Whenever something stood in his way,
Tim McGinnis ’03 found a way to succeed and his outstanding career led him to a spot among the all-time greats at Gettysburg. As a child, McGinnis was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a debilitating hip disease that left him in a wheelchair form ages six to nine. That was just one obstacle McGinnis overcame on his way to a standout lacrosse career at Loyola High School before joining the successful program at Gettysburg.
The Ellicott City, Md., faced another bump in the road as a freshman with the Bullets. His chance at starting in between the pipes as a newcomer was limited with the returning NCAA Division III Goalie of the Year, Andrew Barter ’00, still around. McGinnis took a redshirt and his view from the sidelines helped set the stage for him to become the top goalkeeper in the country.
McGinnis led Gettysburg to back-to-back appearances in the Division III championship game in 2001 and 2002. He was named an All-American in each of those seasons and was named the Goalie of the Year in 2002. During his junior campaign he led Gettysburg to a school record 17wins and the Centennial Conference championship. The Bullets earned the top billing in the nation with McGinnis also being named CC Player of the Year. He finished fourth in the nation in goals against average (6.34) and fifth in save percentage (.672). During the postseason, he racked up a program-record 66 saves, including 20 in the national semifinals against Washington & Lee University.
“It seems like all the games I remember Timmy playing, he played great,” said head men’s lacrosse coach
Hank Janczyk. “It was almost like he was in a zone. Timmy was always good at stopping everything he should have, and then all of a sudden he started getting good at making stops nobody had any business stopping.”
McGinnis closed his career by earning his third consecutive All-America honor in 2003.
With a year of playing eligibility left, McGinnis graduated from Gettysburg and attended the University of Maryland where he joined the lacrosse team. The transition to Division I was no deterrence for the former Bullet, who led the Terrapins to the Atlantic Coast Conference title and earned All-America status for a fourth time.
“Tim McGinnis belongs in the Hall of Athletic Honor because he truly is one of the best goalies that ever played lacrosse at Division III,” said Janczyk
.
