American with Timaru ties makes White Sox
Timaru’s Linley Welford is extremely proud of her American grand daughter Makana Morton
The Texas-born Morton has just made the junior White Sox softball team and will play in the world championships in July in Florida.
She is both a United States and New Zealand citizen, so the 16-year-old can potentially play for either country.
The American side comes from her father, Dr Bill Morton, who is also the West Rusk softball coach, while the Kiwi portion comes from her mother, Rowena (nee Welford), a former national hurdle record holder, who represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
The talented hurdler attended Craighead before opting to take up an athletics scholarship in the United States.
Welford said she and her husband Eric were delighted by their grand daughter Makana’s selection into the New Zealand team.
‘‘It is fantastic. It is good genes, I think.’’
Welford said her grand daughter was a talented athlete, who trained hard.
The young American said her selection took her by surprise.
‘‘It was so surreal, I never dreamed this would happen to me.’’
‘‘My friends were really happy for me, especially the ones on my softball team. They are still really supportive.’’
Morton said she was so excited to play in Florida this summer.
‘‘I get to meet a bunch of new people and play the sport I love at a high level.’’
She said she also loved New Zealand.
‘‘It is an amazing place to go to, and it feels kind of like a second home to me. If I was not living in America, I would probably be there.’’
Morton has already reached out to some of her new teammates, including a fellow American who holds dual citizenship as she does.
‘‘I’ve talked to a girl (Kelley Renner) and she seems very nice.’’
Rowena Morton said the family wanted a summer sport they could all could participate in.
‘‘Since we didn’t have boys, baseball was out, and softball was it.
‘‘Makana started when she was about seven or eight in local league and was on her first select team when she was 12.’’
A handy allrounder favourite position is centre field.
When visiting New Zealand two years ago, the Mortons visited with coaches of the national team to get things rolling.
Morton is currently leading East Texas in hitting at .671 and has belted eight home runs. She plays shortstop, centre field and pitcher.
Dr Morton said one of the main reasons his daughter was selected for the junior Black Sox was because of her prowess in the circle.
‘‘The team has many pitchers who can throw fast, but Makana puts a spin on the ball.’’
While Dr Morton was a stand baseball player for Wayland Baptist University it was Rowena that reached legendary status there.
She was a 15-time All-American and was in 2013 has been inducted into her college’s ‘‘Hall of Honour’.