Elijah Morris is bulked up and has his sights on the all-time Iowa best in the 400 meters

WASHINGTON, Iowa — In this case, “winter weight” is intentional.

As a cross country runner last fall, Elijah Morris operated at 140 pounds. This spring, transformed back into the body of a sprinter, he’s at 170.

“It’s all good weight,” he said. “I don’t feel heavy at all, even when I’m running the 400 (meters). Maybe a little heavy in the 800.

“I don’t think it holds me back at all.”

Morris’ early times support that statement.

A senior at Washington (Iowa) High School, Morris ranks No. 1 (all classes) in the 400, running it in 48.49 seconds March 10 at an indoor meet in Ames.

Morris is No. 2 in the 200 (21.78), No. 4 in the 100 (10.79).

“He’s the deal, the real deal,” Demons Coach Steve Roth said. “If we can keep him healthy.”

And therein lies the rub.

Morris “came up a little lame” at the end of a 200-meter race at West Burlington on March 27, Roth said, tweaking a hamstring.

The plan is to bring him back gradually, starting Thursday at Mount Pleasant, with a leg in the 3,200-meter relay.

And the hope is he’s back at full speed in time for the Drake Relays, at which he has big plans.

“I’d like to be competitive in the (Drake) 100,” Morris said. “Miles Thompson (of Cedar Rapids Washington) ... that’s going to be rough. I don’t know if I’ve got that in me.

“But I believe I can take the 400. I’d like to hit 47-low.”

Long term? Morris has his eyes on something bigger.

“I definitely think I’m capable of (the all-time Iowa best of 46.99 seconds in the 400),” Morris said. “It’s going to be hard, though, with the couple of weeks off that I’ve had.”

Morris possesses wide range, from the 100 in the spring to a 5,000-meter cross country race in the fall (he was the Demons’ No. 3 and No. 4 runner last fall).

The 400 is his sweet spot. Morris is the reigning Class 3A champion in that event, running it in 48.96 seconds last year.

He also ran the 400 leg in the Demons’ second-place distance medley relay and in their third-place sprint medley.

“That’s his race,” Roth said. “I want him to be healthy for that at Drake.

“His mental toughness ... he’s a workout freak. The cross country, he ran that for conditioning last year, just to be doing something. He’s a special athlete.

“He does all the right things off the track. He takes care of himself. He eats and sleeps and thinks about track all of the time. I know it’s killing him not being out there running right now.”

Former Washington teammate Lance Sobaski is at Wartburg College now, and there’s a chance Morris will follow him to Waverly. Iowa State is another option.

Morris probably will decide shortly after competing at Drake (April 27-29).

Checking out the state leader board

Morris is one of 10 area boys’ competitors — individual or relay — who rank at the top of the state.

The others, as of 8 a.m. Wednesday:

Also, Sidney Swartzendruber of Kennedy is No. 1 in the girls’ 400 (56.33) and 800 (2:15.03), while Decorah’s Chloe Reisen leads the state in the girls’ discus, at 42-1 1/2.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com