Cashing in: Wasilla High graduate making the most of his opportunities

WASILLA — Macalester College was not always on Cash McGregor’s radar. But the St. Paul, Minnesota, school turned out to be the perfect place for the 2014 graduate of Wasilla High School to start the next chapter in his life.

The stars began to align for McGregor after he received a phone call in late October last year. The private liberal arts college with a Division III athletic program was not among the schools he had considered.

But things started to pull McGregor toward Macalester.

Before the call from Macalester, McGregor already had a family trip to Minnesota planned. He agreed to visit the campus during the visit. While he was there, he learned his cousin had committed to Macalester and would be a member of the golf team. As McGregor started to think more and more about Macalester, he saw the college met his needs in terms of both athletics and academics. Plus there was the close proximity to family.

“It’s probably a package I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else,” McGregor said by cellphone from Minnesota Monday evening.

McGregor said his cousin lives about 20 minutes from the Macalester campus, and he has grandparents and other relatives also in the area. Access to his extended family has helped McGregor transition from multisport high school star to college freshman working his way into the rotation.

It didn’t take long for McGregor to hit the field with the Scots. He opened the season as a starter at safety, and has been a regular in the Scots defensive backfield. In six games, McGregor has 13 total tackles and an interception. McGregor said he wasn’t sure exactly how he would fit in, going into his freshman season.

“(The coaches) said I had the opportunity to make a difference on the team. That was the kind of phrase they used,” McGregor said.

McGregor said he feels privileged for the opportunity to play early in his college career.

Since posting a single tackle during the season-opener against Carleton, McGregor has had at least two total tackles in each of the last five games. He also intercepted his first career pass during a 21-16 win over Grinnell College.

“Right at the end of the half against Grinnell, at midfield, they kind of threw up a Hail Mary. I was able to come down with it,” McGregor said. “It was kind of cool to get on the stat sheet for the first time in college.”

Macalester is off to a 5-1 start, and has won four straight since suffering a 23-13 loss to Hamline in Week 2.

“It’s going really well, 5-1 is a big step for our program,” McGregor said of Macalester, a new member of the Division III Midwest Conference. “We already have more wins than we did last year.”

Macalester is currently in second place of the Midwest Conference North Division, with three conference games left on the schedule.

McGregor arrived at Macalester as multisport high school standout. He was an 11-time letterman during his four years at WHS, competing in football, basketball and soccer. He saw varsity playing time as a freshman in all three sports. He was also part of at least one region championship team in all three sports, and served as a team captain in all three sports.

As a senior in football, McGregor was named the Alaska Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned Railbelt Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.

While many athletes have decided to focus on a single sport, McGregor said he’s glad he had the opportunity to compete in all three

“I loved it. I wouldn’t change a thing,” McGregor said. “It exposed me to not only different coaches, different teammates, different situations, but opportunities for adversity,” McGregor said.

McGregor has not declared a major, but is learning toward something to do with mathematics or pre-medicine. McGregor said he’s been thinking seriously of pursing sports medicine or physical therapy.

“Probably because of Doc Larson,” McGregor said, referring to Dr. Dan Larson, a longtime supporter of Wasilla High School and the team doctor for Warrior athletics.

In the meantime, McGregor said he’s enjoying Macalester and appreciative of an opportunity that came from that phone call last October.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.