Expectations high for Stallings
Senior Morgan Stallings is leading the pack and ready to take the Georgia College & State University cross country team to a higher level.
Stallings is entering his fourth season with the Bobcats, after already having three outstanding seasons. Stallings is currently entering this season with three of the 10 fastest 8K times in the schools history. These records include a notable school record time of 27:38 at the 2001 Peach Belt Championships. Stallings was GC&SU’s top finisher in four out of eight meets in 2001 and the second finisher in the remaining four races.
Stallings, who is no stranger to athletic excellence, was the team’s second best finisher in six out of seven meets as a freshman.
“I just set a goal at the beginning of every season that I work to achieve, and this allows me to stay focused throughout the season,” Stallings said. “I believe that it is important to put 100% effort into whatever activity one may be involved with. So mentally, I feel that if I am going to do something I should give it my best.”
As Stallings leads the pack, he has a very optimistic outlook for the Cross Country team, and the season.
“I believe the GC&SU men’s cross country program has improved from the time I stepped foot on this campus,” Stallings said. “Joe Samprone has been wonderful as a coach and a friend by focusing on the team’s needs as well as our personal needs.”
Stallings also feels that the strong coaching staff is a major factor to the team’s success.
“I feel that the program has gotten more challenging and more competitive during the past few years, and that has definitely been due to the fact that Joe Samprone has raised the bar for our potential as a team,” Stallings said. “We have also been fortunate to have J.J. Arias as our assistant coach and the well run Athletic Department that is responsible for many of the behind the scenes work.”
Stallings is originally from Stone Mountain, but attended high School at Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga. where he earned All-State honors in cross country.
While Stallings was excelling in athletics, he was also excelling in the classroom, where he earned the Silver Eagle Award, which honors outstanding achievement in academics.
“I feel that setting the GC&SU school record in the 8k was a great accomplishment for me as a runner. Over the many years of running, there have been numerous personal accomplishments, but that is the one that stands out the most,” Stallings said. “Staying sharp in academics and athletics is not always easy, it is very easy to get discouraged mentally. That is where I think the better runners emerge, by overcoming those mental barriers.”
With his priorities straight and a promising future in cross country as well as academics, Stallings said his high school coach Thomas Ehrensperger is the person that he most admires.
Stallings is an economics major and has carefully plotted what he wants to do with this degree.
“I have put an extremely large amount of thought into it and I think I want to become involved in the financial sector, working with either securities or other forms of investments. Maybe something in the corporate finance field,” Stallings said. “Although I have a lot of interest in finance, I have pursued interest in getting a law degree.
When Stallings isn’t outrunning the competition or checking out the latest investment strategies, you can find him outdoors somewhere mountain biking, or maybe even traveling the world.
“I love traveling. It’s one thing I think that everyone should do,” Stallings said. “I believe you can learn so much by experiencing other cultures.”
Stallings believes that good company is one of the keys to happiness in life, next to running and traveling of course
“I love hanging out with my fianc?e, Amy Corbin, in my free time,” he said. “She is my best friend as well as an inspiration to me.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 20 2002. Filed under Sports.
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