Galesburg High School senior Lily Furrow was honored May 18 as a Don Morris Memorial Award winner, adding her name to a short list of Galesburg athletes recognized by the Western Big 6 Conference for achievement in athletics, academics and leadership.
Furrow is Galesburg’s first female winner since Shayli Florine in 2016. Carson Olson also received the award last year, giving Galesburg winners in consecutive years.
The award, presented during a ceremony at Galesburg High School, goes to senior multisport athletes who carry at least a 2.5 grade-point average and are judged on awards earned at the school, community, conference and state levels. Each conference school may nominate one boy and one girl, with selections made by the principal and athletic director.
The boys recipient was Kye Weinzierl, who was a standout in football and wrestling at Geneseo High School.
Furrow, who competed in swimming, basketball and track and field, said receiving the award was meaningful because of the support she has had throughout her high school career.
“It’s a great feeling,” Furrow said. “I’m super honored to get it. Just the support that everyone’s given me and that the Western Big 6 picked me, that I deserve this award enough [for them] to nominate me and vote me for it.”
Furrow said balancing academics and athletics required discipline. She said she often had two or three hours of math homework a night while also dealing with double practices because swimming was a year-round commitment.
“Just time management,” Furrow said. “A lot of time management, late nights, early mornings. But I managed my time well enough to get everything done and turned in on time, as well as excelling in all my sports.”
Furrow’s coaches described her as an athlete whose success came not only from talent, but from preparation, work ethic and composure.
Track and field coach Jodi Chapman said Furrow’s competitive drive was evident from an early age and has been part of a family tradition in track and field. Furrow is a four-time state qualifier and helped Galesburg reach state in relays, including the 4×400 relay. She also set a school record in the triple jump.
Chapman said Furrow’s senior track and field season tested her after an ankle injury before a sectional basketball game limited what she could do.
“She wasn’t able to do everything that she wanted to do because of something that she couldn’t control,” Chapman said. “To persevere over that and to lead the team … the way she has through the season — even though things were not exactly as she wanted — I think all of this exemplifies why Lily is the perfect Don Morris Award winner.”
Swimming coach Ray VanHootegem said Furrow’s character stood out as much as her accomplishments. Furrow was a four-year qualifier, a school record holder, a four-time all-conference athlete and a two-time Western Big 6 MVP.
“It’s been a really great experience to be able to coach an athlete for four years and watch them grow as a person,” the coach said. “That’s probably one of the more important aspects of what Lily brings to sports — her personality, her character, her work ethic.”
Basketball coach Lexi Mott said Furrow’s preparation separated her from many high school athletes.
“She understands that these things weren’t just going to be handed to her and that she was going to have to work for it,” Mott said.
Mott said Furrow set the standard in the classroom, weight room, practices and film sessions.
“If you walked into the weight room, she was often taking younger players under her wing,” Mott said.
Asked about the high school memories that stand out most, Furrow pointed to winning a conference swimming title at Galesburg’s home pool, earning conference MVP honors, a defensive basketball performance in which Galesburg held a top-ranked opponent under 20 points, and qualifying for state in track and field after narrowly missing as a freshman.
“There’s so many moments, but those are the three that kind of really stick out to me,” Furrow said.
Furrow is set to compete one more time at the state track and field meet. She said she has high expectations but knows the competition will be difficult.
“I’m ready to compete against them all,” she said.
Furrow plans to attend the University of South Dakota, where she said she will begin with general education classes before choosing a major.
At the award presentation, Furrow thanked her coaches, family and friends.
“I wouldn’t be up here if I didn’t have these great coaches standing next to me and the support along the way from the others that were there for the ride,” Furrow said. “None of this would have been possible without the support from my family and my friends. They’re the ones that pushed me to get into sports and be the athlete that I am today.”
