Cassell Earns Gamer of the Week Honors
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s Female Gamer of the Week to Sophomore Morgan Cassell of the Hurricane High School Swim team.
For high school swimmer Morgan Cassell, the 2025 swim season has been a year of incredible personal growth and achievement. From initially diving into the world of competitive swimming just two years ago, to now smashing her personal bests, Morgan has proven that dedication and hard work can take you far in the pool.
Growing up, Morgan spent summers swimming in her grandparents' pool and attended swim lessons at several local programs including the YMCA, Sleepy Hollow, and Marshall. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago when her friends Kenzie and Resse encouraged her to join the Sleepy Hollow Swim Team that she took the plunge into competitive swimming. What began as a challenge quickly turned into a passion.
“As for the high school swim team, my sister, Taylor, was the main one who got me involved”. Morgan shared. “My freshman year she told me to join, as she knew it would be a good change for me. I was very nervous at first, but I have built my confidence through a lot of practice and competition. I have made some great friends through this sport and forever grateful she encouraged me to try something new.”.
After two years in the competitive swimming scene, Morgan has seen remarkable progress. In just one year, she shaved nearly seven seconds off her 50-meter freestyle time, going from 37.00 seconds in January 2024 to 29.73 seconds in January 2025. These accomplishments reflect her commitment to pushing herself each season.
This season, she set a goal to reach the 29-second mark in the 50 freestyle, a personal milestone that she has now achieved. “I have also dropped a lot of time off my 100 free. So, now I will set a new goal and continue to work even harder to meet that goal. My ultimate goal is to make it to states for team relay events and in the 50 free individual event by senior year.”.
When discussing role models, Morgan states that her mom is someone she looks up to, admiring her hard work, dedication, and unwavering support throughout her journey. “She played soccer for many years and knows how much work a sport takes. She signed me up for soccer when I was five and even coached but I gave up the sport when I was 13. Fast-forward to a year later when I started swimming, she was nothing but supportive of me. I know that must’ve been hard on her to see me give up soccer, but as the amazing mom she is, she helped me start up my swim career and to this day has been even more encouraging and helpful than ever. I see the amount of hard work she puts in daily and I strive to work as hard as her”.
In addition to her individual success, Morgan has been an integral part of a supportive and hardworking team. “The best part of my team is the balance. I’m very grateful that our coaches have not only given us an environment and knowledge to work hard and improve, but also to have fun. This atmosphere has created friendships, accomplishments, memories, and more. Because of this, we all find excitement in watching each other hit new personal records and reach for our goals. I love my team because the fun times we have had have led to supportive friendships during these victories”!
Outside of the pool, Morgan has been busy balancing her athletic commitments with other extracurricular activities. She is involved in track, DECA, National Art Honor Society, Helping Paws, and volunteers regularly at her church. Despite her busy schedule, swimming continues to be her primary focus as she works toward her long-term goals.
Looking to the future, Morgan plans to pursue a career as a nail technician after high school by attending cosmetology school. But for now, she remains focused on her swimming career and the upcoming competitions that will help her reach her ultimate goal of competing at the state level.
As the 2025 season progresses, Morgan has achieved these impressive stats so far in the pool, with more to be added to the list by the end of the season.
Putnam County Championships:
3rd place 50 free
3rd place 100 free
1st place Medley relay
1st place 200 relay
MSAC: 5th place 50 free
Other various meets:
3rd and 5th place in 50 free
1st and 3rd place in Medley relay
1st place in 200 relay
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named in next week’s Female Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald.
MEGAN SCARBERRY, MS, CPT, POTENTIAL PLUS INSTRUCTOR AT TEAYS PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER INC.