Badgering: Morgan McDonald
November 08, 2016 | Men's Cross Country, Andy Baggot
Distance runner discusses winning latest championship, teammates, and why he loves learning
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Morgan McDonald is fast becoming one of the most versatile and accomplished distance runners in the history of Wisconsin men's track and cross country. The junior from Sydney, Australia, is fresh off winning the Big Ten Conference cross country title over 8000 meters, helping the Badgers to their 48th league championship. This is the same McDonald who holds the school record in the mile, earned first-team All-America honors in the outdoor 5000 and won a Big Ten indoor 3000. As the Badgers prepare to host the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday at the Zimmer Championship Course at University Ridge, McDonald took a moment to take about his tearful reaction to winning his latest championship, the unsung work of teammate Malachy Schrobilgen and why McDonald loves school so much.
You won the Big Ten meet by more than eight seconds over the field. Would you say that's a dominating performance?
"I haven't really been thinking about the race from that aspect, but individually I felt like I ran really well and I beat my competition pretty fairly."
Was that the original plan, to go out and set a pace like that?
"The funny thing is that was not my intent at all. My real focus was with the team battle and obviously winning gets you the least amount of points in the team race. With that said, my aim was to try and make the race as slow as possible to keep as many of my teammates as possible up near the front. But the way it played out, the kid from Michigan State (Sherod Hardt) made a move and I was like, 'I've got to follow this kid.' I did and I felt good. I thought, 'Why not make the move past him and try to run away with it from here.' Once you make a decision like that there's no going back, so I stuck with it."
As you entered the chute to the finish line, you turned several times to look behind you. Why?
"One, to see if I could see how my teammates were doing and see how the team race was unfolding. Two, because it feels good to be able to see that you've got the victory locked up and you can take it a little easy from there on out."
What kind of vibe did it bring to the meet to have your mom, Adrienne, there to watch?
"She's pretty chill. I'm pretty chill. It just makes it more enjoyable to be able to do it in front of her because I know how much she loves to watch me run, especially seeing me have success in running. It makes it that much more special."
What do you think about while running a race like that?
"Really, it's like super focused for me. There is a bit of analyzing the race, especially when the team race comes into play. But overall it's me just being super focused on doing what I'm doing and not making any mistakes."
Can you define the sacrifice Malachy Schrobilgen made? He's a two-time Big Ten individual champion who essentially took one for the team, right?
"Malachy's already won two Big Ten individual titles and he's had massive success in cross country. He's been coming back from an injury from last season, but in that race he really put the team ahead of himself. He knew that in order to have the best outcome for the team he had to race somewhat conservatively and try to help the other (UW) runners around him and try lifting them. While it was easy for me because I just had the green light to race my race, he really had to think about the team a lot and it probably did impact his individual performance a little bit (fifth)."
What does that tell you about Malachy?
"He's a very selfless person. He definitely gives everything to the team like a lot of us do, but he really epitomizes what it means to be a Badger and running for Wisconsin."
Do you have a passion away from running? If so, what is it?
"This may sound weird, but I just love learning in general. There's not any particular passion, but I do enjoy my school a lot and I do enjoy music a lot. I guess I have a passion for life. I just really enjoy everything I do."
What's your major and why did you choose it?
"At the moment, it's finance. The main reason I'm thinking of finance is, one, I've always been a math person. It's one of my strengths. At the same time, I also think it's an area where you can help out a lot. … I can see myself one day being in a position where I can really help people out."
You just came from class. Do your school mates know who you are and what you just accomplished?
"Yeah, this year I got a few 'Good race' and stuff. It's not like a football player where everyone knows who I am, but there were actually quite a few people that congratulated me and stuff."
What are you most proud of in your life?
"Apart from that team win in the race, that was a moment that it's hard to describe how proud I was of the team. … When I found out we won, I started crying. I don't cry a lot, but there's just been so much that happens behind the scenes and our team has come back from a terrible year last year and we had the exact same people racing. I was just so proud of all the work that every single member of the team put in. You can say all you want, but what really matters at the end are the results. When you get that result, it just felt unreal. I was really proud of everyone."
What's the best decision you've ever made?
"I feel like you expect me to say coming to Wisconsin. But how can I say it's not that? My decision to come to Wisconsin, as clichéd an answer as that is, that has just done so much for me. I think it's developed me so much as a person and an athlete. There was a point where I really committed to my running and at this point in my life it's something that I love doing day in and day out. I can't think of a better place to facilitate my goals and dreams than this and, at the same time, just enjoy the whole experience so much."
What's the biggest personal change you've ever made in your life?
"It's probably just becoming more aware of the world around me rather than just focus on myself like I think I used to do to an extent. Everyday I'm getting better and better at being aware. I used to not make as many smart decisions as I make now. The way I view things now, everything that I do has a purpose. There's a reason behind it. Before I used to act up, whatever. I just didn't care. At this point in my life I care a lot about important stuff and that's what guides me to make the smart decisions day in and day out. That's the big reason for the success I'm having at the moment."
When did the light bulb go on?
"I would say end of my freshman year, beginning of my sophomore year. I redshirted outdoor track my freshman year and I actually was kind of pretty disengaged in sport and stuff and just living my life. Then I saw these amazing performances of people around me and people that I thought I should be competitive with. It really turned the light bulb on. Why am I not doing the same as them? From that point forward, I've definitely begun to get better and better at being more focused and disciplined in doing the things it takes to be great in the sport. I'm still learning every day."
Players Mentioned
