoolwork either late at night or by waking earlier in the morning. She maintains a 3.5 grade-point average.
Maggie Macgruder of Palmetto HS soccer (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
"When I got to middle school, my mom told me that now's the time to start focusing more," Maggie said. "One of my priorities has always been to go to college and maybe be a collegiate athlete, so maintaining my grades was always important for me."
Maggie wasn't the only one in the Magruder family juggling responsibilities. Ryan and Stephanie, on top of working and supporting Maggie's four sports, have a younger son: Reese, who's 9 and also plays sports.
"We enjoy it. It's only a small part of our lives these 10-12 years," Ryan Magruder said. "It's a small time, so you try to enjoy it and not miss any of it, and a few years from now when they've moved out, we'll have time for the other stuff."
Stephanie Magruder has her own way to describe their schedules.
"It's controlled chaos," she said, "but we make it work. If we have to split up, we split up and tag-team it and make it work."
Maggie Magruder's favorite athlete is gymnast Simone Biles. Her favorite sport is a harder question for her to answer as she says she loves all equally. In the coming years, she sees herself as a collegiate athlete pursuing a degree in either pharmaceuticals or nursing. The sport she'll play? Undecided.
Maggie Macgruder of Palmetto High School heads a ball near a Belton-Honea Path opponent in Honea Path Wednesday, April 10, 2019. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
For now, Maggie's back in cheer season and looking forward to a summer of being with her team or on the beach with her family. She's even considering adding a fifth sport next year — softball.
One may wonder
Cheerleader Maggie Magruder adds high school basketball, soccer and track to her routine during her recovery from surgery. Ken Ruinard, Anderson Independent Mail
Maggie Magruder's parents always knew she was special. Even when she was a toddler, it was hard to contain her passion for sports.
Her first sport was gymnastics.
"She really took to it and really wanted to be there all of the time," said Ryan Magruder, her father. "She wanted to stay when it was time to go home. After a few years of that, you could really see her growing into it."
As Maggie grew as a gymnast, her intensity grew with her. In the fifth grade, she asked her parents to home-school her so she could train even more. In the seventh grade, her parents obliged. Ironically, that extra time pushed her away from the sport.
"I think I outdid myself. I ended up doing nine hours a day of practice," Maggie Magruder said. "I just burned myself out, so I went back to school and Carol said, 'You should come out for the cheer team.' "
Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School, is a state champion cheerleader, but also plays soccer, basketball, and track. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
Carol Brooks is Palmetto High School's competitive cheer coach. It didn't take long for her to see Maggie's potential.
"It took me about two days to figure out she's an athlete," Brooks said. "Some athletes can do one thing well, a few things, but she excels at everything."
Magruder has been cheering ever since and has been a focal point for the three-time defending state champion Mustangs. But excelling at one sport is not enough for Magruder, now a high school sophomore.
Maggie plays four sports for Palmetto: competitive cheer in the fall, basketball in the winter and soccer and track and field in the spring. Two sports -- basketball and soccer -- she started playing this year after completing the competitive cheer season.
"People ask how I'm going to do things, and I like to push myself," Maggie said. "I like having a challenge, so that made me want it even more."
Challenge would be the perfect word to describe the past year for Magruder and her family. A challenge that threatened Maggie's life was the catalyst for the impressive athletic run she's on now.
Unexpected major obstacles
Throughout her life, Maggie has had to deal with ovarian cysts. Last summer she went into the hospital thinking she had another. Tests showed there were no cysts, but doctors suggested an appendix removal as a precaution.
However, the effects of that surgery changed the foreseeable future for Maggie in ways she could not imagine.
"They accidentally clipped a part of my colon. Therefore, I couldn't use the bathroom," Maggie said. "I was steady throwing up, but I was throwing up the insides of my stomach because I couldn't go, so it was a big cycle."
Three days later in another surgical procedure, doctors removed one-third (about seven to nine inches) of her small intestine. During that time, her parents saw their strong athlete lose 15 pounds and hooked to a ventilator.
"It was a really emotional time and definitely the hardest thing I've ever gone through," said Stephanie Magruder, Maggie's mother. "It's really hard to describe and to even talk about."
In total, Maggie spent eight days in the hospital.
"I don't remember much because I couldn't eat, so I was really delusional," Maggie said. "Most of the time I was scared, didn't sleep much either, and I was in a lot of pain."
Stephanie Magruder, left, and Ryan Magruder with their daughter Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School. Maggie had a surgery and recovered to come back and be part of another state champion competitive cheer championship, but also plays soccer, basketball, and track for her school. (Photo: Courtesy photo Magruder family)
Through it all, Maggie's spirit remained unbroken. She never cried, nor did she complain once. There was only one thought on her mind: What can I do to get better and get back to competing? However, the doctor's prognosis regarding her recovery wasn't as optimistic as she had hoped.
"They were afraid that I wasn't going to be able to cheer that season," Magruder said. "They said I should take it slow and work my way back into things and go easy."
Those words were hard to hear and especially to obey. She jumped back into cheer, often leaving frustrated because her body couldn't keep up with the physical demands. She would leave practice wondering why she couldn't just be better, but her family, friends, coaches and teammates kept her encouraged.
LOCAL SPORTS
Our coverage of high school sports is made possible through support for local journalism. Please consider becoming a subscriber. Here's our special offer.
"We were at her doctor's office every week as she started to get back," Ryan Magruder said. "We went by, 'If she's up to it, then we'll let her push herself,' but she pushes herself more than we would like sometimes."
In addition to her regular recovery training, Magruder would try competitive cheer maneuvers around the house when no one was watching. After some time, she felt ready to try stunts in practice again. When she hit a back tuck for the first time, it sent the gym into a frenzy.
Stephanie and Ryan Magruder, left, follow Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School, in whatever sports she takes on, whether it a state champion cheerleader, soccer, basketball, or track. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
"We all just cried," Brooks said. "We didn't know if she was ever going to get it back."
Maggie had her surgery in early August. She was supposed to miss the whole season – if not more – but on Oct. 13, Maggie was in a Mustangs uniform competing with her teammates at Dutch Fork High School. The emotion that filled the gym prompted Stephanie Magruder to do something she had never done before: She ran down onto to the mat after their routine, and mom and daughter shared a moment together.
"She wanted to be there, and she definitely deserved to be there," Stephanie Magruder said. "I think we all shed a few tears that day, like the whole stands shed a few tears."
One month later, Palmetto captured its third consecutive state championship. Then, at her father's suggestion, she took up basketball.
"Just with her athleticism and competitiveness, I thought it was something she'd be good at," Ryan Magruder said.
Adding to her arsenal
Along with a few friends, Maggie tried out and made the team. She went from a sport where she dominates to a new sport against players with years more experience. Maggie practiced extra time, both before school and on the weekends, with her father to improve. One area of her game earned her playing time as a point guard for Palmetto: defense.
Maggie Magruder, a sophomore at Palmetto High School, is a state champion cheerleader, but also plays soccer, basketball, and track. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
"She is very aggressive, and she also gives 100 percent every time," Stephanie Magruder said. "She also practices hard. and that's a big part of her development is the time and effort you put in."
Maggie helped the Mustangs to a third-place finish in Region 1-AAAA, and as winter transitioned into spring, the opportunity to play two more sports arose.
"I used to play soccer when I was younger, and my friends encouraged me to come out," Maggie said. "Track was kind of the same way. They just said, 'Come out and try it,' and I did."
Maggie's aggressive, defensive identity was a natural fit as a defender for the Palmetto girls soccer team. In track, she sprinted and did relays, but her main event was the triple jump. She came within inches of breaking the school record that has stood for more than 30 years.
"She's really good especially because she splits time with other sports," Palmetto track coach Micah Roberts said. "She's the best on our team probably and one of the best in the region."
Balancing life's responsibilities
Spring presented a new challenge of juggling two sports along with school. Maggie woke up between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. for school, followed by soccer practice from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and then she went to the track to practice on her own for as long as time would allow. She handled her schoolwork either late at night or by waking earlier in the morning. She maintains a 3.5 grade-point average.
Maggie Macgruder of Palmetto HS soccer (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
"When I got to middle school, my mom told me that now's the time to start focusing more," Maggie said. "One of my priorities has always been to go to college and maybe be a collegiate athlete, so maintaining my grades was always important for me."
Maggie wasn't the only one in the Magruder family juggling responsibilities. Ryan and Stephanie, on top of working and supporting Maggie's four sports, have a younger son: Reese, who's 9 and also plays sports.
"We enjoy it. It's only a small part of our lives these 10-12 years," Ryan Magruder said. "It's a small time, so you try to enjoy it and not miss any of it, and a few years from now when they've moved out, we'll have time for the other stuff."
Stephanie Magruder has her own way to describe their schedules.
"It's controlled chaos," she said, "but we make it work. If we have to split up, we split up and tag-team it and make it work."
Maggie Magruder's favorite athlete is gymnast Simone Biles. Her favorite sport is a harder question for her to answer as she says she loves all equally. In the coming years, she sees herself as a collegiate athlete pursuing a degree in either pharmaceuticals or nursing. The sport she'll play? Undecided.
Maggie Macgruder of Palmetto High School heads a ball near a Belton-Honea Path opponent in Honea Path Wednesday, April 10, 2019. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
For now, Maggie's back in cheer season and looking forward to a summer of being with her team or on the beach with her family. She's even considering adding a fifth sport next year — softball.
One may wonder why she's putting this amount of wear and tear on her body, especially so soon after what she's been through. Magruder's answer is that her journey from the ICU to now has given her a new outlook.
"Anything can happen at any moment," she said. "It also made me realize that I really have to work for want I want. Like I really wanted to be back out there, so I had to work for it."
One thing is for certain: Whatever path Maggie Magruder chooses, she will excel.
"She could cheer at any college right now," Brooks said. "She's also smart. I don't know where basketball, soccer and track will take her, but I know she's good at all three so there's no doubt she will be a Division I college athlete."
Kennington Smith is the new high school sports reporter for the Independent-Mail. You can connect with Kennington on Twitter @SkinnyKenny_ or email him at kennington.smith@independentmail.com
