PREP TRACK: Sultan’s Morrill finds 800 to her liking afterall

TACOMA — Before this spring, Rici Morrill didn’t really like the 800-meter run, instead favoring slower-paced, epic long-distance races.

It’s safe to say her opinion has changed.

Competing in her final state track meet, Morrill, a Sultan High School senior, placed second in the 800 during the Class 2A championships on Saturday at Mount Tahoma Stadium. Making her state debut in the 800, Morrill clocked a personal-best time of 2 minutes, 16.78 seconds. Sehome’s Annie Moore won the race in 2:15.02.

Morrill, a Boise State University recruit, stayed with Moore for the speedy first lap of the two-lap race. But Moore pulled away after that and won by a big margin. Lakewood junior Kelsey Anderson placed sixth.

“(Moore) looked back once we were in toward the curve (just after the end of Lap 1) and then she saw me and she picked it up and I was like, ‘Dang it. It’s over.’”

Less than four hours later, Morrill finished seventh in the 1,600 final in 5:18.31. She placed sixth in that event in 2009.

Morrill is Sultan’s school record-holder in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, but she didn’t seriously train for the 800 until this season. She always felt the event was too fast for her, but now she likes that aspect of it.

“It’s fun. I know I can go fast and I know it’s going to be over soon,” she said.

Morrill’s runnerup finish in the 800 was her highest finish ever at state. All in all, she was pleased with the result.

“It feels pretty good, actually. I’m happy with second,” Morrill said. “It would have been nice to be able to win, but the competition is tough so I’m happy.”

In the first track final of the day, Archbishop Murphy’s all-sophomore 800 girls relay team placed fifth and helped send off Wildcats’ coach Robert Gonzales on a positive note. This is Gonzales’ final season with Murphy. He will move to Houston, his hometown, where he accepted teaching and coaching positions at a high school.

Gonzales was thrilled to see Murphy runners Christine Towey, Allyson Beck, Kortney Yant and Tasha Pabisz take fifth. They appear to have a bright future together.

“We had the lead with about 75 yards to go with four 10th-graders,” Gonzales said. “I know if I was one of the other (2A track) coaches in the state I’d be concerned.”

It was a pleasantly surprising finish for Murphy’s 800 relay group, which only advanced to state because Sehome was disqualified in the event at the district meet, said Gonzales.

Elsewhere in the 2A girls state meet, South Whidbey’s Cayla Calderwood placed eighth in the long jump. On Friday Calderwood, a Harvard University-bound senior, finished third in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump. She won nine 2A top-eight state medals in her distinguished track career.

Laura Barrow, Calderwood’s teammate, placed sixth in the 300 hurdles.

4A girls

Stanwood’s trio of runners all finished among the top 11 in the 1,600. Natasha Verma was fifth, Jordin Stephenson eighth and Minna Fields 11th. In the 3,200 on Thursday, Day 1 of the meet, Verma (third), Stephenson (fourth) and Fields (sixth) all won top-eight medals. They helped Stanwood (19 points) finish tied for 10th in the final team standings.

Here are other top notable 4A performances by local females.

n In the 800 race, Shorewood’s Lauren Johnson placed second and Mountlake Terrace’s Nina Penner was eighth.

n Lake Stevens freshman Brooke Pahukoa took sixth in the 300 hurdles final and seventh in the high jump. Later, Pahukoa and her twin sister Brittney helped the Vikings place fourth in the 1,600 relay. Marysville-Pilchuck finished sixth. The Tomahawks also placed seventh in the 400 relay.

n In the pole vault, M-P teammates Sarah Clark and Summer Cull placed sixth and tied for eighth, respectively.

n In the 400, Edmonds-Woodway junior Amia Nash finished fifth.

n Cascade’s 800 relay squad placed seventh.

n In the 200 dash, Oak Harbor freshman Naomi Walker placed seventh.

n Arlington’s Stephanie Van Slageren finished eighth in the javelin.

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.