Devon Morones got off to a bit of a rocky start as a Chico State student-athlete. “There were a few bumps in the road,” said women’s soccer head coach Kim Sutton. “It took her a little while to figure things out and we weren’t really sure where things were headed.”
The Wildcat of the Week turned out to be an absolute rock star.
Morones was a team captain as a junior and senior while leading the soccer team back-to-back NCAA Championship Tournament appearances. She shared her experience and the story of Chico State athletics powerfully during the 2018 campus referendum process, while taking on a wider leadership role among all student-athletes as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies (along with back-to-back All-CCAA Academic honors).
“The words of Devon Morones will resonate with this program forever,” Sutton said. “Her individual legacy is as huge as anybody’s who has ever played for me.”
And last spring, Morones became Chico State’s first ever recipient of the NCAA’s highly sought after and prestigious Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship.
The Yorba Linda High School product is using the scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in communication studies and hopes to one day work in athletics administration, eventually leading a department as an Athletics Director.
While taking classes during this first year of graduate school, Morones is also teaching three communication studies public speaking courses (CMST 131) and serving as SAAC’s campus and community coordinator, a role she created that has revolutionized the way student-athletes interact with the rest of the campus.
“Devon really recognized the ways we could do a better job becoming part of the campus fabric and has made that one of her missions,” Chico State Director of Athletics Anita Barker said. “And one of the things that is so impressive about Devon is that she doesn’t just say it. She goes and does it. She’s a doer. She’s not just a talker. She gets things done.”
Partnerships between athletics and groups throughout campus are now healthier than ever, and thriving.
“A lot of our student-athletes want to get involved in the betterment of our campus and community. They have a drive to get involved and help out. They love this program dearly and want to give back,” Morones said from back home in Southern California where she is currently sheltering in place with her family. “Just having the middle man, which is the role I play, bridges the gap across that street that metaphorically divides us. That gap can feel real. But now that my foot is in the door it’s been a strong and steady build. The opportunities are there and student-athletes are making impacts all over campus in areas they really care about.”
Morones’ road didn’t exactly go from rocky to wonderful in the blink of an eye.
After starting six of her first eight matches as a true freshman, her playing time dwindled as the season continued. She started only five times in the last 11 matches and then played in only three matches as a sophomore. But that did not keep her from developing into one of the team’s most important players.
“It would have been amazing to be a four-year starter but I think my time on the bench is what made me the person I am today,” Morones said. “Although I knew college soccer was very competitive I wasn’t expecting the emotional aspect of the sport to be so all-encompassing. I thought it was three hours of your day, plus games, and taking care of your body and that was it. What I found out is that trying to get 1 percent better every day is a full on commitment. Every night before I went to bed I asked myself how I could be the best Chico State soccer player I could be for my team, department and University. Unfortunately, it took a lot of mistakes and lessons over the years to learn. Through a lot of tears and blood shed, I got there.”
After an impassioned speech to the coaching staff heading into her junior season, Morones was named one of the team’s captains. Many in her shoes would have quit.
“She has so much passion and conviction. She was not going to give up,” Sutton said. “She fell in love with our program and she wanted to prove herself.”
Morones went on to play in 13 matches as the Wildcats went 11-6-2 and earned an NCAA Championship Tournament berth for the first time in six seasons.
Morones’ 2018 senior campaign was historic. The Wildcats lost only twice all season—the previous school record was four losses—and set another school record for consecutive home matches without a loss at 26.
Midway through the season, Morones earned a spot back in the starting lineup for the first time since her freshman campaign and made an immediate impact. She scored the match-winning goal in front of her family at Cal State San Bernardino and assisted on second-half match winners against rivals Sonoma State and UC San Diego.
“It was shocking to see what she accomplished through heart, passion, desire and drive,” Sutton said. “She achieved the things she did through the strength of her conviction and it was amazing to witness.”
Following the end of her soccer career, Morones she was not ready to say goodbye to collegiate athletics.
“I kind of had this epiphany after my soccer career ended that the people I respected most in this world outside of my own family—my role models—were in collegiate athletics,” Morones said, pointing specifically to Sutton, Barker, and former SAAC President Haley Kroll. She says Sutton taught her, among many things, that the lessons learned through sport are lessons about life. Barker taught her that it’s possible to be caring, gracious and a badass. Kroll was another strong and powerful woman who showed her how to face challenges.
“It helped me realize I wanted to be one of those women for all student-athletes. To give them the opportunity to see how impactful sports can be in their lives.”
During our conversation, Morones twice repeated a lesson she says she learned from Sutton: “The opportunity to represent something bigger than yourself is one of life’s greatest blessings.”
Thanks to her strength, perseverance, and leadership, Morones has done just that in her first year away from the soccer pitch.
“As a campus and program, we’re about giving students a chance to grow and find their way. We pride ourselves in that and Devon is a shining example,” said Barker. “She can take pride in knowing that because of her example, more Wildcats will follow in her footsteps in applying for and earning this scholarship. She didn’t just find her own way. She blazed a trail for others.”
