Caitlin McMahon: L-W East Basketball Standout Gives Her Best Off the Court

Lincoln-Way East girls basketball standout Caitlin McMahon holds single-game and single-season school records in rebounding.

She also holds the reaction to an act of kindness dear to her heart.

McMahon lit up the eyes of children celebrating a birthday at the Daybreak Center in Joliet when she presented them with ice cream treats and stuffed animals on one of her volunteer visits to the center with a church youth group.

“We play with the kids,” said McMahon, a 6-foot senior forward who recently signed to play college ball at . “Many of them are dropped off by single moms. It’s sad to see the situation they’re put in at such a young age.

"But it’s rewarding, too. It was one of the girls’ birthdays. We gave her a stuffed animal. And she was so excited. I don’t think she gets many presents.”

Lincoln-Way East’s Jim Martin considers McMahon a coach’s gift because of her well-rounded nature and her ascension to a leadership role in the Griffins’ program. Where she once was quiet, almost ordinary in demeanor, now she is more vocal and extraordinary in many, many ways.

Grading Out with All A's

McMahon boasts a 3.7 grade-point average and plans to study pre-med or nursing at Saint Xavier. She is a captain on the girls basketball team and a member of the National Honor Society. She works with a peer-helper organization at Lincoln-Way East.

She has refused to succumb to peer pressure surrounding her continued involvement in Girl Scouts. In fact, she is proud to point out on a questionnaire she is the “way cool” one with a Cadette Silver Award on her resume. The award is presented as the highest honor to a Girl Scout in recognition of her dedication to improving her community environment.

“Caitlin is pretty quiet, kind of shy in some ways,” Martin said. “Naming her captain has really put some pressure on her to say, ‘OK, I’ve got to talk to my younger kids, be a role model on the court and off the court, organize things.’ And it’s a new experience in some ways for her.

“Talking to the press was always challenging for her last year because you’re nervous the first time you do it. She’s come such a long way. She’s grown as a person, grown as a player.”

McMahon’s play has helped the Griffins charge out of the starting blocks this season with a 4-0 record. Last season, she averaged 11.9 points and 9.0 rebounds. She produced 10 double-doubles. And she set East records for most rebounds in a game (16) and in a season (280).

“Well, I’m just holding back the tears, very excited, very proud,” said McMahon’s mother, Jennifer, on the day Caitlin was honored as one of East’s eight college sports signees. “She’s our oldest. And we’ve been watching her play basketball since she was in pre-school, through the YMCA, the park district, travel ball and making the teams at Mokena Junior High and here at Lincoln-Way East.

“So, it’s been very exciting. Then, she broke the two school records last year. We were completely excited and in shock to see her name up on the board. I played basketball in high school, but never had the kind of achievements she’s had.”

McMahon’s achievements have helped the Griffins remain a consistent winner and helped light up the eyes of her fans, too, and many of them are cheering from locations outside the East gymnasium.

“Scouting—it was always going to look good on a college application,” she said. “When I first got into high school, that’s kind of why I did it.  But, then, if you’re bored, you might as well not sit on the couch and watch TV.

"You might as well go out and help people.”