Girls' XC, Running for a Mission

Girls' cross country hosted the Academy of Notre Dame and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

As the runners gathered on the Clark Campus Green for the start, EA captain Kendra Williamson '27 explained the race was being dedicated to Morgan Rodgers, a Duke University lacrosse player who passed away in 2019 after battling mental health challenges.

"Morgan's Message was created by her family and teammates with the mission to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health, normalize conversations, and ensure mental health is treated equally to physical health for all student-athletes," explained Kendra.

EA runners wore hand-painted T-shirts as runners from all three schools paused for a brief moment of silence to remember Morgan and support those navigating mental health challenges.

"To put it bluntly, running is a hard sport. Every day you step on the line with your teammates, but mainly by yourself," shared Kendra. "Your performance that day is on you, and the clock never lies. Not only does the clock never lie, but it doesn't care. The clock doesn't care if you were tired, sick, or just didn't have it on the day."

SCH won the day, followed by EA, and Notre Dame in third.

"We partnered with Morgan's Message to bring awareness to this and hopefully encourage someone to speak up if they are struggling. Being a person who follows the Stripes is much more important than a fast runner," reflected Kendra.

Morgan's Message offers resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, builds a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations, and provides a platform for advocacy.