Lynx hurdler thinking big (updated with multiple winners and link to results)

Morgan Shaw is a diamond in the rough.

The 16-year-old, Grade 10 student at Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf Catholic Secondary School has only been competing in track for a short while but is already turning heads with her potential.

“I think the future is bright,” Lynx track coach Jason Duthie said. “The future is in her hands. With her attitude and work ethic, if she wants it, it’s there for her to grab.”

Shaw, who competes in the 80-metre and 300-metre hurdle events, has already set the bar high for her future.

“Maybe a D1 scholarship,” Shaw said Tuesday at the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Zone 3 track and field meet at Centennial. “It’s really big goal of mine and I hope I can achieve it.”

Shaw qualified for OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) last year in the 80-metre hurdles where she placed a very respectable 11th overall.

She’s looking to better that this time around. 

“My goal is to get to the top five and make it to the finals, but we’ll see,” she said.

Duthie wouldn’t be surprised to see Shaw achieve her goal, considering her willingness to put in the time training.

“She has a great work ethic, works extremely hard at everything she does,” he said. “She’s a very humble, polite kid who’s great to coach and great to be around.

“She’s a positive influence on everyone else around her.”

Shaw said her work ethic comes naturally.

“I look at it as motivation from my friends and family. I have an amazing coach and also train at Thorold Elite,” she said. “It (extra coaching) helps a lot, a bunch. I would not be able to do the 300-metre hurdles without the extra training.”

Thorold Elite coach Steven Fife is a big fan of Shaw.

“She is tackling a new event this year, the 300-metre, so she just needs to get more experience under her belt with that one and she’s run some really great sprint hurdles recently already this year,” Fife said. 

Shaw pointed to her mother when asked about the hurdles.

“I have her to thank her for that,” she smiled. “It’s super difficult. I think it took me about a year of so of training.”

The top four individuals and top four relay teams from Tuesday’s meet advance to the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (SOSSA) championship meet which will be held Wednesday, May 25 and Thursday, May 26 at Centennial. The top five individuals and top five relay teams from SOSSA qualify for the South Regionals June 1 and 2 in Brampton. 

The OFSSA championships are June 8-10 in Ottawa.

Other multiple women’s winners from Tuesday’s Zone 3 meet were: E.L. Crossley’s Lydia Jeffery, novice women’s 1,500, 3,000 metres, pole vault; Centennial’s Maddie Bodner, novice women’s 80 and 300 metre hurdles; E.L Crossley’s Bronwyn Dales, novice women’s shot put, discus; E.L. Crossley’s Rachel Jefferey, novice women’s javelin, long jump; E.L. Crossley’s Karlyn Van Vliet junior women’s 100 and 200 metres; St. Jean de Brebeuf’s Morgan Shaw, junior girls 80 and 300 metre hurdles; Centennal’s Lauren Clarke, senior women’s shot put, discus.

Full results: https://www.nrhsaa.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Zone-3-Results-

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