Sports

Morgan leads way for UM during spring campaign

By Micheal Dabrieo

Posted on April 25, 2005, at 12:00 a.m.

The rain is steady as Tony Morgan prepares to throw the discus. The thick rain soaks everything in sight, saturating Morgan’s University of Maine track uniform. As water drips from his hair, Morgan takes a deep breath. He steps into the circle and his fingers curl around the metal disc. His objective is to hurl this piece of concentrated weight as far as he is able on this rainy day in April.

To most athletes, today would be an unexpected day off. Not so for Morgan. He steps into the competitors circle and stretches his fingers across the disc. Letting out a deep breath, his body tenses and he shuffles forward. With a grunt, he spins and lets loose a fury, sending the disc flying through the air.

Morgan is a crucial cog in the University of Maine Track and Field program. A native of South Berwick, Maine; Morgan has seen much success in his throwing career. He throws the shot, the discus and the hammer.

“I started track the outdoor season of my junior year,” said Morgan, a seven-year veteran of the track and field world.

Starting off as strictly a shot put performer, Morgan quickly found success in his new sport. His senior year he garnered an Indoor Western Maine Class B title. Overcoming injury, Morgan was able to throw the discus for a fifth place finish in the outdoor state meet that same year.

“The transition to college occurred at the 2000 Dartmouth relays, when I met Mark Lech. That day was the first time I had thrown the indoor weight, and after talking with Mark, I told him it was something I thought I would be very good at,” said Morgan. Morgan had the talent, will and dedication to compete at the Division I level, and this led him to be recruited to UMaine.

Morgan was drawn to track and field because of its purity. He spoke of how track is the purest of sports.

“Sometimes in team sports the best player can lose every game if his team stinks, but in track, the best man wins and is able to prove they were the best on that day,” said Morgan. “The winner always runs faster, jumps higher or throws farther than everyone else.”

It also makes it one of the most difficult in which to succeed. To Morgan, the hardest part is, “hitting that perfect throw that is going to go farther than all of my other throws. It is very mentally taxing to try and always perform at a level better than you have ever performed.” Once a track athlete reaches a certain plateau, say gets a personal record, the rejoice is quickly silenced by the fact that one can always be better. It is a very humbling experience.

Morgan has reacted well though and becoming a better athlete because of it. In just his sophomore year of college Morgan was able to boast two top-10 finishes in the weight throw, and a third place medal at the America East Championships. After his success, Morgan decided to try and throw hammer, discus and shot put. This is a regret in Morgan’s eyes, as he bit off too much at once and none of his events truly improved. He has rebounded over the past few years, however, and after a red shirt junior year and a successful senior year, his fifth year is going extraordinarily well. He was named the America East Male Field Performer of the Week for his performance during an indoor track meet against UNH, as well as the UMaine Male Student Athlete of the Week. In an amazing performance at the Indoor Conference Meet, Morgan placed second in the weight throw with a distance of 57 feet, 10 inches, a throw that also landed him as third best all time at the UMaine. For Morgan, it is a dream come true.

“I think that every athlete dreams of competing at the highest level they can, and for a college athlete, Division 1 is that level,” said Morgan.

Morgan is going to be concluding his final season as a UMaine track and field athlete, but is not leaving without having an incredible impact on the program, and being quite affected himself.

“UMaine track and field is what I lived for here during my time at UMaine,” said Morgan. “It was what I got up in the morning for, what I thought about in class, and what I dreamed of at night. If you truly want to do something, willing yourself can get you 90 percent of the way there.”

Morgan’s goal is to become a track and field coach at the Division 1 level and is starting off with becoming an assistant coach here at UMaine next year.

As Morgan prepares to end his athletic career and begin his coaching one, he leaves some advice for upcoming athletes.

“Work hard, work really hard,” said Morgan. “Savor the moments and make your memories worth remembering.”

This entry was posted on Monday, April 25th, 2005, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.