Morgan Academy track team in state tournament despite rainouts that complicated qualifying

Published 7:10 pm Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The Morgan Academy track and field team will be allowed to compete in the Alabama Independent School Association state tournament next week in Gulf Shores.

The Senators had their second scheduled track meet of the year rained out Monday, leaving them one meet shy of the AISA’s qualifying standard. Plus, the Senators first track meet of the year was rain-shortened and no field events took place.

Morgan coach Rob Robinson talked to the AISA on Tuesday about the Senators’ situation, and received word that all AISA teams would be able to put two athletes in each event.

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“They were very understanding,” Robinson said.

Morgan will enter the state meet without an athlete having participated in a single field event this year, but Robinson said they’ll move forward with students who have practiced an event or participated in it in the past.

“We are going to put people into things they have actually worked on,” Robinson said. “We’re not going to put anybody into an event that they haven’t practiced at all.”

The state meet has been held at Selma’s Memorial Stadium for years, but moved to Gulf Shores this year and will take place Wednesday and Thursday.

The time to practice for this year’s event is running low.

“We only have two days before the track meet begins, and most people are going to be going down on Tuesday and we probably have ball — baseball, softball, soccer — so it might be difficult to get any practice in on those two days,” Robinson said.

Robinson said he’s unsure of how many other schools were in the same position Morgan was.

Robinson said the Senators’ teams were excited to learn they’ll be at the track meet next week, but he joked that everyone is probably just excited to get to Gulf Shores.

“They are ready — at least they are ready for Gulf Shores,” Robinson said with a laugh.