They’re Gearing Up to Defend State Track Title : Preps: Morningside girls, led by sprinters Santisha Arnold and Tai-ne Gibson, are optimistic about their chances.

The mighty Morningside girls’ track team will be resting much of its hopes of repeating as state champions on the diminutive shoulders of sprinters Santisha Arnold and Tai-ne Gibson.

Arnold, a 5-foot-2 senior, and Gibson, a 5-5 sophomore, give Morningside as good a chance as any team to win the state meet, just as they helped the Monarchs win it last year.

“I don’t have a crystal ball or anything, but we have great potential,” Coach Ron Tatum said.

Neither Tatum, Arnold nor Gibson cared to talk much about numbers because they felt they haven’t yet reached their peaks, but the two sprinters are neck-and-neck in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, just behind world-class Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks.

In the state rankings, Arnold is fourth in the 200 and Gibson is fifth; in the 100, their positions are switched

In addition, the Monarchs’ 4x100 relay--with Arnold, Gibson, Sanoma Nickson and Felicia Williams--has run the best time in the nation at 45.83 seconds. Morningside’s 4x400 relay--with Arnold, Gibson, Williams and Jaronda White--is first in the state and second in the nation at 3 minutes 45.86 seconds.

With all those talented sprinters, it’s no wonder that optimism abounds on the school’s Inglewood campus.

“When we get into the big meets, we want first,” Arnold said. “And we’ve got what it takes to win it all.”

Ironically, the Monarchs will probably have to improve on the 28 points they scored to win state last year if they hope to defend their title. If Jones sweeps the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes as expected, that will give Thousand Oaks an automatic 30 points.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s going to take more than 28 points (to win state this year),” Tatum said, citing Long Beach Poly along with Thousand Oaks as the Monarchs’ toughest competition. “But in track, you never know. You have to stay healthy and it’s a long way to state. We have to get there first.”

Barring injuries, however, there doesn’t seem to be any doubt that the Monarchs will get there. Tatum is hoping for more than the expected berths of Arnold and Gibson in the sprints; he has high expectations for Nickson in the hurdles.

“Being the defending champs makes us want to try that much harder,” Arnold said. “We’ve got a lot more people out here running track this year. And we have a lot of people that can get points in other events.”

Still, the bulk of Morningside’s hopes rest with the two sprinters. who push each other so hard in practice that sometimes their meets seem less competitive.

“It helps both of us get better,” Arnold said. Their competitiveness is such that Arnold will only begrudgingly acknowledge that her younger teammate “runs a better curve.”

“By the time she becomes a senior, she’s going to be some kind of tough,” Arnold said, shaking her head. “She’s giving me hell right now, and she’s just a sophomore.”

But Arnold’s position as co-captain of the team leaves no room for ego when it comes to her teammate’s success. In fact, she welcomes it, and she is proud of whatever role she may have had in Gibson’s career.

“I think I’ve experienced more in life,” Arnold said. “I try to lead my teammates in the right direction--not just on the track but in life in general.”

Arnold’s leadership and determination draw accolades from Tatum.

“Tish has been gifted,” he said. “But the thing that sets her apart is her vigilance, her persistence. She’s a very dedicated worker. A lot of people who are gifted with ability are not able to succeed like she has.”

For her part, Gibson is the perfect protege. “I look up to her,” she said. “Her whole attitude is inspiring.”

There is only one person who can spoil the Monarchs’ victory party, and her name is well-known around Morningside. Marion Jones is more than a nemesis; she is a threat.

When asked if all the stories of Jones’ prowess makes them feel as if they are racing for second place, Gibson and Arnold quickly shook their heads, “No.”

“You can’t go into a race like that,” said Gibson, who finished second in the 100 to Jones in the Mt. SAC Relays last month. Arnold has yet to face Jones head-to-head.

“We never shoot for just one person,” Arnold said. “It’s one against all in track.”