Colfax grad Morgan Willson earns WSU track slot

Morgan Willson, a 2012 Colfax High School graduate who dominated state B distance and cross country races during her high school career, has earned a slot on the WSU track team. Now a WSU sophomore, Willson is among 11 or 12 Cougar women distance runners who are coached by Tim Riley, who is cross country, middle distance and distance coach for WSU track under head Coach Rick Sloan.

She was named to the team after a week of tryouts which began March 18.

“It’s lot of fun to be on the team with the other runners. You have an opportunity to get pushed a lot,” Willson noted.

She has found the college track scene to be very different from high school training and competition with a lot more coaching on an individual level.

Team members usually work out in the own specialty groups with not much contact with the other groups on the team. The WSU distance runners train for the 5000 and 10,000 meter races

Willson said she prefers the 10,000 race because it stresses endurance which has always been one of her strong points in competition.

Willson won the state B cross country race at Pasco with strong finishes in her sophomore and senior years.

Willson said the group of WSU women distance runners usually start track practice sessions at 7:30 a.m. Each team member usually gets an individual workout assignment, although several members can get the same assignment on particular day.

The daily morning track practices last for about 90 minutes before the students wrap it up and head for a day of college classes and study.

Morning practice sessions can be followed by weight training in the afternoons.

One of the highlights for the track season on the Pullman campus for this year will be the Pac-12 finals which have been booked May 10-17 at Pullman.

Willson plans to earn a degree in business management systems at WSU. As a sophomore, she has not yet started on the specialized track of study for the degree.