Olivia Morlok didn’t run her personal-best time this season, but she had her most enjoyable of her three cross-country seasons at Columbus North.
The junior was able to stay healthy the entire year, and that was a big relief for Morlok, who is this year’s The Republic Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year.
"I know she didn’t quite reach her personal-best time, but she had some of her best finishes," North coach Rick Sluder said. "She ran well at state. It got to the point where we could just pencil her in as being our frontrunner. We didn’t have to worry about her performances. Every race was strong, and for us, that was huge because we were putting some newer girls in there."
Morlok endured one stress fracture as a freshman and two more last year. Sluder and assistant coach Leslie Weaver’s husband Ben gave her stretches and icing to do.
This fall, Morlok iced her shins four times most days — before school, before and after practice and before bed — for about 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
"I think that helped a lot, and just being smarter about my training with stretching and warmup and keeping an eye on my mileage, I think that is why I didn’t get a stress fracture this year," Morlok said.
Morlok ran 18 minutes, 36 seconds as a freshman and set a 5,000-meter (3.1-mile) personal record of 18:30 as a sophomore. This year, her best was an 18:47.8 in the Brown County Regional, leading the Bull Dogs to the team title.
"I know I didn’t get a PR this year, but I feel like I still improved, even if the time didn’t show it," Morlok said. "I know that our team didn’t exactly have the team placings in the season we had hoped for, but I feel like the way we progressed and how we worked together as a team was more important than how we placed at the end of the season."
Morlok won the individual Brown County sectional title and finished second in the regional. She finished sixth in the Brown County Semistate and 46th in the state finals.
This season, Morlok was North’s No. 1 runner in every meet.
"I just couldn’t have asked for a better frontrunner, and she really became a good leader based off that, too," Sluder said. "She was the first one at practice doing certain things and leading stretches and doing all the little things that made us a lot stronger I think as a team."
Morlok currently is competing with North’s swim team and is considering either running or swimming in college. She was a state qualifier in the 3,200 meters and The Republic Girls Track Athlete of the Year as a freshman, but missed by one spot of qualifying for state last year in both the 4×800 relay and the 3,200.
This winter, Morlok is planning to run a little more than she has the past two swim seasons.
"I’m going to try to be better about that so when I get back to track, I’m more in shape running, and I’m able to jump back into it quicker," Morlok said. "I definitely want to make it back to state, and I’m hoping to get my (personal record) because my PR is from my freshman year during track. I think it will be motivating this season."
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The Republic All-Area Girls Cross-Country team:
Olivia Morlok, Columbus North: The junior won the Brown County sectional title and finished second in the Brown County regional, sixth in the Brown County semistate and 46th at state.
Aric Tong, Columbus North: The sophomore finished fourth in the sectional, fifth in the regional, 28th in the semistate and 125th at state.
Ella Anderson, Columbus North: The sophomore finished third in the sectional, 10th in the regional, 31st in the semistate and 140th at state.
Emma Smith, Columbus North: The senior finished seventh in the sectional and regional, 51st in the semistate and 139th at state.
Sydney Geckler, Columbus North: The senior finished fifth in the sectional, ninth in the regional, 50th in the semistate and 164th at state.
Emma Morrison, Jennings County: The junior finished second in the Southwestern (Hanover) Sectional, third in the regional and 19th in the semistate.
Ashley Heindel, Jennings County: The senior finished third in the sectional, 17th in the regional and 57th in the semistate.
Patricia Henney, Jennings County: The senior finished sixth in the sectional, 36th in the regional and 58th in the semistate.
Olivia Linnemann, Columbus East: The junior finished sixth in the Brown County Sectional, eighth in the regional and 42nd in the semistate.
Emelia Koester, Brown County: The sophomore finished eighth in the Brown County Sectional, 11th in the regional and 62nd in the semistate.
Honorable mention
Brown County: Anna Fleetwood, Maris Wyman. Columbus East: Amanda Pottorff, Olivia Shoaf. Columbus North: Abigail Jacobi, Abbey Landini, Emma Lawson. Jennings County: Kaylee Ebinger. South Decatur: Sierra Kalli.
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