Running and jumping all the way to Columbus, West Holmes qualifies five
In 2010 that something was a pulled hamstring during the District finals, which brought Morris’ season to a screeching halt.
This past April that something appeared to be a hyper-extended knee during the long-jump competition at the Triway Invitational, but which turned out to be even worse – a torn meniscus and bruised tibia that kept Morris out of action for several weeks, put an end to his long-jump career, and had him explaining, “Every time I hit a hurdle it feels like my knee cap is up in my thigh.”
Morris had every right to be angry after the letdown in the 110-meter race at Meadowbrook, but he finally used that built-up anger to turn his fortunes around, busting loose in the 300-meter hurdles later in the day, shattering his personal record by over a second (39.60), and qualifying for his first ever trip to State with a fourth-place finish.
“In this event it was just taking all my anger and getting [ticked] off,” explained the lone Knights senior after punching his ticket to Columbus, and just hours before graduating from high school later in the evening. “I surprised myself at the first hurdle, I got there too quick and I had to stutter. If I wouldn’t have stuttered, I would have gotten third.
“I’m excited. I’d be more excited if I were going for two events, but at least I’m going.”
And going in style, as he’ll be accompanied to Jesse Owens Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University, June 3-4, by four Lady Knights, including three-event State qualifier Paiten Strother who made some adjustments to her approach in the long jump after reaching Regionals as a number six seed, not only qualifying for State but setting a new West Holmes school record along the way by launching herself 16’ 10 and 3/4 inches on her second qualifying jump, eclipsing the previous record of 16’ 9” set by April Dixon in 1994, and landing her in second place behind Dover junior Christa D’Egidio (17’ 5 and 1/4 inches).
“She’s had trouble getting to the board,” explained West Holmes assistant coach and 1990 West Holmes State long jump qualifier Bill Ashcraft. “She’s been jumping mid-15’s from eight inches behind the board and we worked on that this week.
“We broke the whole thing down and got her right on the end of the board like we wanted to and hoped it was going to transfer over today, and it did. I knew she had it in her, it was just a matter of getting her off on the end of the board.”
“I’m really proud because of the long jump and because I’m only a freshman,” said Strother, who didn’t even have to jump in the finals. “I wasn’t on the board at all, I was way behind it and we changed it by having a more aggressive start and just having a faster speed down the runway.”
And speed is something Strother knows all about, anchoring the Lady Knights 4 X 200-meter relay team to a second place, State-qualifying finish at Meadowbrook as well, crossing the line in a season-best time of 1:47.30, following a strong start by sophomore Kendra Martin and solid second and third legs by the freshmen combo of Kennedy Smith and Carly Woodruff.
“We already did our tinkering,” explained Woodruff. “We haven’t always been running in this order that we did today. We didn’t start that until Districts.”
“We changed it in just the nick of time and it worked out very well for us,” added Smith.
“Three freshmen and a sophomore,” said Woodruff. “Like our teachers are going to say, we’re kind of a big deal.”
Proving her point, first-year West Holmes head coach Rich Patterson said, “Three freshmen and a sophomore, I’m real excited,” even after watching the same quartet of runners come up short in their bid to also qualify for the State meet in the 4 X 100-meter relay, finishing in sixth place despite putting together a season-best time of 51.24 seconds. “They didn’t make it in the 4 X 1 but they had their best time by half-a-second so it’s hard to complain about that.”
“I think in the 4 X 2 we started out slower, but we had a lot more length to catch up with,” explained Smith. “Our sprints for 200 are a lot better than 4 X 1 and it helps us a lot.”
“We were so excited about going to State in the 4 X 2 that we kind of lost it in the 4 X 1,” admitted Martin, who also missed out on her bid to qualify for State in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing seventh with a time of 16.90 seconds.
“I didn’t stay focused through that whole race and it just came back and got me. I’m not that disappointed though. It’s only my sophomore year and I made it to Regional finals, so I know next year that I can make it here again.”
West Holmes junior discus thrower Rebecca Chamberlain should have a good shot to make it to Regionals again next year as well after leading her qualifying group with a personal best throw of 111’ 6”, which left her in eighth place overall and out of the State meet.
So too should sophomore distance runner and 2010 State cross-country qualifier Cully Gordon whose time of 10:41.34 was good for only 15th place in the boys 3,200-meter run.
But what will those going to Jesse Owens Stadium June 3-4 do differently as they search for a State title in 2011?
“We’re going to book it,” said Smith.
“Go faster,” said Woodruff.
While Martin proved herself as the elder statesman of the group by saying, “We’re just going to wait and see what [coach Patterson] says. If he wants us to change something, we’ll try it.”
And with everything suddenly looking up for the future Ashland University track star, Morris, where will the fuel for his fury come from before he goes for gold in the 300-meter hurdles?
“I’m going to watch everybody else run the 110 and see where I would have been.”
And maybe by the end of next weekend he’ll be wondering what he did right during his childhood.