Morse, Sanford Save Best for Last, Win Titles

Liz Morse finally won the state title that had been expected of her throughout her high school career.

The Corona del Mar middle distance runner won the 800-meter run Saturday at the state track and field finals in a nation-leading time.

Freshman Michelle Sanford of Woodbridge was the only other county competitor to win a girls’ state title. She won the long jump on her final attempt.

Morse, a senior, started her kick with about 300 meters to go at Cerritos College. After passing early leader Angelita Green of Long Beach Poly, Morse wore down Spring Dawson of Vallejo and finished in 2 minutes 8.16 seconds, more than a second better than any other high school runner this season. It was also a personal best.

“I started my kick a little early,” Morse said. “I felt like I could go. I saw the opportunity and I got a little impatient and I just decided to go for it.”

Much was expected of Morse after she finished eighth in the 800 at the 1997 state meet as a freshman. But the next year during the Southern Section finals, she fell after being spiked by a competitor as they jostled for position on the final curve. Morse got up but failed to advance to the Masters meet. Last year she bounced back to finish third in state.

“When something like that happens, you can also learn to run smarter and reassess your goals,” Morse said of her fall in 1998. “It could have ruined me, but it didn’t. We found other races to run and I became a stronger runner.”

Much of the drama involving county girls took place early in the meet during the field events. Pole vaulter Carolyn Rebello of Marina, high jumpers Bianca Ziemann and her twin sister Rachael of Edison and Sharon Day of Costa Mesa, and long jumpers Dana Bethel of Mission Viejo and Sanford competed at the same time.

Sanford became the first county athlete in 23 years to win the state long jump title, reaching a personal-best 19 feet 7 1/4 inches on her final attempt to beat Shanita Bryant of Concord Ygnacio Valley. The leap was seventh-best in county history. El Toro’s Lisa Gourdine won the 1977 state title with a 19-1 mark.

Sanford’s early leap of 19-2 held the lead until the final flight, when Bryant, jumping two spots ahead of Sanford, hit a personal-best 19-4.

“I came so far and I wanted a personal record,” Sanford said. “I kind of knew what I was up against but I just had to go for the jump.”

On her final jump, Sanford nearly lost her balance on her landing as she reached out for the sand. But she was able to hold the jump and then broke into applause and a big grin when the mark was announced.

“I didn’t want to watch her, but then I heard the crowd cheer and I knew it was over,” said Bryant, a senior. “She won state as a freshman. That’s an impressive performance. I didn’t even make state when I was a freshman.”

Just meters away from the long jump pit, the high jump was also action packed. Sophomore Rachael Ziemann Schquay Brignac of Woodland Hills Taft and Day all cleared 5-8. The bar was raised an inch and Brignac and Ziemann, the two-time Southern Section Division I champion, cleared it on the second attempt. Day was eliminated and wound up in a tie for fifth place.

Eventually it came down to Ziemann and Brignac and neither could get over the bar at 5-10. Brignac was declared the winner, because Ziemann needed three attempts to clear 5-4 and Brignac made the height on her first attempt. Bianca Ziemann was eighth at 5-6.

Bethel’s long jump of 18-10 1/4 was good for fourth place. Later, she finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles, which was won by Nichole Denby of Riverside North in a national high school record of 13.20. The mark was also the third-best in the world by an American this year.

Rebello finished fourth in the pole vault with a personal best of 11-8. The winning height was 12-4 by Laura Chen of Temple City.

Amber Steen of Newport Harbor finished third in the 1,600 meters and 14th in the 3,200. Julie Allen of Fountain Valley finished 19th.