Atlantic Coast Conference keeps Malone sisters connected
When North Hills High School's Mary Malone committed to the University of Syracuse's cross country team on National Signing Day, her sisters each were hundreds of miles away, one in Charlottesville, Va., and the other in Syracuse, N.Y.
Being away from them hasn't been easy for Malone, one of the WPIAL's top distance runners, because the family of six likes to do everything together.
In the fall, the Malone sisters all could line up alongside each other again for the Atlantic Coast Conference cross country championship. Mary will join her oldest sister, Margo Malone, 20, in Syracuse this summer.
The younger Malone made her decision to attend Syracuse based on a number of factors that ranged from academics to the Syracuse coaches reminding her of North Hills head coach Doug Sundo and John Wilkie, a retired volunteer coach at North Hills.
“I had it narrowed down to a few schools, and I couldn't stop thinking about it,” Mary Malone said.
“Margo was talking about the team having dinner together the night before, and the thought of picturing myself with them was so much fun. I decided when I was on the phone with her, but I didn't tell her until later.”
Margo Malone has established herself as the top cross country runner for Syracuse and finished 49th overall with a time of 20:53 in the national championships in November.
Shannon Malone, 18, will compete against her sisters for the University of Virginia. She nursed a peroneal ankle sprain during the cross country season in the fall, but in her first collegiate track meet on Jan. 24, she raced in the 1,600 meters. Her 4:55-mile was the fastest time on her team.
“Virginia was in the mix, too, so it was funny to get the call, or a little sad, to find out she wasn't going to be here,” Shannon Malone said about her younger sister.
Combined, the sisters accumulated 14 individual WPIAL medals in cross country and track at North Hills. Mary Malone could add to that total during this year's track and field season. The sisters also led North Hills to two consecutive WPIAL AAA cross country titles in 2010 and 2011.
Wilkie, 63, of McCand-less, said he wouldn't be surprised if each continues to have success in college.
“Those three will be as interesting and unique as they were here,” Wilkie said.
Wilkie has been instrumental in the Malone sisters' development, and he still has an impact on them.
The Malones and nine other local runners joined Wilkie for a 10-mile run through North Park this past Christmas morning.
However, Mary Malone nearly didn't go. Her alarm rang at 5:30 a.m., but she kept hitting snooze. Shannon eventually came into her room and turned on the lights.
“If one of us goes out, how could the other two just sit on the couch or lay in bed?” Margo Malone said. “I think that without each other, we wouldn't nearly be the runners that we are because we push each other past our limits.”
Shawn Annarelli is a freelance writer for Trib Total Media.
