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Roselyn Morris - 400-meter hurdles

Like any good hurdler, Roselyn Morris knows how to avoid obstacles on her way to the finish line. But with a goal as lofty as a shot at the U.S. Olympic Team, Morris knew extraordinary efforts were in order. The 400-meter hurdle specialist sat out last year's Sac State track season so she can put her one remaining year of athletic eligibility into qualifying for the Trials.

"I redshirted the outdoor season last year because I knew that the Olympic Trials were going to be here," Morris says.

Morris says her coach wasn't pleased at first, wanting her to be a part of Sac State's efforts to win the Big Sky Conference. But Morris won him over.

"I said, 'Come on Coach, it's the Olympic Trials,'" she says. "I wanted to be able to wear my Sac State jersey and represent my school in the Olympic trials."

To make up for it, this year Morris plans to compete for the Hornets in the 4x400-meter relay, the 100-meter hurdles and the long jump, in addition to the 400 hurdles. "I want to get as many points as possible at Conference for my team," she says.

Morris hasn't officially qualified for the Trials yet, but the odds are in her favor. To qualify, she only needs to knock two seconds off her current time and in previous years, she's done well enough to qualify for the NCAA championships.

Having the Trials on campus is luring athletes to the Sac State track program, Morris says.

"It gives the school visibility in the track community," she adds. "I know when I saw the Trials the last time I thought, 'That will be me in 2000.'"

Morris trains every day, balancing her workouts between running hurdles, running distance and working out with weights. As it gets closer to the event, she expects to run hurdles up to four days a week. Along with Big Sky Conference competitions, Morris will hone her racing strategy in a series of all-conference meets on weekends.

Morris grew up in Vallejo and was recruited by Sac State. She'll earn her bachelor's degree in liberal studies this spring and is working towards her master's degree in education and eventually her teaching credential. Beyond her dream to compete in the Olympics, her ultimate goal is to be a school principal.

Morris sees herself as a role model for underachievers. "Running hurdles is a lot of hard work. I practice really hard," she says.

But it wasn't always that way. When she first started running hurdles, she says, "I was really weak. I'm an example of hard work and dedication. Every year I get faster."

A hurdles race is like a running race, doubled. In addition to speed, hurdles require added stamina and coordination. "You have to be an 800-meter runner to have the endurance to do the 400-meter hurdles," Morris says.

Morris has been able to test that endurance while practicing on the University's new state-of-the-art track, the same one that will be used for the Olympic Trials. She expects to gain added home field advantage from the people of Sacramento.

"Lots of Sac State people will be following the Trials," Morris says. "There will be a lot of people cheering for me. "I'll get lots of pep talks," she adds with a smile.