As if it were encoded into her DNA, it was all but certain that Maddie Morrow would become a great high jumper. Her father was a high jumper and her two oldest siblings were stars in the event at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio who went on to compete on the college level. So it’s no wonder that when Maddie was just twelve years old she was already winning national championships. In 2006, she set an AAU Junior Olympic record for the midget age group with a jump of 5-4.25. Morrow’s coach at Hoover, Jason Kirkland, is grateful for her contributions to the team but also how that success rubs off on the other girls.
“She is just a great role model for the younger girls. If you want to aspire to be like someone in high jump she is definitely the person to look up to and on our team she is just a great role model for the girls. We have a couple younger girls who are doing high jump and she’s just done a wonderful job being their mentor.”Coming off a second place finish at New Balance Indoor Nationals, with a jump of 5-9, Coach Kirkland said the two of them knew she had more in the tank. Morrow cleared a personal best 5-11 to capture the Ohio State Track and Field Indoor Championships. Kirkland says his star jumper was elated after the win.
“After jumping 5-11 she was just ecstatic and just thrilled. She knew Taylor is an outstanding jumper and she’s gone 5-11 many times before that. She knew it was still possible Taylor could tie or jump 6-0, but when it was all over she was just incredibly happy”
The Taylor he is referring to is University of Florida signee Taylor Burke, who defeated Morrow at New Balance Indoors as well as the previous indoor and outdoor state meets. Despite the back and forth battles, Kirkland says that the junior has to put that behind her and focus on the task at hand.
“You start to become aware of it even though you try and put that behind you, but it’s still there. She’s been jumping for three years now and Taylor is always right there. It’s not just the Taylor Burke competition it’s competition from everyone. We know anyone is capable of it so we just try and not to focus on Taylor and the past and focus and that meet and what’s to come.”
Described as having a strict work ethic and a laid back personality, Maddie Morrow also knows what it takes to be a team player. A weekly workout consists of one or two nights a week with her personal trainer, Mike Caza, a former Olympic jumper from Canada, as well as workouts with Kirkland focusing on strength and core training, footwork, and curves, along with some jumping. He says she’s at a point in her career, “where they are well past the basics.”
Coach Kirkland is amazed when he goes to meets at that fact that either Burke or Morrow can go 5-10 on a given day and one could lose. He says with those two motivating each other to be at the top of their game it wouldn’t surprise him if they both went over six feet during the outdoor season.
See the All of the National Athlete Spotlights for the Week of 3/22/11