Photo by: Oregon State Athletics
10 Questions with Morgan Anderson
October 05, 2016 | Women's Cross Country
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A mainstay for the Oregon State cross country and track programs the past four seasons, Morgan Anderson's resume has another impressive accomplishment to bullet point: Teaching.
The Silverton High School grad, a native of nearby Scotts Mills, graduated this past June with a BS in kinesiology. She is also a Teaching Assistant in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, helping in Kinesiology 474 in Milam and Langton halls for the second year, and in HHS 231 (Lifetime Fitness for Health) in the 360-degree classroom in the new Learning Innovation Center (LINC) for the first time.
Anderson missed last Friday's Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational because of illness. Now healthy, she'll get another opportunity to run in Indiana on Oct. 15 when the Beavers compete in the NCAA Pre-Nationals at Terra Haute on the same course that will host the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19.
Anderson is a member of OSU prestigious Honors College and is a seven-time Pacific-12 Conference/Mountain Pacific Sports Conference all-academic selection. She ranks 14th all-time for 5,000 meters (17:27) in cross country, and is fifth all-time in the 800 (2:11.54), second all-time in the 1500 (4:22.94) and third all-time in the 5000 (16:31.09) in track, where she is also a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier.
How tough was it to miss out on the trip to Notre Dame, which also included some sightseeing on one of the country's most famous campuses?
MA: "It was harder because I showed up the morning of the trip packed and ready to go, and hoping I'd be OK. But I had a really high fever and had to go back home. I was really excited to compete, and to not have that opportunity was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it.
"The harder part was not being there with my teammates. We had so many PRs, the team ran a great race. You feel bad for not being there to contribute but at the same time my teammates are all good too, and it's not like they missed out by not having me there."
What were your goals coming into cross country, after an outstanding track season?
MA: "It didn't change my goals. I set goals for myself a couple years ago. You have one big goal you are always reaching for, and you can set little goals each season.
"A couple years ago I said I want to run 20:30 [for 6k], I want to qualify for NCAAs and I want to be an All-American. I'm constantly striving for that goal, each season there is always that, so I don't think my track season necessarily changed my goals.
"Running the 5K at Pac-12s [track] and having a really positive experience made me feel a lot better about cross country. I know I can run a lot faster, because I've done it on the track. I gave me more confidence about those goals."
What is the potential of this year's cross country team?
MA: "At [training] camp we said, 'We're going to nationals.' I think it's cool to hear everybody verbalize that, because we know that's our potential. The pieces are there. This is the team I've wanted for five years. This is the beginning to us being a continual national qualifier."
What has been your favorite moment as an OSU athlete?
MA: "Seeing people break records and seeing them have breakthrough moments has been really cool. The moments that come to mind are watching your teammates race, cheering for them and telling them 'You can make this move, you can do it!'
"I remember watching teammates make that surge at the end, screaming at them the whole time, then the time pops up and you see they've had a PR, watching Sam McKinnon take fourth place in the steeplechase [in 2015] and score for us at the Pac-12 meet … those moments are really cool."
Were you more nervous before your first class as a teacher than you've been before a big race?
MA: "I usually get more nervous before a big race. I was super-nervous the first day of class, I was TAing for the HHS class, there are 550 students, it's in the LINC 360 room and I had to get up in front of everybody and introduce myself.
"I completely sweated through my clothes. The coffee probably didn't help very much on that front. But I get more nervous for races than I do for teaching."
How do you take control of a classroom and make your class interesting and challenging?
MA: "In the 474, I get to work in the lab when we do the practical stuff. The great thing about that is, I took it when I was an undergrad and I TAed for it last year. I know the information, I enjoyed learning it and I enjoy talking about it with students.
"I get excited about it so that makes it engaging. Having that personal experience … challenging students to try it for themselves and to not be afraid to mess up … It's fun to be on the other side of it, to learn it and then to help people learn it."
What was your favorite class as an undergrad, and why?
MA: "The 474. You learn how to do EKG testing, body composition testing, VO2 max testing … it was cool to learn something practical you could use in a future career.
"I loved exercise physiology, you take all the stuff you learned and get to interpret the results. My instructor (Dr. Jay Penry) is one of my favorites, he was my thesis mentor and is my grad advisor."
Cross country and track athletes do not have a specific jersey number, like players in other sports. If you could choose a number, what would it be, and why?
MA: "I have always picked No. 1. In high school we got warmup sweats that were oddly numbered. The smaller sizes had the lower numbers, there was only 1 through 4 and 1 was the nicest one because they were really old. It's the No. 1. It's first, it's a very simple number. I like it."
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
MA: "I haven't been on a lot of vacations. My parents took a trip to Italy last May and I was insanely jealous of that. I have always wanted to go to Italy. So whenever I have the money and the time, Italy will be where I go. But right now it's not feasible."
What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
MA: "I'll be 32 … I want to be in a career I find fulfilling, and one that helps people. My biggest desire in life is to be the biggest servant I can to the community around me.
"The most I can ever ask for is to be happy and healthy. As for a specific career, I'm not entirely sure where I want to go right now. All the doors are open."
For more information on the Oregon State track and field program, follow the Beavers on Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry, or on Twitter at twitter.com/@BeaverTrackXC
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
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The Silverton High School grad, a native of nearby Scotts Mills, graduated this past June with a BS in kinesiology. She is also a Teaching Assistant in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, helping in Kinesiology 474 in Milam and Langton halls for the second year, and in HHS 231 (Lifetime Fitness for Health) in the 360-degree classroom in the new Learning Innovation Center (LINC) for the first time.
Anderson missed last Friday's Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational because of illness. Now healthy, she'll get another opportunity to run in Indiana on Oct. 15 when the Beavers compete in the NCAA Pre-Nationals at Terra Haute on the same course that will host the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19.
Anderson is a member of OSU prestigious Honors College and is a seven-time Pacific-12 Conference/Mountain Pacific Sports Conference all-academic selection. She ranks 14th all-time for 5,000 meters (17:27) in cross country, and is fifth all-time in the 800 (2:11.54), second all-time in the 1500 (4:22.94) and third all-time in the 5000 (16:31.09) in track, where she is also a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier.
How tough was it to miss out on the trip to Notre Dame, which also included some sightseeing on one of the country's most famous campuses?
MA: "It was harder because I showed up the morning of the trip packed and ready to go, and hoping I'd be OK. But I had a really high fever and had to go back home. I was really excited to compete, and to not have that opportunity was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it.
"The harder part was not being there with my teammates. We had so many PRs, the team ran a great race. You feel bad for not being there to contribute but at the same time my teammates are all good too, and it's not like they missed out by not having me there."
What were your goals coming into cross country, after an outstanding track season?
MA: "It didn't change my goals. I set goals for myself a couple years ago. You have one big goal you are always reaching for, and you can set little goals each season.
"A couple years ago I said I want to run 20:30 [for 6k], I want to qualify for NCAAs and I want to be an All-American. I'm constantly striving for that goal, each season there is always that, so I don't think my track season necessarily changed my goals.
"Running the 5K at Pac-12s [track] and having a really positive experience made me feel a lot better about cross country. I know I can run a lot faster, because I've done it on the track. I gave me more confidence about those goals."
What is the potential of this year's cross country team?
MA: "At [training] camp we said, 'We're going to nationals.' I think it's cool to hear everybody verbalize that, because we know that's our potential. The pieces are there. This is the team I've wanted for five years. This is the beginning to us being a continual national qualifier."
What has been your favorite moment as an OSU athlete?
MA: "Seeing people break records and seeing them have breakthrough moments has been really cool. The moments that come to mind are watching your teammates race, cheering for them and telling them 'You can make this move, you can do it!'
"I remember watching teammates make that surge at the end, screaming at them the whole time, then the time pops up and you see they've had a PR, watching Sam McKinnon take fourth place in the steeplechase [in 2015] and score for us at the Pac-12 meet … those moments are really cool."
Were you more nervous before your first class as a teacher than you've been before a big race?
MA: "I usually get more nervous before a big race. I was super-nervous the first day of class, I was TAing for the HHS class, there are 550 students, it's in the LINC 360 room and I had to get up in front of everybody and introduce myself.
"I completely sweated through my clothes. The coffee probably didn't help very much on that front. But I get more nervous for races than I do for teaching."
How do you take control of a classroom and make your class interesting and challenging?
MA: "In the 474, I get to work in the lab when we do the practical stuff. The great thing about that is, I took it when I was an undergrad and I TAed for it last year. I know the information, I enjoyed learning it and I enjoy talking about it with students.
"I get excited about it so that makes it engaging. Having that personal experience … challenging students to try it for themselves and to not be afraid to mess up … It's fun to be on the other side of it, to learn it and then to help people learn it."
What was your favorite class as an undergrad, and why?
MA: "The 474. You learn how to do EKG testing, body composition testing, VO2 max testing … it was cool to learn something practical you could use in a future career.
"I loved exercise physiology, you take all the stuff you learned and get to interpret the results. My instructor (Dr. Jay Penry) is one of my favorites, he was my thesis mentor and is my grad advisor."
Cross country and track athletes do not have a specific jersey number, like players in other sports. If you could choose a number, what would it be, and why?
MA: "I have always picked No. 1. In high school we got warmup sweats that were oddly numbered. The smaller sizes had the lower numbers, there was only 1 through 4 and 1 was the nicest one because they were really old. It's the No. 1. It's first, it's a very simple number. I like it."
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
MA: "I haven't been on a lot of vacations. My parents took a trip to Italy last May and I was insanely jealous of that. I have always wanted to go to Italy. So whenever I have the money and the time, Italy will be where I go. But right now it's not feasible."
What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
MA: "I'll be 32 … I want to be in a career I find fulfilling, and one that helps people. My biggest desire in life is to be the biggest servant I can to the community around me.
"The most I can ever ask for is to be happy and healthy. As for a specific career, I'm not entirely sure where I want to go right now. All the doors are open."
For more information on the Oregon State track and field program, follow the Beavers on Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry, or on Twitter at twitter.com/@BeaverTrackXC
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
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