In the most intense weeks of basketball, while the team is nearing the end of the season, Morgan has been on her A-game. Intensely guarding her opponents, shooting threes, and helping lead her team to victory, all with a seriously injured foot.

Morgan Van Horn, a senior at Loyola, has been a part of the Loyola basketball team for the past four years. She has also been a part of the Loyola varsity softball team for the past four years. Morgan is a captain of the girls basketball team, and was nominated to be all conference. Morgan is a very athletic and determined girl, and can’t be stopped at any cost.

About two months ago Morgan started experiencing extreme pain in her foot. The basketball team has been doing extremely well this season, and are preparing for upcoming games and playoffs. Morgan was not about to let her foot stop her from playing, or let her team down.

After talking to the doctors Morgan was informed she had a lesion in her foot. The doctors put Morgan on meloxicam to enable her to keep playing with little pain. This was obviously good news for Morgan because it eases the pain during practice and games, but the medication has been affecting Morgan. It makes her extremely tired making it hard for Morgan to practice, workout, and do school work.  Not only does Morgan work hard in practice, she works a lot outside of practice, even with an injured foot. Morgan often runs in her free time.

This injury has also been affecting Morgan mentally. It has been causing extreme stress especially during playoffs. Because of the medications Morgan can push through her games physically, but is often second guessing herself, or worrying about her foot. She is less focused on the game and more focused on her injury.

Not only is Morgan very athletic and a great teammate because of the amount of work and time she puts into her team, she is also a social butterfly. Morgan’s best friend and teammate Rosie Proesel said, “Morgan has been spending her free periods in the trainer which is very unlike her because she loves to use that time to socialize with her friends, but is using chance she can to prioritize her foot and team.”

This past week the girls started playoffs. They are Regional Champions, and just won their semi sectional game and are Sectional Champions.

Morgan said “Each week we are closer and closer to state, and I am not going to let anything take that opportunity away from me.”

Immediately after the basketball season ends, Morgan will be getting surgery, and with a long recovery period the healing time will be cutting into her softball season.

“It’s quite frustrating knowing that softball is my favorite sport and the thought of sitting out has been a struggle to wrap my head around.”

Although playing on this injured foot is helping Morgan gain success in basketball, it is jeopardizing her softball season. But Morgan will do whatever she has to do to not let down herself, her coaches, and most importantly her team.