Like other high school athletes, River Hill's Craig Morgan joined the cross country team as a freshman to help him stay in shape for his top sport, lacrosse. But after enjoying the challenges and improving vastly during his freshman cross country season, running has taken center stage for Morgan. The junior just completed his third season of indoor track at Monday's Class 2A state championships, winning the 1,600 meters run in 4:28.33 and also taking third in the 3,200. After two seasons playing lacrosse on junior varsity, he plans to run in outdoor track this spring. As a freshman, Morgan started out as the seventh runner on a veteran team. Last fall, he led the Hawks' cross country team to the Class 2A state title with a second-place finish.
Morgan, who maintains a 3.7 grade point average, recently became an Eagle Scout after spending six years as a Boy Scout. His father is a Maryland Air National Guard brigadier general.
What are the keys to being successful in running? I think to be successful you need three things. First, you need teammates that can really push you and you can push them. Also, you need a good coach. I think Coach [Earl] Lauer has done a really good job helping me improve. And I think you also have to have the determination and desire to be the best. How do you stay motivated to be the best runner you can be? On days where it's really, really hot during the summer and I don't really want to run, or days when I'm a little sick, I just try to tell myself that all of my competitors might not run today, they might not run when they're sick, so as long as I keep running, I'll be one step ahead. What's your favorite subject in school? I like history. It's interesting to learn what happened to help make my life the way it is right now. Have you thought about what you want to study in college? I think I may want to become a lawyer, but I'm not completely sure yet. I love Law & Order - the TV show - and I thought if I could become a prosecutor and put criminals in jail, that would be appealing to me. If you could meet anybody - past or present - who would it be and what would you ask them? Probably Martin Luther King. With everything he did for civil rights, he was just a remarkable man. I'd ask him about all the obstacles he overcame and if there was ever a time when he felt like quitting. What have you learned about yourself in becoming an Eagle Scout? That's probably the proudest achievement of my life so far. Running is close, but being an Eagle Scout has taught me so much and it's going to be with me for the rest of my life.
How influential has your father been to you? My dad is a great role model. In the military, you start out at the bottom ... and work your way up the ranks. I'm proud of what he's accomplished. Becoming a one-star general was like 25 years of work to get there. He's real charismatic, knows how to lead people. He motivates a lot of runners on our team.