Morgan Hicks is an Academic All-MAC honoree with a 3.965 cumulative GPA in the College of Nursing.
Rocket Spotlight on…Morgan Hicks
10/25/2023 1:45:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
On her decision to compete at the collegiate level, managing nursing school with training, and reflecting on her time as a Rocket
Junior Morgan Hicks is entering her third season on the Toledo women's cross country and track & field team. She is an Academic All-MAC honoree in the College of Nursing, following in the footsteps of her parents in the healthcare industry. Hicks recently had her Nursing White Coat Ceremony and is preparing for her second Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championship race.
On choosing to be a student-athlete at Toledo
The University of Toledo was unique in the way that it has allowed me to be a student-athlete and do nursing school. A lot of coaches won't let you do that because it conflicts with practice too much, but coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said she would support me in doing it. She told me it would be really difficult, but she would work with me, and other athletes of hers have done it in the past. Looking more locally and specifically at Toledo, it was clear that it was a good fit for me. My teammates Julia Dames and Audrey Witham are also in nursing school, so they've been super helpful.
On balancing nursing school with college athletics
Nursing school is difficult, but the professors are supportive. You learn a lot, but the grading scale is completely different than the normal grading scale. It is a lot of material to take in and very time-consuming. You don't have a lot of flexibility in your schedule, because the nursing curriculum is set, and you're gone all day for class. It's rewarding and I like it, but it is challenging. In some ways, I think running is a stress reliever for me and has helped me manage the stress of nursing school.
In nursing school, everyone is balancing something. I feel very thankful that running is the thing I have to balance, and that it hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. I have to do a lot of training on my own, but I have time during the day to get it in so it's not too bad. Often a coach will meet me, or a teammate will bike alongside me during my workouts. Traveling is the hardest because when you're missing class and then have an exam on the content you missed, you have to teach the material to yourself.
On why she chose nursing as a career path
I'm interested in science, so nursing just made sense, but I'm trying to go into it with an open mind because there are a lot of different directions you can go with nursing. I've always wanted to work in healthcare, and help other people, and could see myself teaching in some capacity. Both of my parents are nurses and that inspired me to enter the healthcare field, and both of them seem to enjoy it. My dad is a nurse anesthetist, and I shadowed one of his coworkers one time and I liked it. I'm thinking of going in that direction and that would require being a nurse for a few years and then grad school.
On her White Coat Ceremony
My White Coat Ceremony was a very special moment for me and my mom because she also graduated from Toledo's nursing program (1997). It was special to do that with her.
On the differences between cross country and track & field
In track, you're always going to be put in a heat with people around your same times so you can always have the goal to win your race. In cross country, you're in a field with a lot of people, and most of the time there's a lot of people in front of you so you're aiming to do the best you can but you're not necessarily aiming to win the race. I would say I prefer outdoor track. I love the atmosphere and it just seems a little bit more competitive to me.
On her injury last year and her road to recovery
I decided to give steeplechase a try. In steeplechase, you go over the barriers however you want whether you're jumping over it or stepping on it. I had a mental block where I could not get over the barriers without stepping on them. Coach Grove-McDonough was like 'Hey, we need you to get over this mental block so you can run a steeplechase at the MAC Championships because you have to jump over the hurdles.' The very first steeple I tried to jump over I tripped and broke my right arm right before finals week. It was very frustrating because I had never failed at something in running before and so I had to discover that some things aren't for me and that's okay.
I could get back into running relatively quickly because I didn't break my leg or anything like that. It just took me a long time to straighten out my arm, and everyday tasks in life were more difficult than getting back to running because it was my dominant arm. I was sad that I got hurt right before the conference meet. It was a learning experience, and I can laugh about it now.
On her favorite moments at Toledo
My most memorable trip was when we traveled to California last outdoor track season for the Bryan Clay Invitational. I had a good race, with a big PR in perfect conditions. I love traveling with this team specifically because Coach Grove-McDonough tries to keep the trips a nice experience for everyone. We race but we also try to see the places that we're traveling.
On her time so far at Toledo and her favorite moments
I'm super thankful that I found myself here. I love my teammates and I love that coach Grove-McDonough has been so supportive of me and my nursing journey.
On choosing to be a student-athlete at Toledo
The University of Toledo was unique in the way that it has allowed me to be a student-athlete and do nursing school. A lot of coaches won't let you do that because it conflicts with practice too much, but coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said she would support me in doing it. She told me it would be really difficult, but she would work with me, and other athletes of hers have done it in the past. Looking more locally and specifically at Toledo, it was clear that it was a good fit for me. My teammates Julia Dames and Audrey Witham are also in nursing school, so they've been super helpful.
On balancing nursing school with college athletics
Nursing school is difficult, but the professors are supportive. You learn a lot, but the grading scale is completely different than the normal grading scale. It is a lot of material to take in and very time-consuming. You don't have a lot of flexibility in your schedule, because the nursing curriculum is set, and you're gone all day for class. It's rewarding and I like it, but it is challenging. In some ways, I think running is a stress reliever for me and has helped me manage the stress of nursing school.
In nursing school, everyone is balancing something. I feel very thankful that running is the thing I have to balance, and that it hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. I have to do a lot of training on my own, but I have time during the day to get it in so it's not too bad. Often a coach will meet me, or a teammate will bike alongside me during my workouts. Traveling is the hardest because when you're missing class and then have an exam on the content you missed, you have to teach the material to yourself.
On why she chose nursing as a career path
I'm interested in science, so nursing just made sense, but I'm trying to go into it with an open mind because there are a lot of different directions you can go with nursing. I've always wanted to work in healthcare, and help other people, and could see myself teaching in some capacity. Both of my parents are nurses and that inspired me to enter the healthcare field, and both of them seem to enjoy it. My dad is a nurse anesthetist, and I shadowed one of his coworkers one time and I liked it. I'm thinking of going in that direction and that would require being a nurse for a few years and then grad school.
On her White Coat Ceremony
My White Coat Ceremony was a very special moment for me and my mom because she also graduated from Toledo's nursing program (1997). It was special to do that with her.
On the differences between cross country and track & field
In track, you're always going to be put in a heat with people around your same times so you can always have the goal to win your race. In cross country, you're in a field with a lot of people, and most of the time there's a lot of people in front of you so you're aiming to do the best you can but you're not necessarily aiming to win the race. I would say I prefer outdoor track. I love the atmosphere and it just seems a little bit more competitive to me.
On her injury last year and her road to recovery
I decided to give steeplechase a try. In steeplechase, you go over the barriers however you want whether you're jumping over it or stepping on it. I had a mental block where I could not get over the barriers without stepping on them. Coach Grove-McDonough was like 'Hey, we need you to get over this mental block so you can run a steeplechase at the MAC Championships because you have to jump over the hurdles.' The very first steeple I tried to jump over I tripped and broke my right arm right before finals week. It was very frustrating because I had never failed at something in running before and so I had to discover that some things aren't for me and that's okay.
I could get back into running relatively quickly because I didn't break my leg or anything like that. It just took me a long time to straighten out my arm, and everyday tasks in life were more difficult than getting back to running because it was my dominant arm. I was sad that I got hurt right before the conference meet. It was a learning experience, and I can laugh about it now.
On her favorite moments at Toledo
My most memorable trip was when we traveled to California last outdoor track season for the Bryan Clay Invitational. I had a good race, with a big PR in perfect conditions. I love traveling with this team specifically because Coach Grove-McDonough tries to keep the trips a nice experience for everyone. We race but we also try to see the places that we're traveling.
On her time so far at Toledo and her favorite moments
I'm super thankful that I found myself here. I love my teammates and I love that coach Grove-McDonough has been so supportive of me and my nursing journey.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Cross Country
DISTANCE
/ Women's Cross Country
DISTANCE
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