Viking Girls Push Each Other Over the Hurdles
Because two of the finest athletes at Santa Monica High are not only both in the same sport but compete in the same events, the engravers updating the track records inscribed in brass on the wall display in the Vikingsâ gym should be busy.
Felice Lipscomb, a junior, has run 13.84 in the 100-meter low hurdles, fastest mark in the state and second best in the nation this year, while Erin Morrisâ 14.54 is eighth in the state. Before their arrival, the previous best in the schoolâs history was 14.9.
And with both on the 400-meter relay team, the all-time Santa Monica mark for that event has been bettered several times this season.
Having the two standouts has helped both individuals, according to Coach Mike Griswold.
âThey provide nice incentives for each other to excel,â Griswold says.
Morris agrees: âIf it wasnât for Felice, I wouldnât be as good as I am and I wouldnât have had the push or something to reach for. I feel itâs an advantage.â
And Lipscomb, who values Morris as a teammate and a friend, says: âI think itâs good that sheâs right there with me. It pushes me to do better.â
Although a senior, this is only Morrisâ second year in track and her first with a full season of training. It wasnât until the end of fall that she decided to devote her time exclusively to athletics and forgo being a school song leader. Her 2 1/2 years in that role, which involved intensive dance routines, and her four years of training in ballet and jazz dancing have helped her in hurdling, she feels.
âThe dancing has definitely helped my flexibility,â the 5-9, 126-pound Morris said. âBut there are some things I had to correct, like sticking my arms out to my sides going over hurdles and looking like a ballet dancer.â
Although Morris came out for the team only a week before the first meet last year, she eventually ran 14.6 in the 100 lows, finishing fourth in league, and advanced to the 4-A Division finals in the 300 lows in 47.00.
With experience from her first season, Morris has made an impact this year. She was runner-up to Lipscomb at the Alemany-Northridge Relays, the Pasadena Games at Occidental College, the UCLA-Beverly Hills Invitational and in last Fridayâs Bay League finals at Hawthorne High.
Coaches from Cal State Northridge were impressed. Theyâve signed Morris to a letter of intent for an athletic grant. Northridge assistant coach Tony Veney, who coached at St. Bernard High until 1982, was impressed that Morris doesnât hurdle passively.
âErin is very aggressive,â Veney observed. âIn the hurdles, you just canât be a baby. Youâve got to roll on them. Youâve got to run on them. And if you get tentative, you hit hurdles and you become even more tentative. Erin has a good attitude.â
Morris feels her attitude is the biggest difference from last year:
âI think confidence is where Iâve improved. Before, it was a lack of experience that was something of a problem. Now I get in the blocks a lot more confident.â
Assurance is something that Lipscomb has also developed in her three years of competition, according to Griswold: âShe has outstanding composure and is tremendous under pressure.â
In her freshman year Lipscomb ran 14.7 in the 100 lows. A year later she improved to 14.00 in the 4-A finals and finished third at the state meet in 14.04. This year she has sprinted 12.25 in the 100 and 25.33 in the 200.
Last winter Lipscomb played forward for the basketball team at 5-6, 115 pounds and was one of the teamâs leading scorers toward the end of the season, even though this was the first time she had played organized basketball, according to Coach Debbie Skaggs.
âHer rebounding was awesome. She has incredible jumping skills,â Skaggs said. âIf she had started earlier and stuck with it, sheâd be one of the best basketball players around.â
Lipscomb also has a 3.2 grade-point average.
âI like to excel in whatever Iâm doing,â Lipscomb explained. âAnd I like to compete.â
In order to excel further in the hurdles, Lipscomb realizes that she needs to improve her technique. She is acutely aware of this after seeing herself on videotape.
âMy form was horrible,â she said. âI was so embarrassed. I didnât have my arms under control. The first thing I said to myself was, âHow was I ever able to win with this form?â â
Al Sanford, a longtime acquaintance of Griswold and an assistant coach at Loyola High who hurdled at UCLA under Jim Bush, worked with Lipscomb during the spring break to refine her technique.
âFelice has been blessed with incredible foot speed and, until now, has been able to do well on her natural ability,â Sanford said. âI definitely think that she will represent us in 1992 (Olympics). I think she has the potential to be that good. She has that special intangible that puts her mentally above people in her (event).â
Lipscomb puts everything in perspective: âOnce I get my form together and my talent together, then maybe I can do something with myself.â
Besides the hurdles, her favorite event is the 400-meter relay. Junior Alina Howard starts and hands off to senior Margaret Chai, followed by Morris with Lipscomb anchoring. Their best to date is 49.08, one of the top 15 times in the state.
âOur relay team has a chance to get to the state finals,â Morris says.
Lipscomb shares Morrisâ optimism in that event: âThereâs never a guaranteed win for anybody. There are a lot of things that can happen in that race. Itâs exciting because you never know.â
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