McPherson, the team captain, had a stellar third season of collegiate competition. McPherson's consistent strength in all four events was a great asset to the Bulldogs. Early in the season, McPherson earned first place in the all-around competition against Ivy rival Brown, contributing to the Bulldog victory. Against Southern Connecticut and MIT, McPherson once again dominated in the all-around and also achieved an astounding 9.9 score in the floor exercise. Further, McPherson won the all-around competition at the Ivy Classic, her perennial strength contributing to the Bulldog's victory over their Ivy opponents. McPherson was named ECAC Athlete of the Week for her performance at the Ivy Classic. Her impressive junior season allowed McPherson to qualify for the NCAA Regionals in April, where she placed 27th on the balance beam.

McPherson was also an outstanding all-around contributor in her second year with the Bulldogs. She placed first on the floor against Southern Connecticut and first on the beam and second on the floor against Rutgers. At the ECAC Championships, she posted Yale's highest all-around score (38.275) for a solid fourth-place finish. McPherson has two of the top four beam scores in school history (9.850 twice). In her rookie year, her consistent performance on the beam culminated in a first-place finish at the Ivy Classic, helping Yale win the championship.

Before coming to Yale, McPherson was the Level 10 Maryland state all-around champion and regional beam champion in 2001, as well as a Junior Olympic Nationals qualifier in 1999. She trained at Hill's Gymnastics and is a graduate of Good Council High School.