Marauder Scholars are some of the brightest and fastest
Second from left, Maddy McDonald and second from right Blair Morgan
Friday morning marked the 19th annual Marauder Scholar Breakfast, the yearly celebration of those Marauders who excel not only in their chosen athletic discipline, but in the classroom as well. The designation of Marauder Scholar aligns with the sessional average of 9.5 needed to qualify for the Dean’s Honour List, and in 2014-15, 263 McMaster student-athletes achieved that mark.
The recipients were addressed by McMaster President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Patrick Deane, and received the traditional plaque from a representative of their faculty.
Capping the occasion was the reception of the two yearly awards given to the top male and female scholar-athletes, the Dr. Jack Kennedy and Dr. Mary E. Keyes Awards. This year, for just the second time in the ceremony’s 19-year history, those awards were given to two athletes from the same sport, as cross-country and track runners Blair Morgan and Maddy McDonald were revealed as the recipients.
A four-time Dean’s Honour List and Marauder Scholar, Morgan is finishing up his fifth and final year of his Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering degree this year. Last year, he received a University Senate Scholarship, which is awarded to students that are within the top 10% academically of their faculty.
The Faculty of Engineering put Morgan forward as their Chancellor’s Gold Medal Nomination for last year. The nomination is a strong indicator of how fond Engineering is of him, as the award is given to students who rank highest in scholarship, leadership and influence.
A regular contributor with Mac Athletes Care, Morgan is also involved in McMaster’s Let’s Talk Science Outreach program, sharing his passion for science and engineering within local schools.
Athletically, the two-time captain has played a large role in the men’s cross-country team’s success over the last few years, which has included three consecutive OUA team medals. In 2014, Morgan was the first Marauder to cross the finish line in two meets in which the Marauders claimed the men’s team title, including their first-ever win at the Western International competition. His 1500m and 3000m track times posted in 2014-15 are in the top 6 of McMaster history. The Yarker, ON native will be heading to Italy in March to compete in the FISU world university cross-country championships. This will be his second time representing Canada at this event, after his 2014 showing in Uganda. This time however, he will have a familiar McMaster face alongside him as McMaster head coach Paula Schnurr has been named to the coaching staff.
A student of McMaster’s reputable Kinesiology undergraduate program, McDonald has collected her fair share of awards and accolades both academically and athletically. In fact, she started her academic career at McMaster on the Provost’s Honour Roll, one of 84 students that achieved straight 12s over 30 units of work.
The three-time Marauder Scholar and Academic All-Canadian, McDonald has worked as a research assistant with Dr. Brian Timmons in the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program. The program researches physical activity and fitness in children of all health statuses and abilities. McDonald has applied Kinesiology knowledge by volunteering in the David Braley Sport Medicine Clinic as a physiotherapy assistant, interacting and collaborating with patients, physiotherapists and other members of the clinic.
It is McDonald’s community involvement that sets her apart from her peers. As a Mac Athletes Care executive member in charge of the Boys & Girls Club of Hamilton, McDonald coordinates and leads two-hour weekly visits of McMaster student-athletes to the local Kiwanis community centre. In September 2014, she began coordinating MacMentoring, a program for at-risk young girls. She interviews, selects and trains mentors, oversees the events and provides a positive role model for young girls. She has contributed her time to organize and lead many other volunteer opportunities through the McMaster and local Hamilton community.
From an athletic standpoint, McDonald was the cross-country team’s leading runner in 2014 at both the OUA and CIS championship, finishing 17th at the OUA cross-country championship.
