Multi-event track athlete Emily Morley from Maple Ridge secondary has signed with the Simon Fraser University Clan.
Morley is the 11th scholar-athlete from MRSS to move on to university sports. Generally there are two or three elite level athletes at the school, but she is part of an exceptional 2018 grad class.
Morley was a four-time medallist at the 2017 B.C. High School Championships, winning silver in both the heptathlon and 400m hurdles as a Grade 11.
She was also the lead runner on the MRSS gold-medal-winning 4x400m relay team at the 2017 provincials, and won silver with the 4x100m relay. Her Ramblers girls team is again expected to dominate events in 2018.
“Emily is a heptathlete who has improved every year since taking up the event,” said her new coach Brit Townsend.
“She is still very young in the sport, but with her work ethic and some strength training we should see tremendous progress.”
In last year’s multi events at the high school championship, Morley hit personal bests in numerous events. Her high school coach compared her to Nick Wilkes, who now has a track and field event at MRSS named for him.
She is ranked sixth in the national under-18 Canadian rankings in the heptathlon.
Morley competed for Team B.C./Yukon at the 2017 Legion National Youth Championships, at which she placed fourth in the heptathlon. Her personal bests are: Heptathlon - 4,293 points; 400mH - 1:06.34; 400m - 1:00.5; javelin - 37.35 and 200m - 26.7.
Like most elite track and field athletes from Maple Ridge, she is a member of the Golden Ears Athletics club team.
Morley is also a straight A student, with plans to study kinesiology.
She joins her MRSS teammate Jorrin Lenton as new recruits of the Clan. They will compete in the prestigious NCAA.
“We secured some tremendous athletes who will make an immediate impact on our program,” said Townsend. “I am excited that they chose SFU in the early signing period because it expresses their confidence in what we have to offer as well as what it means to be at a Canadian university while still enjoying the competitive opportunities of the NCAA.”