Women's track and field spotlight: Emily Morgan-King

Emily Morgan-King, a WSU track and field senior from Vancouver, Washington, began her successful track career in 6^thgrade, however wasn't necessarily a fan of it, "I stopped for a bit and picked back up my freshman year of high school," said Morgan-King. This may be surprising coming from a Big Sky Indoor Track and Field record-breaker; however, Emily Morgan-King didn't start training in the off-season until after her freshman year of high school.

Morgan-King loves being a part of the Weber State track and field team, "I love how goofy the team can be. I can count on laughing every day at practice, whether it be Coach Hogan showing off her dance moves, or someone falling out of a resistance harness, it's always a fun time." She also loves how supportive each of her teammates are of each other's successes, and the opportunities the coaches provide their athletes. "They [the coaches] give their all to every athlete and make sure we're becoming the best athlete and person we can be, regardless of our personal bests," said Morgan-King. The team also does their best to make practices fun but also challenging to ensure progression. "I think we all try to remind each other that we do track and field because we enjoy it, so we need to actually have fun while we compete and train! We really hype each other up," said Morgan-King.

Though competing at the Division I level presents the challenge of competing against the best-of-the-best, Morgan-King revels in the competition. "I love the challenge of competing at this level! I haven't gone to nationals yet, but competing at regionals last year was an incredible experience. Competing against so many talented women was truly an honor." Morgan-King has had the opportunity to compete against gold medalists, national record holders, and other incredible collegiate and non-collegiate athletes who she feels she would have never been able to compete against otherwise.

Morgan-King believes competing on the Weber State track and field team has helped her to grow as a person, "It has helped me become goal-driven and determined, which has helped me set high standards and goals for myself in academics and in my life. Also, I have learned to lean on others for help. It's good to be self-driven and independent, but I think track has helped me be able to realize that yes, even in an individual sport, I not only am allowed to lean on others for help, but I need to. I would not be as successful as I am today without the help of my coaches, family, and teammates, so I think that's helped me realize that in life in general it's okay to ask for help."

Morgan-King excelled at the 2020 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. She earned first place in the 60 meter dash final with a time of 7.42, a new WSU record and PR. Morgan-King also finished first in the 200 meter dash final with a time of 23.71, crushing not only the Weber State record that was set 28 years ago, but also the Big Sky record. She earned All-Conference honors for her performances in both races. "This past conference championship felt like a dream. The whole drive home from Pocatello I was asking my husband, 'Did that really happen? Did I really just do that?' I had high goals set for myself, but I could not have even imagined it going as well as it did. One of the things that made it particularly special was how the team mentally was going into it. In all my years competing, I don't think I've ever been a part of a team that has been so hungry for success, or as supportive for one another as we were this past year. Being able to celebrate my successes with the team was something that was so special to me. When the official times were posted on the board, I could hear their yells and excitement, and my first reaction was to turn around and look at them and my family. It was so special to have their support at the championships," said Morgan-King.

When preparing for intense competition, such as the Big Sky Championships, Morgan-King leans on a mindset she learned from her therapist, "He told me that a lot of people, especially athletes, either focus on the past or on the future. So, he told me to instead focus on the present, just to ground myself." She does this by focusing on things she can hear, smell, and feel; and by focusing on the announcer's voice, the smell of the gun smoke from the previous heats, and the feel of the track under her fingers as she gets in the blocks. "I think that doing this helps me focus on the important things, it helps me realize that I've done all the work I can do, and it helps me remember that my body knows what to do so there's no reason to worry about the race ahead of me," said Morgan-King.

For young girls who want to pursue track and field at a collegiate level and beyond, Morgan-King advises to just give it a shot. "I know some girls worry about people thinking that they "run like a girl" or "throw like a girl", so they don't even try because they worry they'll get embarrassed. I'm sure every single successful female athlete has had someone tell her she "runs like a girl". In reality, people have just been trained to view that as a bad thing. Doing something "like a girl" isn't bad. So, to the girl that wants to try track and field, I would tell them to just go for it and try it!" Morgan-King adds more specifically for collegiate track and beyond, "Track and field takes a lot more dedication than some might think. In high school, you can get away with not putting in a lot of effort and still be the best. But if you want to be one of the best in college, you have to put in a lot of time and effort. Not just into your sport, but into your schooling, your attitude, your physical health, and your mental health. So, in a nutshell, I would say get started and stay motivated, regardless of what comes your way."

Weber State University Athletics

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