May 23, 2006

Taylor Morrell is one of nine McNeese State athletes who will be competing in the NCAA mideast regional track and field meet Friday and Saturday in Knoxville, TN.

But, it wasn't a given that the high jumper would even be on the Cowgirl track team this season.

The Nacogdoches, TX native came to McNeese five years ago as a basketball standout and for four years she was one of the best on the team, both as a rebounder and scorer.

Her eligibility for basketball was completed after the 2004-05 season and she was looking for scholarship help so she could complete her degree in Psychology.

"I talked to Bridget Martin (McNeese coordinator of compliance) and found out that I still had eligibility remaining in track and field," Morrell said, "and in February I joined the track team."

It was a welcome sight for McNeese track coach Ty Sevin, who didn't have any high jumpers on his women's team.

"We could tell right off that Taylor would help us and that she had the potential to become the conference champion," Sevin said.

It wasn't the first time for Morrell, who had gone 5-8 and was a three time district champion in high school, to lend her talents to the McNeese track squad.

After her sophomore basketball season, she joined the team for the outdoor season and posted a team best 5-3 3/4.

"I don't know why I didn't also stay with the track team," she said, "but I had such a heavy schedule with basketball. I'm glad that I did have the opportunity again. It's been good to me. I hope that the track team has appreciated me being out there. "

Now she enters the NCAA mid-east regionals as not only the Southland Conference champion but also as the McNeese record holder with a 5-8 3/4 best.

She turned in that school record leap midway through the season and duplicated it when she won the conference title.

"My coach told me that I had a very good chance to finish well at conference, it just depended on how I performed at the meet. And, everything worked out perfectly," she said.

Her best high jump this spring ranks 26th in the mideast region but is not that far behind leader Miruna Mataoana of Alabama who has gone 6-0 1/2. Best in the state this season is a 5-10 1/4 effort put up by LSU?s Shaunette Davidson.

"Our regional is pretty strong. We have a couple of six foot jumpers there. But, as long as I compete and do my best I think that I will be able to do pretty good," Morrell added.

For having re-started her collegiate high jump career only four months ago, she's already done pretty good. Two weekends ago she picked up her degree from McNeese on a Saturday and then won the conference high jump title on a Sunday.