Morin receives scholarship to Lane CC

Morin gutted out a time of 22 minutes and 31 seconds for 16th place, but in the final stretches, she was able to pass two Hood River Valley Runners and two Pendleton runners to help the Riverhawks claim their second straight league championship.

At The Dalles’ year-end banquet, that display of toughness and grit did not go unnoticed – She earned the tag of Most Inspirational runner.

“It took a lot of drive and motivation not to let my teammates down because we have gone to state for the past two years and I didn’t want to be the reason we would not go,” Morin said. “Being injured, I still wanted to help the team. Even though I wouldn’t be leading the team, I knew I needed to step up and be the best I could for my teammates because I did not want to bring them down.”

Nearly 200 miles away in Eugene, Lane Community College Coach Mike Blackmore was building a women’s cross country and track and field team and knew Morin’s sacrifice and dedication is what he wanted in his program.

Blackmore offered Morin a full scholarship to run track and cross country for the Titans, and the Riverhawk senior accepted.

“When choosing athletes, our main focus is picking guys and girls who are solid citizens first and foremost,” Blackmore said. “We want good kids that we can coach up and help develop into better runners. I think Emily fits that role perfectly. She is a leader on her team and a person who works hard at her craft. I know she will come in and do very well for our program.”

In her illustrious career, Morin has been a team captain, a district champion, a two-time Bridgette Nelson Invitational winner, won first-team all-league honors, been an all-state selection and helped the team win consecutive league crowns.

She has finished in the top-20 29 times, been a top-10 qualifier on 20 occasions and ended up top-5 in races 12 times, setting a personal record of 19 minutes and 29.90 seconds back in 2015 at Sandstone Middle School in Hermiston.

The same course where she had an asthma attack and finished her 2.5k race in a time of 28 minutes as a sixth grader.

Her coach at the time, Mandi Williams.

Williams has been witness to the development and maturity of Morin’s skill set.

Through the years from middle school to high school, Williams, a former cross country and track athlete at the University of Oregon, has challenged Morin to be a better runner.

“Emily’s success is purely on hard work,” Williams said. “She is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. She never misses a practice. Sometimes she runs in the morning before school, she runs on Saturdays or even Sundays, and she does core strength training and that has developed her into a better athlete. All of that work and time spent has helped bump her to the next level.”

Along with Williams, there is a long list of coaches who have helped Morin through her career, whether it is Steve Thompson, Robert Clark, Heather Fitz-Gustafson or Bob Thouvenel.

Without that group, Morin admits there was no idea where she would end up or even if she would be running at the collegiate level.

Her coaches instilled a confidence and belief factor that she carries with her spanning further than athletics, but life.

“I don’t think I would be here today without the coaches I have now. They have done so much for me,” Morin said. “If I am struggling to be motivated to go running, they will offer to go running with me or find someone to go running with me. They push me in practice, they motivate me and help me set goals for myself. They encourage me to be a better person and athlete. They accept the challenges I set for myself and they give me challenges that I may not think I can achieve.”

As she takes her talents to Eugene this coming fall, three hours away from her parents, Jason and Julie Morin, her father Jason is hoping for the best, as Emily balances school, life, social life, education, athletics and practices.

He is proud of his daughter.

He has never missed a race, and will be Emily’s biggest fan come race days in the future.

“If she does what she has been doing for the last four years of high school and if she continues on with her training, she will do well. Training is a big thing for her,” Jason said. “As long as she can run, she is a happy kid, her schoolwork improves and everything stays even keel. I think once she gets down there in a running community like Eugene, I really don’t think she will struggle too much. Running is a key for her. If she is running and she feels good about her running, she tends to feel good about everything in her life. I think she is going to be fine.”

Morin maintained a 3.67 grade point average in high school, and at Lane, plans to major in exercise science.

Once she graduates, a long-term goal of hers is to one day coach cross country.

There will be challenges and ups and downs that every person goes through, but Emily is looking forward to new experiences, making new friends and excelling in all aspects of life.

She is also ready and willing to be an ambassador for a community that raised her into the person she is today.

“I look forward to it,” Emily said. “I mean there’s not a lot of people who see The Dalles as like very influential in terms of running. To say that I come from The Dalles, I am proud of it because there are so many great runners in this town and I feel like they are not really appreciated in a way. They are here, and they are fantastic runners and they compete and they train hard. It is good that I get to represent a huge group of amazing and talented athletes.”