Murray State University Athletics
MSU's Hicks Looks To Continue Amazing Career
4/15/2004 5:00:00 AM | Rifle
There are no media, pep bands or cheerleaders at their matches. For that matter, spectators are a rarity. But every so often, the blue door is opened and the attention comes pouring in. Like when the program wins a national championship (the Racers have won three), or an athlete wins an Olympic gold medal (Pat Spurgin in 1984) or a Racer athlete wins a national title (MSU has six of those).
This spring, Racer senior Morgan Hicks opened the blue door with her NCAA individual national championship in air rifle. And, the national media followed her in.
On Sunday, April 18 at noon Central, Hicks will be featured on CBS as part of the network's "CBS Sports Presents: Championships of the NCAA." How did Hicks respond when she was told that her interview would air on CBS: "Are you joking?"
At Murray State, CBS coverage has always been exclusively reserved for the men's basketball team, not the MSU athletes who spend hours upon hours firing ammo at a small target. But Hicks sees it as a way to introduce her program to not only the nation, but her classmates.
"Usually, on campus, when I tell people I'm an athlete they say, 'Oh, are you on the volleyball team or the soccer team?'" she explained. "When I tell them I'm on the rifle team, they say, 'We have a rifle team at Murray State?
'I say, 'Yeah, and we're one of the best in the nation.'"
As much as the national exposure will benefit the Racer program, Hicks admitted to being a bit uneasy when she sat down in front of the lights and camera.
"You take it in stride, it's going to be there when you have success. It's part of being number-one and you just accept it," said Hicks, who admitted that media attention is not something to which she's accustomed to. "My mom thought it was great, though."
With winning comes attention and pressure, two things Hicks has a handle on. Competitive rifle at the highest level is all about pressure. How can one not feel pressure when you have to fire 40 shots with your air rifle from 33 feet away, trying to hit a bull's-eye the size of a pin head?
"A lot of these big matches are mental, how you handle pressure," said Hicks, who gobbled up the pressure a month ago by hitting 38 bull's-eyes in 40 shots to become the top shooter in air rifle in the nation.
In her four years at Murray State, the Roy, Wash., native earned eight All-American honors, the most a rifle athlete can earn during a career. Which is why she is ready to take on her next challenge in the sport.
In Mid-May, Hicks will head to Fort Benning, Ga., to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team tryouts. Admittedly, anyone with the money to cover the entry fee can try to qualify, but few will carry the resume that Hicks will bring with her.
"This (NCAA title) gave me a lot of confidence," said Hicks. "The NCAA championship is such a pressure match that after my success there I felt I could qualify for the Olympics. It solidified my confidence."
As she heads to Georgia next month, she will try and earn one of two spots being sought by as many as 200 shooters who will come from every corner of the country with varying degrees of talent and experience. But she will go there knowing she has all the talent and mental toughness to handle the pressure. And, it doesn't hurt that she has tradition behind her.
In its illustrious rifle history, Murray State has had five athletes qualify for the Olympics. It's most notable success story came in 1984 when MSU Hall of Famer Pat Spurgin became the first female shooter ever to win an Olympic gold medal. Plus, former great Deena Wigger, now in the U.S. Air Force, will be at Fort Benning looking to qualify.
"It's nice knowing that someone from Murray State has done this before. Pat Spurgin has done it, I've seen her gold medal," said Hicks. "Our program is amazing and I'm part of that. I know I can continue that tradition."
