JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — For the first time, members of the Fletcher High School girls’ lacrosse team, past and present, got to see a special memorial dedicated to their teammate Maggie Paxton.
Paxton’s friend and former teammate, Abby MacFerran, said, “It’s something me and my team have been super excited about coming together, and it’s just special that we get to honor Maggie this way.”
See, Paxton was one of their fiercest competitors and most influential people on and off the field.
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Keily Davis said, “She was always super tough and strong.”
“She was always just such an encouraging person,” adds MacFerran.
Paxton started her freshman year at the University of Florida in the fall of 2020.
But in December, her life was cut far too short. She was killed in a hit-and-run accident near campus.
Devastated, the local community ended up raising more than $34,000 for the family.
It’s money the Paxtons ended up donating to put up a wall ball for all future lacrosse players at Fletcher.
Karah Stoney, another one of Paxton’s friends and former teammate, said, “She was like a ball of fire. She was a literally crazy, and she would absolutely have loved this wall.”
The phrase “progress over perfection” is painted in big letters on the wall. It’s Paxton’s favorite quote.
That’s why the wall ball is the perfect way to make sure her legacy lives on.
Former teammate Kelly Palmer said, “Having this and caring her with us through practice is going to be really awesome.”
Her younger sister, Holly, is helping keep Paxton’s memory alive by joining the lacrosse team and wearing the number 12, Paxton’s number.
And while there’s no doubt this wall will remind everyone how much of an inspiration Paxton was — and will continue to be — friends and family still want closure.
Jack McKinney, Paxton’s old classmate and friend, said, “We still don’t know who is responsible for this, and we do ask that they step forward and take responsibility for their actions.”
Following Paxton’s passing, Paxton’s friends and McKinney who go to UF started a campaign called Not One More.
Their goal is to make UF and especially University Avenue where Paxton was hit, safer. They have done multiple rallies in her honor to try and bring about change.
McKinney said too many have lost their lives on that street, and students need their campus to be a safe place.
Cox Media Group
