In high school, the Lynch siblings raced cross country and worked at the same job. Now, Madison and Mac Lynch both run for the cross country team at Emerson College.
“They always seem to get along and they kind of keep each other in check,” head coach John Furey said. “I like it. It makes us feel like the sibling liked the program enough that they want their sibling to come, so it’s all good.”
Last week, sophomore Madison Lynch placed first for Emerson and 37th overall at the Pop Crowell Invitational hosted by Gordon College with a time of 26:06:2. Last year, she led the Emerson squad as a freshman—she was the first Lion to cross the finish line at the 2017 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships with a time of 21:31.
Madison Lynch didn’t always enjoy running. In fact, she said she dreaded it. Her mother, Mary Lynch, first introduced her to running while she was in elementary school. She had Madison join a program called Girls on the Run when she was in fifth grade.
“I was always a runner recreationally, so I thought it would be a good program for her, but she wasn’t a huge fan,” her mother said.
It wasn’t until her freshman year of high school that Madison Lynch said she actually began to enjoy running during her first season of cross country. That also led her to compete in winter and spring track as well.
Michael Lynch, their father and director of undergraduate admissions at Emerson, believes freshman Mac Lynch started running after watching his sister.
“Mac got to see what his sister was doing in high school, since he is a year younger,” Michael Lynch said. “Mac has a natural talent, so even without significant preparation, he seemed to be able to run very quickly. The better he got, the more he enjoyed it.”
Mac Lynch’s running career at Dartmouth High School in Massachusetts did not end as expected. He broke his leg running in the middle of the state meet.
“Unfortunately, during his senior year, while he was having the best season of his high school career, he literally fractured his leg in the middle of a race,” Michael Lynch said. “He collapsed at the finish line, so we took him to the emergency room and found out the day of states that he had a fractured leg.”
Even though he hasn’t competed this season at Emerson, Furey said he sees Mac Lynch’s potential for the team.
“We knew he was good in high school, and we knew he would help us. He just hasn’t run in any races yet because he just got cleared last week,” Furey said. “But I’m sure he will be a top runner—we just haven’t seen him in action yet.”
Sophomore teammate Phillipe Legagneur said having siblings on the team is an interesting dynamic.
“They act normal like brothers and sisters would,” Legagneur said. “Sometimes we josh them for being brother and sister, which is kind of funny. I’m sure they have little innuendos that only they know because they have lived with each other and they know each other. They have probably done things like that, but I am just too oblivious.”
Madison Lynch, a communication studies major, said she is involved with the Emerson organization Generation Citizen. Through Generation Citizen, she teaches action civics to middle and high schoolers.
Mac Lynch, a visual and media arts major, said video production intrigued him from a young age.
“I’m really interested in creating content for people to see,” Mac Lynch said. “I probably got started in fifth or sixth grade when I made Youtube videos with one of my friends. They were just comedy videos, and they were so bad, but I have been into making videos ever since.”
Both parents expressed pride as their children pursue their degrees and athletics.
“We are proud of the work they are doing and hope they continue to find enjoyment in running, both as a competitive sport and for enjoyment as well,” Michael Lynch said. “We are pleased to see that they are able to continue that at Emerson.”