Morgan DeBord is fast. Really fast.

Last summer, she was clocked running a 2.44 home to first. Last year she was also named a MaxPreps All-American as a freshman and got runner-up at the State Finals.

"We got second," DeBord said. "As a freshman, it was extremely exciting. I met so many new people and just the experience on going through playoffs with your team -- you become so close with some people."

This Rising Star does it all. When DeBord isn't playing club or high school softball, you can find her playing club or high school volleyball. Oh, and she is running track this year.



Softball, though, is her favorite.

"My greatest strength on the field would have to be my quickness and good range on defense/being able to be agile and get to balls efficiently," DeBord said. "Also my voice and leadership on and off the field, and being able to understand what I'm doing wrong in the moment, learning from it, and then fixing my problem."

DeBord also manages to keep a 4.0 GPA at her Hillsboro, Oregon high school and she plans to keep it that way.

"My goal is to keep my 4.0 which is going to be hard but it's a big goal of mine," DeBord said. "Before the end of high school, I want to know where I'm going to go to college."



DeBord's high school and club coach, Jason Eastman, said if he had to describe her in one word it would be "WINNER!" and added that she is coachable, hardworking and is a fierce competitor with great speed.


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Morgan DeBord

Hometown: Hillsboro, Oregon
High School: Glencoe
Club Team: Oregon Thunder 16U Gold
Position: MIF/OF
Home to First: 2.44


How do you balance it softball, volleyball, track and school?
A big chunk of it is from my parents. They are really good at getting on me and making sure I have everything planned out, like schedules and everything. Also, a big help is my coaches. Last Friday I missed my softball game for a huge volleyball tournament and my coach was ok with it.

Do you have a favorite sport?
I definitely enjoy softball more and I feel like the softball community at Glencoe is a lot better.

How is the season going so far this year?
So far we are off to a good start. We are 2 and 2 which isn't as good as last year but we've played different teams in preseason.

Which track events do you run?
The 100m and 200m.

Do you prefer MIF or OF?
I definitely prefer middle infield more than outfield. I like the range of motion and being able to move from side to side more.

What is your biggest accomplishment in softball so far?
Last year, I made the All-American team as a Freshman.

What about in volleyball?
Volleyball, right now our team is ranked No. 1 in Oregon and in Washington. We just got a bid to go to Nationals which is in Minneapolis in July.

Where are you in the recruiting process?
I've gotten a couple offers from smaller D2 colleges but I'm still attending college camps and sending a bunch of emails and stuff like that. Right now, my biggest school I've been looking into is Central Washington.

What is your family like?
My mom played softball at Washington State and my dad played football at USC so my family is pretty big into athletics. I have two older siblings, one is a sophomore at U of O and she's not doing sports. The other is a senior in high school with me and she does track and volleyball.

What are your favorite subjects?
Health. I actually really enjoy math, I don't know why. All math, right now I'm in Algebra 2. I want to study kinesiology.

What do you and your friends like to do in your free time?
When we aren't playing sports it is more of a relaxing time, just staying at home. A lot of us go and watch the baseball games a lot.

How would your friends describe you?
They would describe me as outgoing, very energetic. I'm more of an extrovert for sure.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
I would go to Hawaii because I've never been there and all my friends have and they all say it's so nice.

What is your favorite movie?
I am really inspired by "42", which is a movie about Jackie Robinson. It's just inspiration to never give up and it helps me with sports.

Have you had to go through any setbacks that stopped you from playing sports?
Last winter I broke the ball of my big toe and I wasn't really out too long, only like five weeks, but in those five weeks I just felt like I was doing nothing. It was so hard for me to not be able to get out and do something.

How did you break it?
I broke it playing basketball. I think I just landed on it weird. I kept playing on it for a couple weeks then it got really painful to the point where I couldn't stand it.

Do you like to read?
I love reading. In my free time I'm always probably reading. I like Mystery, things that kind of make you think.

What are your ultimate dreams/goals?
My dream is to play a college sport. I've always wanted to since I was little. But I want to also get a major while playing a college sport so after school I can get a job and have a life and a family.



Do you have any funny softball stories?
Last high school season for playoffs we decided to get a little goofy and wear what we liked to call our "rally hats" these hats included purple and blue octopus, a sombrero, a princess fairy hat, a viking helmet, a Nacho Libre mask, and some other interesting hats. These helped us to keep people smiling and laughing, and mainly just trying to stay cheering and stay up in the last couple innings when we were tired. The parents thought it was the best thing ever, and for the state championship game, they got their own! Even though we became runner-up for state, it was still considered a good run and we shed a lot of laughter throughout those last couple of games because those interesting rally hats.

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals?
For high school softball, before every game we say a prayer, yet not everyone on the team may be religious.. it is a very big part of our pre-game rituals and Glencoe softball has been doing it for years! Some other things we do which fall more under of the category of superstitions is... we always have to sit in the same spot on the bus for every bus ride, and when we apply eye black before our games, we always have to do it in the same order.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite food would have to be cookies and cream pop tarts and ancho cheese Doritos, but those aren't the best food to eat before a game, and I usually like having extra cheesy goldfish in my bag for in between innings.

How do you get pumped before games?
To get pumped up before games I like being able to have some "me" time and listen to my music before interacting with my team. Also, my high school team enjoys to do "Little Sally Walker" during play talk to get us smiling and just get all the nerves off our shoulders.

What sets you apart from other players?
One major thing that sets me apart from other players is my speed, reaction time, and being quick on my feet. This helps me on both defense and offense by running out a quick play at first or being able to save 60 feet by cutting off a hard ball.

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