Supporters rally behind Greensburg Salem champion runner after ATV crash

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 | 6:00 AM

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The Greensburg Salem track and field and cross country community, along with program supporters and friends alike, are rallying around recent alum Maddy Murtland, who was involved in a near-fatal ATV accident on July 6.

Greensburg Salem track and field and cross country coach Nathan Snider started a GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising $7,500 or more for the Murtland family.

The fundraiser had cleared the $6,300 mark late Tuesday.

Maddy Murtland, a '19 GS grad & exceptional runner for our XC & T&F teams, was recently in a serious ATV accident. More details about her injuries can be found below. I'd appreciate your consideration to help w/ her recovery fund. No donation is too small. https://t.co/xgj7NyKcEy

— Jeremy Lenzi (@MrLenziGS) July 13, 2020

Murtland was set to begin the outdoor track and field season at Shippensburg when the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of NCAA Division II spring sports.

But she is enduring a much more difficult challenge as she recovers from serious injuries.

She was taken by ambulance to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville and was immediately treated for internal bleeding. She suffered a collapsed lung, colon and intestinal damage, a broken rib and vertebrae, and has a severe hernia.

“To say that she will have a long road to recovery would be an understatement,” Snider wrote, “but with the help of our community, and because we know how driven she is and the fighter that she is, we know that she will be back to running, hunting, and fishing again as soon as possible. We know that this unfortunate event will not hold her back from doing the things that she loves to do or achieving her life’s goals.”

Snider said Murtland has had three surgeries since the accident and she has received six liters of blood.

“Madison has been through a lot,” Snider wrote. “Thankfully, she is an extremely strong young woman. However, we need your help, both monetarily, to help with the costs of her hospital stay and recovery, and also through your prayers. As strong as Madison is, she needs her community’s help on both counts.”

Murtland won a WPIAL gold medal two seasons ago with the Golden Lions’ 3,200-meter relay team.

During the indoor season at Shippensburg, she contributed to a fifth-place finish in the 3,200 relay at the PSAC Championships.

CONGRATS to our Lady Lions!!! The Girls 4×800 Meter Relay got 6th at Indoor States: 9:39.42 left to right: Keara Lint, Maddy Murtland, Sydney Gatons, Malia Anderson #GSproud pic.twitter.com/uT3dRoqSBp

— GbgSalemAthletics (@GS_SportsUpdate) February 24, 2019

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.