Heart & Hustle: West Clermont's top diver Southall 'intimidated by nobody'

CLERMONT COUNTY - West Clermont High School diver Morgan Southall is a smart, independent sort, which is a good thing considering the former Amelia athlete wasn't shy about asking for a chance with coach Lisa Werwinski's hybrid Loveland-Glen Este diving team in 2015. 

Werwinski remembers she had a full slate of divers without a pool, and taking on another from Glen Este's same school district would only be possible if Southall had a high level of talent. Morgan laughed as she recalled Werwinski asking her to do a difficult back double that first time. After seeing Morgan pull it off, Werwinski said she had no doubt.

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"Morgan is a workhouse. Morgan is just a naturally talented kid," she said. "She did one or two swim practices just waiting for me to come and coach the Glen Este divers out at Turpin. She showed up, walked over to me and asked to dive. I figured I'd give her a chance. ... She got on the board and I knew right away that's probably one of the most talented kids I've ever seen."

She competed her freshman year, when she missed state by one place (they took seven; she placed eighth). In the summer of 2016, Werwinski took her to train for a week in Moultrie, Georgia. Her sophomore season, she placed ninth at state and was named a high school All-American — one of the top 100 divers in the country. In March after the state meet, she started training year-round and went to USA Diving Regionals in Columbus.

"She got her butt kicked, and that's exactly what I wanted because she came back with a fire I've never seen," Werwinski said. "She came out this season and she's looked better than ever."

So far this year, the junior has broken the West Clermont six-dive school record previously held by Glen Este's Bethany Burger at Milford's meet Jan. 6. Her 297.85, one of the highest scores in the area of any gender, broke the Milford pool record. It was the first time she put all her big dives in one meet. She also placed second in the Southwest Ohio Swimming & Diving Classic, the biggest high school meet in the nation. 

"In fall of 2016, I put her in the Miami Open, an NCAA meet open to USA Diving athletes. She walked around that deck like she owned the place. She was confident, not arrogant, and thought, 'I'm going to show everyone what I can do and put what I have out there.' And she did. When I saw this, I thought this kid's intimidated by nobody. This is going to be exciting."

As a junior, Morgan qualified for the consolation finals of that same meet this year — 13th among all college kids competing — but couldn't compete in those finals because she was too young.

Morgan credits her coach and Burger, the first Trojan diver to compete at the state meet, for giving her guidance and helping her grow.

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What's clear from her Loveland teammates, she's paying that support forward.

"Usually when we all have rough days, she usually steps in. She can tell when everyone is kinda down," said teammate Riley Bullock, a diver from Loveland. "For me, it would be Southwest Classic that just happened. I was really nervous for a big dive I was competing. She gave me one last big hug and I just did it." Bullock finished sixth.

"She's definitely a big sister role here, as well as a mom. She takes care of all of us emotionally and physically. She's always been there for everyone — no matter size, gender, she's always there. I hope to be there for others as she's been there for me and my team."

Mallory Hanna, a Loveland eighth-grader who trains with the team, said she was working on a new dive she couldn't figure out and Morgan knew what to say to help her through it. 

"She's always very confident no matter what the situation is and she always knows what to do, what to say even if it's her first time. She always seems prepared for everything."

Loveland eighth-grader Lilly Green, who also trains with the team, agreed.

"When I was doing a new dive in the fall, I was really nervous to do it and I was working on it for a long time. She would stand at the end of the diving board every time until I could do it by myself," she said.

Morgan learned this art of mentoring from Burger, who's currently training at Eastern Michigan. When Southall broke her West Clermont diving record, which Morgan called "unforeseen," Burger texted her with congratulations and encouraged her see how many times she could break that record.

"We're still in this together," she told Morgan.

Bethany's influence and support are still alive and well as Morgan pays it forward, adding her own brand of independence, maturity and compassion. She uses what she learned to help interpret their coaches' instructions and relay it to her younger teammates in ways she thinks they'll understand.

"Now it's my turn," said a teary-eyed Morgan. "She was so good. She was always a mom. She sets stuff up. She was always there. She would always try and help me understand when I didn't get it. She was always so funny. Because she was always like, 'I'm not trying to be mean' and I'm like, 'I understand. You're helping me out; it's not a bad thing.' That's what I try to be for these kids ...

"That's something I learned from Bethany. You got to do your best with what you know and use what's around you to learn. She was always there. She was always giggly. She kept the morale up every day. If she wasn't there, there was just something a little bit off. She was always there. She came to every practice. She was always working so hard. She set the tone. She set a pretty high bar, and I want to be able to measure up to that."

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About Morgan:

Parents: Cindy and Brett Southall

Siblings: Abby, 18, and Emma, 13

College choices: University of Kentucky, North Carolina State, Miami University Oxford and University of Akron

Possible college major: Business or finance

Favorite subject: Math

Movie: "Tangled"

Band: Grouplove

Book: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

Favorite athlete: West Clermont Wolves

Hero: "My mom. She does everything."

What her teammates say:Sophomore Riley Bullock: "Morgan and I have known each other for three years. She's probably the biggest role model here for me because she's the oldest and she's going away soon, which is sad to think about because. She took me under her wing when I was younger. We're competitors obviously so we motivate each other to do better."

Lily Green, eighth-grader who trains with Loveland: "She's always a leader and she's really nice to everybody. If you're scared to do something or if you're doing a new dive, she always motivates you and talks to you to make you be more confident."

What her coach says: Lisa Werwinski, coach: "The cool thing about her is that she's a West Clermont kid through and through. So I've had her since day one and I've been her only coach, except for traveling, and this is a kid that would never have done diving if it were not for the opportunity at Amelia High School back then and now West Clermont. So it's really cool to see a kid who's been at West Clermont since kindergarten, And now, look where she is: She's one of the best divers to ever come through this area, especially based on how she did at the Milford meet."

Enquirer Media has kicked off a new feature, Heart & Hustle, highlighting high school athletes who inspire others through their heart and hustle. Twitter hashtag: #cincyheart . Suggestions can be sent to mlaughman@enquirer.com.