Morgan Dunning short on height, long on work ethic (WA)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=8204154

Short on height, long on work ethic
Posted: April 21, 2008 01:41 PM
Updated: April 21, 2008 02:04 PM


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Short on height, long on work ethic

SPOKANE -- Turning your body upside down on a pole looks like it would be a bit scary. But East Valley Knight Morgan Dunning couldn't wait to try.

"I used to go to my little brother's track meets and I'd see the pole vault and I've always just, ‘Oh I want to do that,'" Morgan says. "I've always watched the pole vault; it always looked like fun."

Not only has it been fun for Dunning, but it turns out she's pretty good. She currently owns the East Valley High School record with a jump of 10' 8". You wouldn't think it to look at her, though, she stands just 5'2".

"I'm definitely one of the shortest pole vaulters around," Dunning concedes, noting that "it's a little bit of a disadvantage." But she stays positive and recognizes that it's only made her work harder to accomplish her goals.

"Being strong and fast are definite advantages on the pole vault so what I lack in height I have to make up for in strength and speed."

"She's really strong, she's fast and then she's got the technique on top of her strength, too," Coach Joe Getchius gushes.

Dunning has to work hard in practice every day not only in the pole vault but also in the long jump and triple jump.

"It's definitely hard being a three event athlete when they're all field events, they're all time-consuming," Morgan confesses. "I have to spend double the time out at practice as the other girls are. I'm usually the last one on the track cause I go to long jump and triple jump practice, then I have to run over to the pole vault."

Coach Getchius has nothing but good things to say about the little record-holder.

"She's a great kid to coach," he says, calling her "a very hard worker [who] shows up early to practice and [is the] last one to leave."

Morgan also takes that work ethic into the classroom where she holds down a 4.0 G.P.A., something of a family tradition in the Dunning household.

"My brother and sister both had really good grades. My sister was a valedictorian and it's just kind of a good tradition to be well-rounded," she says.

Dunning will take that student-athlete combination to the University of Idaho next year where she will study to become a physical therapist while hoping to walk-on to the track team.

[jumpbackin]

I got to know Morgan a little bit this winter. She really is likable and seems to have great character.

Her Dad told me some of her feats of strength. Unfortunately I can't remember the numbers. One of them was during the schools strength testing. Squatting something like 185 for reps, they finally had to ask her to stop. Maybe they were getting hungry and knew it might be a while.