Interview with SHS Track & Field Athlete Morgan Berardi

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Welcome to the Spring Edition of Off the Reels! For the next several weeks, I will be featuring athletes from spring sports at Springboro High School, including Track and Field, Tennis, Baseball, and Lacrosse. Let's kick off the spring sports with track and one of the best runners at SHS!


Meet Springboro’s Track and Field Team Captain Morgan Berardi…




Morgan runs the 100 meter, 200 meter, 4 x 100, and 4 x
200. Her personal record of 12.72 seconds sets her at fifth place in the Greater Western Ohio Conference for the 100 meter. She is fourth place in the Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC) for the 200 meter with a personal record of 26.6 seconds. 


Track story: 

After competing in gymnastics for five years, Morgan started running track when she was in eighth grade. She picked up track because she was craving something different, and her mom ran track. Morgan quickly became a top athlete on the track team. She was named Rookie MVP her freshman year, she earned the title of Sprinter of the Year her sophomore season, and she is currently the head team captain as a senior. 


Morgan’s favorite event:

Morgan’s favorite event to compete in is the 4 x 100. 


Most difficult event:

Morgan said the most challenging event she competes in is the 200 meter. The challenge is balancing sprinting with the endurance to make it the full distance. 


Other sports:

Along with track, Morgan ran cross country for one year and did gymnastics for five years; however, track is by far her favorite. She loves sprinting and the exciting atmosphere of the meets. 


Best things about running track for SHS:

Since she’s been running for the Panthers for the past several years, I was interested in what Morgan thinks are the best things about track at SHS. She loves that she gets to meet and interact with people at SHS outside of the classroom, and she loves that these people make practices fun. But don’t be mistaken: Morgan always looks to get a good workout in at practice. 


Morgan’s pre-meet ritual:

One of my favorite questions to ask is about pre-competition routines. Morgan’s superstitions are a perfect example of why. The night before a meet, Morgan has pasta for dinner and uses a massage gun. The next morning, she uses the massage gun again and ensures she wears the same socks and hairstyle as every meet. 


GWOC:

Last week, Morgan and the Springboro Track and Field team competed in the GWOC competition to start on the road to state. Morgan's relay team earned second place in the 4 x 100; she also earned third place in the 100 meter, with a time of 12.84, and fifth place in the 200 meter, coming in at 26.82. 


Morgan’s plans after high school:

Morgan will graduate from Springboro High School in about two weeks. This fall, she will attend Bowling Green State University to study Hospitality Management. When Morgan started running track, her goal was to go to college to run. She had the opportunity to do that, but she eventually decided that it wasn’t what she wanted anymore. She is looking forward to running and working out for fun without as much stress. 


What track has taught Morgan:

One of my favorite things about sports is how they can truly change your life. Sharing how athletes learn and evolve through hard work and competition is my favorite part of this blog. Not only did track teach Morgan about herself, but it also taught her important skills. She learned that she has a competitive side, and she learned to push herself to always be better and to be a leader. 


Morgan’s advice for track athletes:

Morgan wants to remind other runners that it is completely okay to have a bad day: “It’s okay to have a bad race… just use that to work harder in practice and get better from that.” Her second piece of advice is a reminder of how true the adage “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” really is. She said that someone who doesn’t work hard might beat you at the beginning of the season, but if you work hard all season, you will beat them by the end. 


Congratulations, Morgan, on an amazing finish to high school!


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