Athlete Q and A: Men's Soccer: Elliot Morton

1. Why did you choose SPU?
It's a subtle miracle that I ended up at Seattle Pacific University. I chose SPU late in my senior year of high school after I met Mark Collings, head coach of the men's soccer team, after a soccer game in Tukwila, WA and discussed the possibility of suiting up as a Falcon. I decided to attend SPU for it's academic strength, christian teachings, location and of course soccer.

2. What does it mean to be a student athlete here at SPU?
Being a student athlete presents many challenges as well as rewards. There is a constant balancing act of prioritizing social events with schoolwork and athletics. One has to adjust to a demanding schedule but soon learns to cope with the busyness and instead enjoys the satisfying feeling when the day is through and everything has been achieved. I think the competitive nature of athletes allows them to strive through the tough times both on and off the field and realize their full potential. Most athletes here will agree, after going an hour with Tim Naussin, SPU's conditioning coach, many other tasks seem trivial in comparison.

3. What is your favorite moment at SPU (on the court and off)?
While at SPU I've seen some interesting things occur. Many of these memories were influenced by soccer. Once, while on a walk in California with the team, Jason Derocher, chased down a rabbit at full sprint for about thirty yards. To my and everyone's dismay the rabbit escaped. None the less, we were all shocked by our athletic trainers sheer acceleration and in the word's of Jordan Dettmer, "He blew our minds."
Back in season, one of my favorite memories was the victory over University of Mary. With two minutes left we were down by one goal 0:1. In the end, we ended up scoring two goals before time expired and won the game 2:1.

Elliot Morton is a sophomore defender for the Men's Soccer Team from Tacoma, WA.