The Cafeteria ran over with support for Morrison High School Senior Keegan Anderson, on Friday, November 22, 2019, as he “signed” his Letter of Intent to compete in track at University of Illinois in Champaign, IL. Gathered to witness this life-changing occasion at 2:30 p.m., were Jenny and Nathan Anderson and Track Coaches Tim Duncan, left, and Sammy Biggs.
Keegan confided to the Editor he had submitted his official U of I contract earlier in the week, to meet the early signing period deadline.
Coach Biggs commented about Keegan, “He’s great! He’s the best one to do it! He’s going to be amazing!” Biggs knows talent when he sees it. He was a MHS Track star who won State in both the 100- and 400-meter events, while finishing second in the 200 as a Senior; he set school records in the 300 hurdles. Biggs scored 28 points individually at the 2006 Illinois State Track meet; qualified for Junior Nationals; played football. As a member of the Southern Illinois University Saluki track and field team, he qualified for the 400 at NCAA Mideast Regional in 2006.
Coach Duncan has taught 36 years, 33 of those at Morrison High School. He referenced Keegan’s Junior High Track Coaches Julia Deter and Andrew Tenboer. “Keegan was small as a Freshman; he’s gotten stronger.” Asked if weight training is part of the Track program, Duncan replied, “Absolutely. Football and Baseball skills translate to Track,” too. “It has been 15 years since [Morrison had Track star] Sammy Biggs, who was faster than Nate Anderson [Keegan’s father.] Keegan is somebody you can’t replace.”
MHS Athletic Director Gregg Dolan noted “lots of hardware on the table,” first place and IHSA State medals earned by Anderson. Newly purchased blue and orange track shoes were poised for future Illini running events. He received the U of I photo ID tag during a college visit, where he “met a few teammates. [He is] in touch with the Coach,” he said.
University classes begin August 2020. Anderson is “undecided” as to a course of study, but Jenny Anderson said, “He is open to anything, perhaps Animal Science. He will be assigned an athlete roommate who will share Keegan’s workout and event schedules.”
“Track is a year round sport, [with] travel to other big time schools,” stated the young man. He will continue as a “mid-distance runner in the 400.”
Keegan summarized his early interest in athletics. He first played Little League Baseball then joined Football as a third grader. He moved to Track in sixth grade and was number one in the 400 Open Event; he took second place in seventh grade. He recalled, “That was a bummer for me!” Bouncing back in eighth grade, Anderson earned first place in the 400 Class 1A IESA State competition.
The call to athleticism runs deep in the Anderson brothers. Brother Alex, 15, is a Sophomore who is on Football, Basketball, and Track teams. His specialty is short-distance sprints at 100-, 200-, and some 400-meter events. However, “in Junior High he qualified in the 800 individual,” stated his mother. “He can’t wait to break his brother’s records!” she added. In 2019, Keegan was injured with a stress fracture to his tibia. Alex became an alternate on the MHS Track team at the State competition, in the 4×4 relay.
Sixth grader Brady, 11, enjoys football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball.
Family celebrated Keegan Anderson’s step into his sports future. Standing left-to-right are grandfather Bill Anderson and step-grandmother Pat Anderson; brothers Alex and Brady; grandparents Larry and Marcia Heinitz with an unnamed toddler; grandmother Julie Harden and step-grandfather Dick Harden of Dixon, IL; great-grandmother Arlene Dykstra.
