The Rising Star in the Shadows

Illustration of a female athlete, Allison Mahan, wearing a Norwood High School jersey, holding a basketball. Text highlights her achievements as Co-Captain, varsity forward, and undefeated multi-event track star with records in high jump and long jump.

This season, a new name has surged from the periphery of the hardwood and the cinder track to command the full attention of the Bay State League. Allison Mahan, a Senior Co-Captain of Norwood High School, has spent three years as a vital but often overlooked engine of the Town’s sporting success. Now, the shadows have receded, revealing an Athlete of generational caliber.

Standing 5-10, Mahan has spent her varsity career as a Power Forward for the Norwood Basketball Team. For years, she was the silent partner to Susanne Maher, a Three-Time Globe All-Scholastic whose outside shooting drew College Scouts like moths to a flame. The two were frequently confused by casual fans due to the phonetic similarity of their surnames, but their roles on the Court were distinct. While Maher patrolled the perimeter, Mahan functioned as a Human Vacuum Cleaner under the Hoops, controlling the Glass and securing the Paint with a Strength that Veteran Coach Hank Shachoy describes as “tremendous.”

But to view Mahan solely as a Basketball Player is to miss the full scope of her Physical Talent. On the Track, she is a Four-Event Specialist who seems to have forgotten how to lose. Over the past two seasons, she has remained Undefeated in the High Jump and the 220-Yard Dash. This year, her record is nearly spotless, winning 23 out of 24 Events contested. She currently holds School Records in the High Jump (5-8, a share of the State Record), Long Jump (16-7), and the 200 Meters (25.8).

More Norwood Sports Stories

Norwood American Legion Baseball Team Takes Control of State Finals- August 13, 1985

Undefeated at 2-0 in the state finals, Norwood defeated Braintree 11-2 behind Tim Cox’s complete-game pitching and six combined RBIs from Pete Jr. and Mike Wall.
Norwood American Legion Crushes Weymouth 12-4 in State Tournament Opener-August 14, 1978

Powered by home runs from Chris Collins, Dan Kennedy, and John Balerna alongside 15 hits, Norwood routed Weymouth 12-4 in the state tournament opener.
Norwood Dominates Needham in Zone 6A American Legion Baseball Playoffs-July 26, 1978

The sun was shining brightly on the baseball field as the Norwood team took to the field against their arch-nemesis, Needham. The stage was set for an epic battle between two of the top teams in Zone 6A American Legion Baseball playoffs. However, it became clear early on that Norwood had a distinct advantage over…
Former Norwood Athlete Ralph Haddad Reflects on New England Golf from Colorado PGA-June 17, 1978

A dominant mid-century schoolboy golfer balances high-level Rocky Mountain competitions with local roots.
The John Balerna Show-June 3, 1978

Mustangs Blank Waltham in Tourney Opener In high school postseason baseball, you occasionally see an individual athlete put a team on his back and single-handedly dictate the outcome of a game. But what senior ace John Balerna did on Friday, June 2, 1978, went far beyond a standard standout performance. In the opening round of…
Girls Basketball-Norwood, Westwood Move to Finals-March 15, 1978

Norwood scored the last six points in regulation and the first five in overtime to win the girl’s Division 1 semifinals over Cambridge Rindge & Latin yesterday, 47-44, at Norwell. Patty Shinkwin kept Cambridge in the game, scoring 10 of R&L’s 19 first-half points. However, Norwood’s superior rebounding and shot selection gave Norwood the edge…
Surgery Helped Bill Travers Elbow His Way To Big League Heights-July 4, 1976

MILWAUKEE — Young Bill Travers likes to think of himself as a modern marvel of medicine, on sort of a low-budget scale. He is the $400 Bionic man. At least that’s how much an operation in 1973 that turned around his career cost. “One guy wrote that I go out and pitch each game with…
Mustangs Erupt for 21 Runs-June 4, 1975

An 8-inning rain delay brought mercy to Lynn Tech as Coach Pete Wall’s Norwood Mustangs ran wild in a massive 21-0 postseason routing.
Norwood Girls Win-June 4, 1975

A game-saving catch at second base by captain Jeannie Ellis seals a dramatic 4-3 opening-round tournament win for Norwood girls’ softball.
Norwood Legion Team Masters the Suicide Squeeze-July 3, 1974

The Norwood American Legion baseball team showcased a high-stakes brand of baseball on the evening of July 2, 1974, demonstrating a masterclass in the “suicide squeeze” play to secure an 8-4 interzone victory over Wellesley at Legion Field. While the play is often considered a rarity in the modern game, Norwood coach Frank Wall has…