Honors: CdM’s Morse Sea View League Athlete of the Year

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Four years ago, Corona del Mar High running guru

Bill Sumner made a pair of predictions about then-freshman standout Liz

Morse.

Sumner prognosticated Morse could become the best female runner the

school ever produced, while also foretelling her optimum event may turn

out to be the 1,600 meters.

He was, at least, half right.

Morse, whose medal collection from track and field and cross country

competition could fill a store window, has, in fact, raced to the

forefront of CdM female running history. It’s a course which may

eventually lead to the Olympic Games, but will first guide her to

Princeton University next fall.

Morse’s sterling senior campaign, which included a CIF State title in the

800 and a leading role on the Sea Kings CIF State Division IV cross

country champions last fall, led to recognition as Pacific Coast League

Female Athlete of the Year.

Morse’s accomplishments are so vast, they must be taken in shifts, just

like the relay races she frequently anchored.

This spring, Morse ran a national-best prep time of 2:08.16 to win the

state 800 crown (all divisions) June 3.

This preceded a second-place finish at the prestigious Golden West

Invitational in Sacramento and followed a noteworthy postseason trail.

She won the 800 at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet (all divisions).

At the Division III section finals, she won the 800, the 400 and was

third in the 200. She also anchored the victorious 1,600 relay quartet to

help lead the Sea Kings to the team championship. Her winning 400 time

(55.89) was a career best.

She was PCL champion in the 400 and 800 to help the Sea Kings win the

league crown.

Her track campaign also included winning the 200, 400, 800 and 1,600

relay at the Orange County Championships, winning the 800 at the Arcadia

Invitational, and finishing fourth in the open 800 at the L.A.

Invitational indoor meet against collegiate competition. Her time at the

L.A. Invitational was then a national-indoor best for high school girls.

Last fall, she finished 13th individually at the state cross country

finals, at which CdM won the Division IV crown.

She was second at the Southern Section Division IV finals to help CdM win

another team title and was sixth at league finals, where the Sea Kings

also prevailed as a team.

As a junior, she was third in the state 800, after winning the race at

the Masters Meet and the Division III section finals. She was league

champion in the 800, as well as the 1,600 relay, and was third in the

1,600 and 200 at league finals.

Her junior cross country season included a fifth-place finish at the

state meet, where CdM lost the team title to Nordhoff by one point.

She was seventh at the section finals, where CdM won the Division IV

crown, and finished fourth individually to help CdM win the team title at

Sea View League Finals.

She was fifth at the Golden West Invitational in the 800 as a sophomore

to salvage an otherwise disappointing postseason.

After winning the Sea View League 800 final and posting the top

qualifying time at the section preliminaries, she became entangled with

other runners and fell during the section 800 final. She got up and went

on to finish second, but missed advancing to Masters by .27 seconds.

She was also third in the 200 at league finals that year.

As a sophomore, she helped the cross country team fourth in state, second

in the Southern Section and second in the Sea View League.

She was 11th at league finals as a freshman cross country runner, then

went on to win the first of her four league titles in the 800.

She won the section crown in the 800 and was fourth at Masters, then went

on to finish eighth at the state meet.

In addition to her numerous feats, Morse has consistently earned praise

for her devotion to teammates, as well as her academic pursuits. She

graduates next week with a 4.3 grade-point average.