LINDA MORGAN-ROBBINS CLASS OF '79 YEAR OF INDUCTION: 2023 Q: How versatile was Linda Morgan as an athlete at Steinert High School? A: Her track and field coaches wished the heptathlon was one of the events offered. Former longtime Reynolds/Steinert coaches Doug Martin and Andre Modica were impressed by this multi-event athlete. "Linda was a very talented athlete, who excelled in multiple sports," Modica said. "Doug and I coached her when she was in Junior High and also during the winter track seasons at Steinert. Bill Kester was the girls' spring track coach when Linda ran spring track at Steinert. What Doug and I remember about Linda is how versatile she was. She had exceptional athletic ability. She could just about take on any event whether track or field. She could sprint, do the long jump, throw the discus (she was a county champion), shot, etc. She also held the school record for the javelin for a while. "Unfortunately, she was limited to four events per meet. If there was a high school heptathlon, Linda would have excelled at it." And, in the good news-bad news category for the Steinert running teams, Linda was a multi-talented athlete. "We would have loved to have her on our cross country teams, except for the fact that she was so great at soccer," Modica said. Although she loved the camaraderie with the track and field programs – and that is where she met her future husband, Ken Robbins – Linda was happiest when she was competing on the soccer pitch. She was part of pioneering group of girls (and their mothers) who fought for soccer to be offered in the township leagues and schools. "Linda Morgan was among the first players of the Hamilton Township Girls Soccer teams," said Joan Tarr, who was Linda's coach for many years. "They played on fields usually dedicated by the township for the boys' teams. "Linda and many of the girls who came out for the Hamilton Township Girls Soccer League were outstanding athletes in their schools. "Linda played for years in the league and was on the first girls' team to travel to Finland (the Hamilton Hustlers competed in the Helsinki-Cup in 1980, becoming the first youth girls team from Mercer County and perhaps beyond to travel overseas). "She was valuable for her skills and athleticism, her leadership and team spirit." With Linda Morgan in the lineup, the late great soccer coach, Bob Pivovarnick, led a fledging girls' soccer program at SHS to instant success in the late 1970s. "We wore the girls' basketball uniforms as our soccer uniforms, but it was fun, at least we got to play," she said. On the way to a 14-0 record, the Spartans outscored their competition 100-13 in 1977. Morgan, a co-captain, scored 14 goals from her center mid position. She earned eight varsity letters and shared Co-Spartan of the Year honors before graduating from SHS. And, Tarr and Martin and Modica agree on another thing. "She was also one of the nicest, most personable athletes that we ever had the pleasure of coaching," they said. Linda and Ken live in Manassas, Va. They have three daughters, Jaime, Cassie and Emily. RETURN TO THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS PAGE