The freshmen year is a year of adjustment — adapting to different friends, different schools and different lifestyles.And for student-athletes, the freshman year is accompanied by an adjustment to harder, more experienced competition.But LSU’s Morgan McGee is having no trouble with her new lifestyle.The freshman swimmer has rapidly become a regular contributor for the Lady Tigers and hopes to continue her early success.    “I have my NCAA ‘B’ cuts,” McGee said. “I am hoping to get a little bit faster to make sure I get to NCAA [championships].”McGee already has two of LSU’s top-five times under her belt, both of which she earned in her first collegiate meet.  “I set some goals for myself, and I hoped to do well,” McGee said. “But I didn’t expect to do as well as I am now.”McGee credits changes in training methods as part of the reason for her early success.She said her club team’s training was comprised of more distance swimming, and LSU’s training is more focused.”It’s been a lot easier on my arms,” McGee said. “I have been able to focus more on my backstroke so it’s good.”But McGee, her coach, her mother and her teammates all feel her success has something to do with a smooth transition to college life.   “This women’s team is pretty tight, and I think that is a nice core group to have coming in as a freshman,” said LSU coach Adam Schmitt. “Being from Shreveport, her parents can come down, and I think that makes it a little easier.”McGee, who was recruited by schools like Alabama, Texas A&M and Clemson, said she decided on LSU after her recruiting trip to Baton Rouge. She admits school was hard to adjust to at first.”I didn’t have my sisters,” McGee said. “But once I really got to know the girls on the team, I felt really comfortable, and it’s home now.”She said her and fellow freshman swimmer and roommate Samantha Goates bonded.”We also swim the same races so that makes us really close,” McGee said.Goates said having McGee helped her adjust as well.”It is a little intimidating coming here and half the people have records up on that board,” Goates said. “So having someone there to talk to — it’s nice to have someone on my level.”McGee said senior Monica McJunkin has been a big influence on her.”Monica has been the best about getting me pumped up for races,” McGee said. “Monica has always been there for me. I really look up to her.”McJunkin said she just tries to make sure her teammates are excited and ready to swim.”I really just make sure that [Morgan] is calm and that she knows that if anything goes wrong that there’s three other girls in the pool with her,” McJunkin said.Home isn’t too far away for McGee though. Her mother, Renee McGee, has made most of Morgan’s meets this season and is proud of her daughter’s early success.”She has swam ever since she was 5 years old, but now getting to this level, the whole family is just proud of her,” Renee McGee said. Schmitt said he is excited about the upside to McGee’s contributions and to see what the future holds for the freshman. “She’s definitely a building block for the program,” Schmitt said. “The future looks pretty bright with her on the team.”
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