In The Long (& Short) Run

For Shenandoah University track and field student-athletes Emily Miller ’20, ’22, and Elijah Morton ’20, ’21, staying at the university for an extra year to use their extended NCAA eligibility for spring sports was a simple call.

Miller, who runs the 3k/5k indoors and the 5k/10k outdoors and has a bachelor’s degree in public health, was already considering grad school in the spring as the coronavirus pandemic led to shutdowns of in-person studies and sports competition. “The day I decided to apply to grad school was the day I found out outdoor track was cancelled. I went on a run with my coach and I told him I think this is a sign I should apply for grad school at SU, stay in town, and finish my collegiate track career,” said Miller, who in the past earned first team All-ODAC and Virginia Sports Information Directors honors.

I decided to stay another year to further my education in public health and fulfill my final season of track eligibility. I also knew it might be difficult to find a job right now during a pandemic so I took this as an opportunity to go back to school and continue learning about something I’m passionate about.”

Emily Miller ’20, ’22

“I decided to stay for another year because just when I had accomplished my goal of making it to nationals, it was all ripped away from me instantly,” said Morton, who runs the 60-meter dash indoors and the 100-meter dash outdoors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in information technology and was Shenandoah’s Class of 2020 Outstanding Male Athlete.

I knew that if I didn’t at least use my last season of eligibility in outdoor, it would be something that I regretted for my life. On top of that, I had the greatest year being around my coaches and teammates; seeing how far the team has come since my freshman year, the thought of being a part of the team for one last year was a great feeling.”

Elijah Morton ’20, ’21

Morton qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60 meters in the spring, earned All-Region honors in the 60 meters, and earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors.

Miller said she’s truly excited about her classes this semester for her Master of Public Health program. “I was getting excited just reading the syllabus. My hope and end goal this coming year for track is making it to nationals in the 10k. As well as continuing to drop time in all my other events!”

She’s also highly aware of the of-the-moment quality of her field of study.

Every time I tell people I’m obtaining my Master of Public Health, they always tell me how great it is and convenient in the current climate. Studying public health in a pandemic will provide me with more opportunities to apply my knowledge right away and compare what I’m learning to the world’s current health status. My master’s program is centered around rural and underserved populations, and I hope to use that to provide the best care possible for those who need it most. I’m still not sure what exactly I want to do, but what I do know is that I want to help people in any way I can.”

Emily Miller ’20, ’22

While Morton originally planned on earning his Master of Business Administration degree later in life, he said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity that presented itself – a specially priced graduate program for current students and an extra year of eligibility in his sport.

Luckily, I’ve always felt a great amount of support and help from various individuals at Shenandoah University which made coming back for another year an easy choice. For this upcoming year, my biggest goal is to make sure that I continue to keep up with my academics. My next goal after that is to qualify for nationals again, and then to actually get the chance to compete at that level.”

Elijah Morton ’20, ’21