Morgan Herrera to give UW track program her best shot

The coronavirus nixed her senior year track meets, but Morgan Herrera had already shown University of Washington throwing coach Andrew Ninow enough for him to invite the La Conner High standout to the Montlake campus.

Herrera will join the UW track program, once the COVID-19 crisis has passed, as a preferred walk-on to compete in the shot put and hammer throw.

As a preferred walk-on, Herrera is guaranteed a spot on the Husky roster.

“I had my sights set on the UW for a few weeks,” Herrera told the Weekly News. “Coach Ninow contacted me in early March and I was very happy to know that I could continue my track-and-field career at the UW.

“Going to the UW and throwing for coach Ninow was extremely appealing,” she added. “So, when I got an acceptance letter from the UW on Friday, I knew this was the route I wanted to go.”

Herrera knows all about taking new routes. She arrived here two years ago from Colorado as a transfer student, and since then has had a major impact in three sports at La Conner High.

“I think that moving schools after my sophomore year really helped me learn how to adapt to new environments and play on new teams,” she said. “You have to make new friends and you have to start over. I’m sure our move to La Conner will help make my transition to the UW easier.”

Herrera helped lead the Lady Braves to a pair of State volleyball championships and a runner-up finish at the 2020 Girls 2B Hardwood Classic in Spokane.

“I can’t say that I have a favorite sport because I love volleyball, basketball and track,” Herrera said. “However, I grew up at the track because both of my parents were track coaches in Colorado. So, I have always had a passion for it.”

Her mom, Kathy Herrera, is athletic director and assistant principal at La Conner Middle and High Schools. Her dad, Chris Herrera, is on the La Conner football and track coaching staffs.

“Morgan is really excited about learning the hammer throw,” Kathy Herrera said. “Coach Ninow likes working on it with the incoming athletes because everybody starts out on the same level since it isn’t an event at the high school level.”

Ninow literally has a proven track record. He has coached multiple NCAA medal winners over the course of a 14-year career, which has included stops at the University of San Francisco, Stanford and Kentucky.

While a novice in the hammer throw, the 5’-9” Herrera logged plenty of hours last spring with the shot put. It was time well spent, she insisted.

“I started with the shot put my junior year of high school,” Herrera said. “I improved from a 28-foot throw at the beginning to a 36-foot throw at the State Meet.”

She anticipates that arc continuing with the Huskies.

“I feel like I have so much to learn and I can’t wait to be able to expand my abilities as a thrower at the UW,” Herrera said.

She needs look no further than her own family for inspiration.

Herrera’s older brother, Alex, is a 6’-10” basketball center who starred at Fort Lewis College in Colorado and is now playing professionally in Europe.

“I’ve watched how hard he has worked to accomplish his goals and all the challenges he has overcome,” she said. “He has inspired me to work hard and persevere.”

Also strong in the classroom, Herrera hasn’t yet declared a college major but is leaning toward engineering or sports medicine.

“I’m sure I will get it sorted out as I start taking classes,” she said.

Of one thing there is little doubt. Herrera will be giving it her best shot at the UW – both on and off the track.