Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Morgan Dick

Senior cross country runner Morgan Dick did not intend to become one of the best runners in Illinois when she joined cross country as a freshman. Her initial motivation was to increase her fitness level for soccer season; however, Head Coach Lisa Cook and Assistant Coach Steve Ideran saw potential in their young runner and encouraged her to put her best foot forward. Morgan took their advice and ran with it, exceeding initial expectations to become one of the fastest runners in the state. That is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Morgan's freshman year coincided with the pandemic, and while most fall sports were moved to the spring, the cross country season was one of the few sports offered during the fall. "Morgan instantly had a support system when she joined the program as a freshman to help her through those crazy days of the pandemic," says Trevor Dick, Morgan's father. Morgan's mother, Cathy, says, "Joining the cross country program made life and high school feel a bit more normal, and Morgan met the absolute best teammates and coaches."

Coach Cook and Ideran immediately saw potential in Morgan, with Lisa saying, "Morgan brought an energy to our team that we appreciate so much. She is a competitor through and through. Over the past four years, she has grown in her capacity to take on challenges and visualize herself excelling at the next level."

Lisa and Steve's intuition about their promising freshman has paid dividends for Morgan and the program. Morgan's hard work has led her to be a top runner in the state and accrue several accolades along the way. She ranks number two all-time in program history with a time of 17:29 at Detweiller Park, trailing only former state champion Ariel Michalek. She has earned All-Conference in cross country and track twice in her career, is a 3x state qualifier in cross country, and was all-regional and all-sectional in cross country in 2022.

Morgan's parents credit Morgan's hard work and coaching as her reasons for success, with Trevor saying, "Morgan is competitive, supportive, hardworking, and dedicated. The OE coaches run one of the best running programs in the State of Illinois, and their patience and leadership have been a big reason why the program continues to grow." Cathy also credits Morgan's current and former teammates, saying, "Morgan has continued to keep in touch with many of her old teammates and tries her best to be a role model to freshman runners, just as those seniors were to her."

Leadership came naturally to Morgan, with Lisa saying, "Morgan has been a leader by example since she was a freshman. As she has gotten older, she has become more intentional with her leadership. She finishes races and looks for her teammates, cheering them on, checking on them, and providing support, motivation, and encouragement. She has set the bar with her effort, not settling for anything but the best for our team and accomplishing her goals."

Morgan's goals this season include finishing as an all-state runner, an award given to the top 25 finishers at the state meet. Morgan finished just outside the top 25 runners at number 30 last season. As a team, the Wolves were able to capture 18th overall at the state meet and are hoping to not only qualify again as a team but improve on that overall number. Those finishes and times have led major universities to take notice of Morgan's skills, as she has been offered opportunities and scholarships to run at MAC and SEC schools next fall.

Morgan is just as tenacious in the classroom as she is on the course. She has earned a 4.0 GPA, and although she is still determining exactly what her major will be in college, she is interested in the fields of kinesiology, psychology, and sports management. Stacy Sajder Adams, Morgan's Business Law teacher, says, "Morgan participates and engages in class discussions daily and is dedicated not only to athletics but also to academics. She sets the bar extremely high for herself regarding her education, and I am very impressed for a student her age to have the maturity level and dedication that she possesses in all areas of her life."

Morgan has high expectations for herself, both in the classroom and on the course, which is something Lisa believes is a source of strength, saying, "Morgan is the kind of person who likes to defy limitations." Morgan gives some credit to her experiences as a student and athlete at OE and advises future Wolves to take advantage of their opportunities, saying, "Have fun while you are here and try to build as many relationships as you can. Try new things because there is so much that OE has to offer that other schools don't." Morgan's hard work this season has already paid off, as she placed first in the conference meet this afternoon despite rainy and muddy conditions. She will look to carry that momentum into regionals in her bid to become an all-state runner.