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Growing up in the Ohio Valley, and having covered cross country on a state-wide level over the last two seasons, I've seen some pretty good runners. Runners like Cammie Smith, Alex Smith, Russell and Wesley Powell, Ryan Beabout, Claire Durkin and Natalie Perzanowski just to name a few.
However, I think the best pure distance runner I've ever seen is Barnesville's Stephanie Morgan. Just the way she runs, how fluid and smooth she is, is incredible. It's been a lot of fun to watch her run the past two years.
Morgan comes from a long-line of distance runners, starting with her mom and dad (Bill and Susan) who were both collegiate all-Americans - in fact, her mom defeated legendary American distance runner Mary Decker Slaney - and her sisters (Molly, Ruthie and Jenny, all of whom earned Division I scholarships).
Some two weeks ago, Morgan accomplished something none of her sisters did. Taking the lead at the 800-meter mark, and hitting the mile mark at 5:20, Morgan cruised to her first Ohio Division III state cross country championship in a D-III record time of 17:27.
"That win felt so good and to hear state champion before my name sounds awesome," Morgan said "It's kind of sunk in already, but it hasn't."
One thing Morgan did notice, and I did too, was the roar of about 15,000 people when the runners crossed in front of the grandstands the first time.
"Hearing the roar of the crowd at the 800 (meter mark) is just an incredible sound," she said. "I've been there before, but the the sensation of the crowd and the overall atmosphere at the state meet is awesome."
Morgan said the thrill of victory was overwhelming.
"It was a lot more than I expected," she said. "I didn't set a time for myself, because if I had done that, then the time would've been slower. I just wanted to run my race and it worked out."
Morgan said the pace and the ease of her victory was a shock.
"I'm surprised at how easy the win was, because the faster you run, the harder it feels," she explained. "I think you really need to prepare yourself mentally to run fast and physically it will come."
According to head coach Mark Brown, nothing Morgan does, shock's him anymore.
"Nothing she does surprises me anymore," Brown said. "We had a good feeling that she would win, because she had some really good workouts heading into the state meet. She felt really good at the 800-meter mark and we thought then that it was her race to lose. I'm just so happy for her. With the problems she encountered last year, it was great to finally see her achieve it.
"You could just tell how strong she was running at the 800," Brown continued. "She ran with the pack for the most part, but when they came back into the stadium, I was totally amazed. To win by over a minute is almost unheard of.
"Yes, Steph has the genetics, but she works her butt off and she has the desire," Brown said. "She studies the sport and spends a lot of time looking at times from around the country. I think if she didn't do that, she would still be good, but I don't think she would be as good as she is now."
One thing Morgan was thankful for was the Division III girls race being the first race of the day.
"I was more calm than usual and it was nice to be the first race of the day so I didn't have to wait aorund," she said. "I went out and ran my own race and didn't worry about any other girls."
According to Morgan, she was shocked at her time but she wasn't with her time (17:27).
"Yes and no," she said. "Nobody expected I would run that fast. My workouts were good and I wanted to run in the 17:30 range. I knew I could run that fast, it was just a matter of when I did it and I picked the right time to do it.
"We wanted to peak at the state meet and we did."
According to Morgan, it took her a little while to get into running.
"As a kid, I grew up watching my sisters run," she said. "Ruthie started it, then Molly, Jenny and then me. When I was in junior high, I didn't like it a whole lot because I was training by myself. When we moved to Michigan, I really started liking it. I was running with a great team of girls who loved to run and could work out with me. Ever since then, I've loved running."
Morgan, who will run in Saturday's Foot Locker Invitational, thinks she has a ton of confidence going into the meet.
"I think the win at state, along with the time, gives me a ton of momentum going into Foot Locker," she said. "I know for sure Emily Infeld (Ohio D-II champ) will be there and I think (Claire) Durkin (D-I champ) is considering Foot Locker. If she's there, it's another top 10.
"The biggest question is, can all of us run well on the same day, three weeks past the state meet? If so, we should finish well because Ohio has a stacked state this year."
Morgan said she still as another goal she wants to accomplish before she graduates from Barnesville.
"I would love to bring home the D-III girls team title," she said. "I think that would mean a lot more to me than the individual title.
"I love team aspect when all of us come together and help each other out through the good and bad times."
Two-Miles:
Not to be out done was the performance of St. John Central runner Natalie Perzanowski. The three-time all-Ohioan placed third to lead the Lady Irish to a sixth place finish.
Three-Miles:
Not to be outdone by the performances of Morgan and Perzanowski, was the performance of the St. John Central boys team.
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Fighting Irish - led by junior Sam Foster - came home in third, after claiming district and regional titles.
Finish Line:
Congratulations go out to Bridgeport luminary Harriett (Scheid) Hunter who was recently inducted into the Muskingum College Hall of Fame.
The four-time all-Ohio Athletic Conference selection holds school records in the 10,000 meters (outdoors); 3,000 meters (outdoors); 5,000 meters (outdoors) along with indoor records in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs.
She was also a four-time cross country regional qualifier, four-time indoor track all-OAC selection and was OAC champ in the outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs.
She won the OAC Outstanding Female Track Athlete and was the college's Steiner Outstanding Female Senior Athlete Award.