Exeter's Megan Unruh is no stranger to overcoming adversity

Jun. 26—Overcoming adversity is nothing new for Exeter's Megan Unruh.

Last winter during swimming season, Unruh was diagnosed with mononucleosis, which causes fatigue, body aches and other symptoms that can last up to a month.

"It was definitely like a really hard mental battle just as much as a physical battle," Unruh said.

Unruh, a Houston University swimming commit, had to take two weeks off in the middle of her senior season because of how bad her exhaustion was due to the illness.

When Unruh got back in the pool after taking a needed break, her times were not up to what she expected of herself.

"I was working hard, and then when I was going to swim meets and swimming, it was just horrible for me," Unruh said. "It felt so bad. I was really in my head and down on myself. I was so close to wanting to just walk away."

However, Unruh had a great support system that helped her get through the tough times.

"When I finally got to the end of the season, I started swimming good," she said. "It felt pretty good. The times weren't my best times, but under the circumstances and how much I had to push through, I couldn't be happier with them. I think I swam the best I could at the time."

Her performance in swimming — as well as in water polo at lacrosse — earned her a spot as one of five finalists for the Reading Eagle's female Athlete of the Year award, which will be announced June 29.

Going through obstacles during her swim season is something to which Unruh has become accustomed. During her freshman season, the COVID-19 pandemic hit before she was able to swim in the state finals. The next year, also because of the pandemic, states were only one day rather than two, so she had less rest time between races.

Then came the bout with mono.

"That was probably one of the hardest things that she's gone through because she really had to take a step back," Eagles swimming coach Ashley Rosa said. "Megan is go, go, go. The best thing she could do was give her body a rest and listen to it. The fact that she was able to do that even though it was challenging for her, I think it speaks a lot to her ability as a leader."

Unruh ended up winning four medals at this year's District 3 Class 3A meet: silver in the 200 free and 500 free; bronze as part of the 200 free and 400 free relays. She then won four more medals at the PIAA Class 3A championships to help the Eagles finish 10th. She was fourth in the 200 free and 500 free, and part of the fourth-place 200 free relay and fifth-place 400 free relay.

Unruh earned All-American honors in the 200 free and 500 free, and was an All-Berks first-team pick in the 500 free and 200 IM. She also was part of Exeter's 200 free relay and 400 free relays that were on the All-Berks second team.

During the fall, Megan made history in water polo. She finished her career with 501 goals, which is believed to be a state record, after scoring 179 goals and having 56 assists. That single-season point total of 235 is also believed to be a state record..

"Being able to put up those numbers that I did last year and this year is pretty crazy," said Unruh, who had 190 goals and 25 assists as a junior. "The 500 goals was never a goal for me. It was always just doing what I had to do to get my team in the game or win a game."

Unruh emphasized she puts her teams first before any personal goals or achievements.

"For her to get that far and achieve all that is honestly insane," Eagles water polo coach Ali Templin said of Unruh's gaudy numbers. "It just blows my mind. She really wasn't focused on those at all. Her main focus was having fun, trying to win games and doing what she could to make the team better overall. Her goal was team-based, not just individual."

Unruh earned All-Berks honors for the third straight season and was a second-team All-State selection after leading the Eagles to the most wins in program history — they finished 15-14 — and a berth in their first state playoff game.

After two sports in the pool, Megan jumped into her lacrosse season.

"What she does from leaving the pool, whereas that's her main sport, and then coming on the lacrosse field and just picking up where she left off the season before is astounding to me," Exeter girls lacrosse coach Gary Mock said. "She doesn't miss a beat."

Unruh did miss the Eagles' first five lacrosse games due to the long swimming season, but still managed to have a smooth transition.

She finished with 30 goals and 12 assists, earned all-division honors and helped the team reach the county and District 3 playoffs for the first time in four years.

"It feels really good to see the progress we've made over the four years, going from 5-12 last year to 11-9 this year," Unruh said. "We doubled our wins in just one year."

Down the stretch, the Eagles were on the fence to make the county and district playoffs. Unruh was one player who would check in with Mock to track the team's status, he said, showing how invested she was in the team's success.

"Driven," Mock said when asked how to describe Unruh. "Just one of those kids that every coach would love to have on their team. The effort, dedication, and drive she shows every day and to show the underclassmen how it's done is a really cool thing."

Since her junior season, colleges have been interested in Unruh for her abilities in water polo and swimming. She said she always responded to each school from Division I to Division III.

Unruh ultimately knew she wanted to keep swimming career going, as the way her water polo career ended will always be remembered at Exeter.

"I went on like 10 visits," she said. "I used all my official visits, and then Houston was the last school that I visited before I committed there. When I got on campus, I just knew. That's where I wanted to be."

While facing so many obstacles in her high school career, Unruh was able to push through and make history for herself and her school.

"I think Megan is an amazing human being," Rosa said. "I think her drive is something I've never seen before from an athlete. Her ability to truly carry the team on her shoulders, even when she wasn't doing well herself."

"I think my hard work and being able to bounce back from adversity really kind of shows who I am as an athlete and person," Unruh said. "I just think I'm a really hard worker, which not everyone can say. I love what I do. I love swimming. I love lacrosse. I love water polo, and I love the people I do it with."