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Second-year Mountie Morgan Lundin says being on the soccer field is her happy place. She has been playing since the age of three and always strived to play at the highest level.

“Especially during stressful times, getting out on the field is a great way to get out of my head and do what I love to do,” she says. “I like being challenged and pushing myself to the limits. Soccer has always been that for me.”

She also comes from a soccer family — both her younger brother and older sister play.

“I always wanted to follow in my sister’s footsteps,” she says.

Lundin, from Navan, ON, began playing competitively in her region at age eight, then moved on to the Ontario Youth Soccer League, first for Cumberland and then for West Ottawa. She did a number of technical training programs through Under-20 ParMar Sports Training and the Regional R5 Academy.

Her most memorable sporting moment was travelling to a Disney Showcase Tournament with West Ottawa when she was 16 — a tournament her team won. Another personal favourite was playing on the same team with her sister for the first time in Grade 9.

“That was special for both of us,” she says.

Just a few weeks ago, Lundin experienced her most memorable Mount A soccer moment to date. In a game against Saint Mary's University, she scored her first Atlantic University Sport (AUS) goal — and just four minutes later scored her second.

Lundin says she couldn’t imagine going through university without playing soccer.

“I love the family atmosphere and I push myself to do well both academically and athletically,” she says.

For her, it’s all about pride.

“It means using all the tools and skills you have to be the best person you can be to represent ��ñ����,” she says.

Lundin was recently awarded one of the James Rogers Student-Athlete Awards, established in 2017 by David (’84) and Betty-Jo Booth in honour of Booth’s mentor, James (Jim) E. Rogers.

A psychology and commerce student, Lundin is on the Right to Play committee and is also part of the Leadership Academy in athletics, which involves leadership training and volunteering opportunities.

While she still has a few years to figure it out, Lundin is focused on a career in sports, specifically sports marketing.

“I don’t think I would be able to do something that draws me away from sports,” she says. “I want to be passionate about what I’m doing.”