Eli Morton
Eli Morton's senior night bio stated that (in addition to his infiniti GPA) he wanted to be a professional axe thrower and part time pillow fighter. While he is probably working hard to achieve both, the former is coming along probably much closer to reality than even his joking, 17-year-old self would have thought.
Like many, Eli grew up playing a variety of sports but was mainly involved in baseball in high school, where, as he put it, he got really good at keeping the bench the perfect temperature. Similar to his later forays into axe throwing, Eli put in tons of hour of practice, visiting the cages every day to work on his form and getting all the fundamentals down until they were second nature. While his coach acknowledged this and the tremendous improvement he had made, he still didn't play much on account of not wanting to take others out of the game. Success in axe throwing, on the other hand, is entirely dependent on the person throwing and the work they are willing to put into it.
Eli really started putting in the work after his first Angrywood in 2021. Going in with low expectations and a hope to win a game or two, he was surprised to find himself deeper in the bracket, winning 6 games before he was eliminated. He remembers Jason Kearney telling him that, "you're getting really good, but you could be even better." Eli took this advice to heart and has been working hard ever since, putting in the time each night to hit a 64 before ending practice, leading to some recent victories including a duals win last weekend and a hatchet podium at a New Year's Eve tournament earlier this year. He really enjoys going head to head with the people he is 'scared' of, as those victories always give him the extra confidence to perform well going forward. He remembers Jorge Sanchez beating him at PLS and being able to run it back for the win at Jolly Good Time a few months later, always remembering Jason's push towards being better.
Eli attributes a great deal of his success to Jason and Got Wood who has done quite a bit for him over the past 2 years. He started working for Got Wood after transitioning from Chick-Fil-A, saying that the culture there was a much better fit for him personally (indicative of the culture of the sport in general). Even after his home location shut down, Eli showed up at the other lcoations until he was brought on there, and Jason continues to be his biggest supporter and fan, both through his encouragement and through sponsorships to major events.
Apart from the support he gets from Jason and the community, Eli mentioned his parents have always been in his corner, consistently supporting him in the choices he makes. While supportive, they don't try to fix his mistakes for him, teaching him to budget and work things out for himself vs bailing him out when he makes mistakes. He describes them as the most genuine and nice people who have always encouraged him to do whatever he wants and be whatever he wants to be, a sentiment which their actions support, showing pride in the things Eli takes pride in and always wishing him well before he heads out to competitions.
One thing that stood out to Eli at these competitions from the start is the way the community treats its own. He reflected back on his time as a beginner who was never treated as 'less than' by any competitor and didn't feel the need to be the best in order to earn his way in. The welcoming and inclusive nature helped ground him in the sport, and, he believes, keeps others grounded as well. There is no showboating or putting down of one's opponent after a win here as there is in other sports he's played. Winning, while often followed by a celebration, is almost always paired with a hug, fist bump, or a "really nice throwing" to one's opponent in a show of respect for the game and the other throwers.
As someone who grew up as a shy kid, the inclusivity is especially important. He appreciates that he is able to feel more comfortable, but, on account of only interacting with others when forced growing up, also feels like he sometimes puts his foot in his mouth socially. His intentions don't always come through as well as he'd like and wanted to apologize to anyone who may have been on the receiving end of a less-than-thought-out comment.
Eli's time outside of axe throwing work and practivce (which is admittedly limited) usually includes pretending he can longboard, late night trips to the Waffle House where he 'orders' whatever the server chooses to bring him, and messing around with trick shots. One of his favorites includes 1.5 spin underhand, which he will get to showcase on live TV as part of the Ocho in a new duals twist alongside Chase Salwach.
