In an era of increased specialization, Meg Coffin ’08 was a true three-sport star for Bates.

Whether at sweeper or wing defender – wherever she played on the soccer pitch – Coffin was the matchup problem opposing coaches could never seem to negotiate successfully. 

She began her soccer career at Bates by winning NEWISA All-New England Third Team honors, a rarity for a first-year defender. She followed that with a breakout sophomore campaign in which she earned NESCAC All-Conference First Team, NEWISA All-New England Second Team, NSCAA New England All-Region Second Team, and Team MVP honors. 

At wing defender, Coffin netted an improbable four goals and dished out one assist for the 9-4-2 Bobcats. Coffin moved back to the sweeper position as a junior, and she and the team flourished. She spearheaded a stingy Bates defense that keyed the team's run to its first NESCAC Championship. 

The Bobcats advanced to the Second Round of the 2005 NCAA Division III Championship and finished 14-4-1, setting the program record for wins in a season, while Coffin raised her scoring production to six goals and one assist on the season. A slew of postseason awards followed, including spots on the NSCAA All-America Second Team, the NESCAC All-Conference First Team, the NEWISA All-New England First Team and the NSCAA New England All-Region First Team. 

After posting an equally impressive basketball season later that year, Coffin would win NESCAC Player of the Year honors and become the second Bates female athlete ever to win All-America honors in two distinctive sports. She capped the year by being named Bates Female Athlete of the Year. Coffin tore ligaments in her knee late during her senior season of 2006, but had shown enough to earn NSCAA All-America Third Team honors, and also winning her fourth NEWISA All-New England award as well as her third NESCAC All-Conference, NSCAA New England All-Region and Team MVP awards. With uncommon athleticism for a 6-foot-1 player, Coffin also made her mark with smarts and leadership skills. "She plays skillfully, intelligently, aggressively, unselfishly," coach Jim Murphy told Bates Magazine. "She's the total package."

In her first basketball season, Coffin started for a 2003-04 team that finished 19-8, averaging 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She followed that by playing an effective complement to First Team All-American Olivia Zurek '05 in Zurek's brilliant senior season, in which Bates went 25-3 and was ranked No. 1 in Division III for three weeks in February. Coffin earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors that year, averaging 12.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and the Bobcats advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championship. With Zurek gone in 2005-06, Coffin became the center of attention as a junior, and she responded with a breakthrough season, leading the Bobcats in scoring (17.1), rebounding (11.0), blocked shots (1.6 bpg) and steals (2.3 spg), and she was at the top or near the top of the NESCAC in all of those categories. Coffin also set a new Bates record for field goal percentage, at .592, and after the Bobcats' season ended with a first-round loss in the NCAA tournament, the individual awards flooded in. Among several other plaudits, Coffin was named NESCAC Player of the Year, WBCA Honorable Mention All-America and D3Hoops.com Fourth Team All-America.

After missing the 2006-07 campaign due to injury, Coffin opted to return for her final season of eligibility in 2007-08 and posted another excellent season, averaging 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting .564 from the field for the 15-10 Bobcats. All-NESCAC First Team and her second State Farm Coaches All-American honors followed. Coffin closed the book on her career fourth all-time at Bates in scoring and rebounding with 1,252 points and 789 boards.

On top of all this, she was also a second team All-Region women's lacrosse player for Bates in 2006. “Whether I’m marking someone in soccer or basketball or lacrosse, my attitude is, ‘I’m going to shut you down,'” Coffin told Bates Magazine.