Morse Goes the Extra Mile, Well, 200 Meters Anyway

She had already claimed easy victories in the 400 and 800 meters at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, but Corona del Mar’s Liz Morse wanted more.

She made a late entry into the 200, anticipating a rare chance to chase her competitors rather than simply race the clock. Morse fired out of the blocks at Trabuco Hills High, sped through the turn and, to her astonishment, edged the county’s top sprinters in 25.40 seconds.

It was the most surprising victory of the meet and widened the spectrum of Morse’s accomplishments, which include the nation’s leading high school time in the 800 and victories against quality opponents from 200 to 5,000 meters.

“I wasn’t even supposed to be out there,” said Morse, a senior. “My coach asked me how I felt and if I’d be willing to run another race if he needed me, and I said, ‘Sure.’ ”

The Sea Kings were still in the hunt for the team title and Corona del Mar Coach Bill Sumner was looking for some late points. Morse had run the 200 in a hand-timed 25.7 two days earlier in a dual meet against University, so Sumner knew she was capable of scoring in the event.

Sumner also knew Morse wouldn’t need much convincing.

“She said, ‘I couldn’t even get fired up for the 400, I couldn’t hear anybody,” Sumner said. “ ‘I ran the 800 like it was a workout. I ran as fast as I could but there was no adrenaline, there was no rush, there was nothing happening.’ And so we put her in the 200 and she got excited and you saw what happened.”

Morse edged another longshot, Newport Harbor freshman Amy Burlingham (25.44), and favorites Meghan Atkinson of Santa Margarita (25.56), Crystal Davis of Santa Ana Valley (25.68) and Shalanie Ross of Esperanza (25.86). Esperanza wound up losing the team title by one point to Mater Dei.

Morse wasn’t finished after her third victory, however. She came back shortly after the 200 to run a 54.6 anchor for the 1,600 relay team, which finished first in 3:57.01 and lifted the Sea Kings into a third-place tie with Edison.

“She did a big thing today,” Sumner said. “And she did it easily.”

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Sumner made another strategic move early in the meet, scratching Jenny Cummins from the 400 to give her a better opportunity to finish second behind Morse in the 800. Cummins came into the meet with the second-best time in the county in the one-lap race, but Sumner wanted her to be fresh for the 800.

“One of the things with Jenny in the 400, it takes a little bit away from her 800,” Sumner said. “Some people are thinking I’m crazy because I didn’t get any 400 points from her. But I got a kid who ran a [career best] by three seconds. I have a kid who is happy with that second, and I got my eight points and that’s what I was shooting for.”

MAKING THEIR MARKS

Marina’s Caroline Rebello defended her Orange County title in the pole vault by clearing a personal-best 11-8, which is the fourth-best mark in county history.

The frosh/soph competition provided a few noteworthy marks as well.

Foothill sophomore Matt McKeehan broke the 20-year-old frosh/soph meet record by nearly two seconds in winning the 1,600 in 4:23.01, which was the seventh-best time in the county this season.

Huntington Beach sophomore Brian Ruziecki won the boys’ shotput with a throw of 54-6, the fourth-best mark in the county this season and just a quarter inch behind that of varsity winner, Robby Hulliger of Costa Mesa.

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