Spotlight On: Morgan Fishbein
7/26/2006 8:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
July 26, 2006
Written By: Ashley LeVine, Media Relations Intern
At the annual banquet for the Maryland Women's Gymnastics Team, held on May 8, 2006, Morgan Fishbein was named the "Most Consistent Gymnast" for the 2006 squad. Fishbein, a floor exercise specialist this season, was incredibly deserving of the award; Morgan stuck every floor routine she competed in 2006. As a result, in each meet she took part in, Fishbein was successful in contributing a solid high mark that counted toward, and benefited the overall team score.
Every time Morgan stepped out onto the floor this season, it was not a question as to whether or not she would hit her routine. Instead, at each meet, her teammates and coaches looked forward to a guarantee of acquiring an exceptional score from her performance; they were also eager to see how well she would surpass her routine from the previous meet. "It felt good that my teammates and coaches could count on me to go into every meet and hit. To be there for my team like that and not let them down is such a great feeling," Fishbein commented. The success of Morgan's 2006 season was particularly admirable as she demonstrated the mental toughness necessary to overcome injury and continually prove her capabilities in competitive situations, therefore maintaining her newfound position in the floor lineup.
This rising junior came to the University of Maryland equipped with an exceptional club gymnastics career. In her hometown of Greenland, New Hampshire, she was a Level 10 competitor for Atlantic Gymnastics where she acquired a plethora of national competitive experience; she was a two-time Level 9 Eastern National qualifier in 1999 and 2000, and was a two-time Level 10 Junior Olympic National qualifier in 2001 and 2002. In addition, Morgan competed at the international level as a representative of the US in the Maccabiah Games in 2001. Unfortunately, during her junior and senior years of high school, Morgan battled knee and back injuries that resulted in limited competitive action toward the end of her time as a club gymnast. Upon arrival to the University of Maryland in the fall of 2004, Morgan looked forward to her college gymnastics career and tried to focus on staying healthy and in competitive shape. In order to do so, Morgan demonstrated her unique ability to self-motivate and focus on the process involved in achieving these goals.
Morgan returned to competitive gymnastics in 2005, debuting exhibition routines on both floor and beam in several meets for the Terps. At the close of her freshman year, Morgan was not satisfied in solely being an exhibition performer and committed herself to being ready to compete in a lineup in order to individually add to the team score during her sophomore year. "I was anxious to get back out there again," said Morgan, "Also, I knew I had something to offer to the team, and I wanted to contribute to the team's success."
During the summer of 2005, Morgan returned to New Hampshire to train. She rigorously devoted herself to this goal. "I was in the gym everyday, practicing, lifting and doing cardio. I really wanted to get back to where I was before," she said. By the fall of 2005, she surprised her teammates and coaches by arriving to school in top competitive shape, with new skills, and looking stronger than ever. Unfortunately, a few weeks into pre-season training, a nagging pain in her shin was diagnosed as a stress fracture that would require her to be sidelined for the rest of the fall. "Finding out I had a stress fracture was very frustrating and disappointing...coming back from this injury was just as frustrating and disappointing," said Morgan, "I had worked so hard over the summer to get back into shape and didn't want to start all over again...I thought I would be out for a month or so, but I ended up being out for the entire fall." Despite this aggravation, the injury served as only a minor setback for Morgan; her hard work and preparation from the summer allowed her to remain in shape, mentally and physically, while recovering from this stress fracture. A few meets after the 2006 season began, Morgan was ready to act on her goal of competing in a lineup. "I wasn't going to let this injury ruin my season that I had worked so hard to prepare for," she stated, "I definitely think that it was ten times easier for me to come back so quickly because I had worked so hard in the summer and came back to school in such good shape."
After proving herself in an exhibition position on the floor exercise, Morgan earned the opportunity to compete for the first time at the home meet against Pitt and Rutgers on February 17, 2006. Her 9.550 routine at this competition was a solid starting point for her season; the routine gave her the confidence to recognize that she deserved this lineup position, and the motivation to improve her score in order to maintain the spot she had worked so hard for. Her score climbed each meet thereafter as she scored above a 9.650 in the following five competitions. At EAGL Conference Championships on March 25, 2006 Morgan scored her season and career best of a 9.750 for her performance, an appropriate way to conclude her triumphant sophomore season. Concerning the success of her 2006 season at Maryland, Morgan said, "I couldn't be happier with my performance this year. Despite some setbacks, I still did what I came to do. I proved to my team that they could count on me, but more importantly I proved to myself that I could do it, which boosted my confidence, because I really hadn't competed since my sophomore year in high school."
According to head coach, Bob Nelligan, "Morgan was a pleasant surprise last season. We always knew she had talent," he said, "After a freshman season and summer of training hard to get back into competitive shape, then overcoming some setbacks in the early fall, Morgan was ready to step up for us when needed. Thanks to her perseverance, she was able to show she is a true competitor was undoubtedly able to make a name for herself this year. I am certain she will continue as a great asset for us in the future."
Currently, Morgan is at home training for 2007; she is healthy and looking forward to coming back to College Park in the fall for another exciting season for the Terps. She says, "Physically, I feel pretty good. What gymnast doesn't have aches and pains? My shin still bothers me a little, but I've been trying to rest it this summer so I hopefully won't have any trouble with it this year." In reference to next year Morgan's goals are "to hit one-hundred percent again and to break into beam line up...As a team, with six new freshmen coming in, I hope we can all come together and work hard both in the gym and in the classroom to be the best team we can be."
