Her list of accomplishments is staggering.
This fall–after returning from an ACL injury that sidelined her for the bulk of her junior year–she helped lead the Auburn Mountainview volleyball squad to a state 3A tournament berth.
During the winter season, she drove the Lion gymnastic team to a Washington State 3A team championship, the school’s first state title.
She may have saved the best for last, however, earning two first-place and two second-place medals at the state 3A track and field meet this spring.
It’s the type of season that most high school athletes only dream of, and it has earned Auburn Mountainview senior Alexi Morton the Auburn Reporter’s Female Prep Athlete of the Year.
After missing most of her junior year to a knee injury suffered during a volleyball match, Morton returned to the hardwood this fall. Initially she said she didn’t think much about how the layoff had hurt her chances to earn a scholarship to attend and compete in college next season.
“At the beginning of this year, I didn’t actually even think about post-high school stuff,” Morton said. “I was just happy to get back into things. But as soon as volleyball season got going, I thought that maybe I would like to do volleyball in college, and that made me realize I had missed that whole entire opportunity, because they do all the recruiting junior year.”
At first, she said she was just pleased to be back in uniform.
“We went to the Zag volleyball camp as a team, and that was the first time I got to do volleyball again,” she said. “And that felt really good.”
Soon, however, a combination of competitive drive and the need to secure financial assistance for college kicked in.
Additionally, after a full season with the volleyball squad – including a 1-2 record at the state 3A tourney – Morton said she realized that her knee was back to full strength.
“We did so much training that my surgery leg is actually stronger than my other leg because of all the rehab,” she said. “Maybe at first it would get sore so I would get nervous, but I would just ice it more, just be cautious of it a little bit.”
The realization opened the door for her final gymnastics season, where Morton finished seventh in the 3A state all-around competition, compiling 36.450 points.
In the individual events, Morton was third on the floor with a 9.625, sixth on the vault with a 9.300, 14th on the bars with an 8.175 and 16th on the beam with a 7.975.
More important, however, was the squad’s finish in the team competition where they edged out Columbia River, with 169 points, capturing Auburn Mountainview’s first state title ever.
“It was awesome,” Morton said. “As a gymnast, you don’t feel like most of the school realizes how hard the stuff you’re doing is. It’s not like volleyball where a bunch of people go to your games. With gymnastics it’s never been as big of a school sport. So it was reassuring to win it. It was like ‘told you we’re good.’ It was really satisfying.”
Although the title was satisfying for Morton, she knew her future rested on her performance during the spring track and field season, where she competed as a sprinter, hurdler and jumper.
“I just refocused on track,” she said. “I thought I could get to the level I needed to be.”
Morton again rose to the occasion, grabbing first-place in the 100-meter hurdles (15.05-seconds) at the 3A state meet last month. Individually, she was second in both the 100 (12.79) and long jump (17 feet, 5-¼ inches) and was a part of the Auburn Mountainview first-place 400 relay team.
Now, with her high school career behind her, Morton said she is focusing on the heptathlon, hopefully her ticket to the next level.
On June 4 and 5 Morton competed in her first heptathlon at Lake Stevens High School, snatching first-place with 4,518 points.
That finish, coupled with her track titles may be just enough to earn her a track scholarship to either Washington State or Boise State, she said.
Morton’s presence both on and off the floor will be missed, according to Auburn Mountainview gymnastics coach Jayme Hostetter.
“As far as her personality, she is fun to work out with,” Hostetter said. “When she gets frustrated she tries to make it funny and light. So in that respect she’s easy to coach.
“On the day of competition, you know what Alexi is going to do,” she continued. “You know she’s going to get up there and hit everything. Having a kid like that, at least you have that to count on. Because not everybody can do that. Not everybody can step up and do an absolute perfect routine when you need it. Because that pressure is incredible, but she’s able to handle it.”
Joel MacDougall, Morton’s track coach, agreed.
“We have a very good team coming back next year, but we are going to have a tough time replacing someone of her talents,” MacDougall said. “She’s simply one of the best female athletes you’ll see at the high school level. She’s one of those kids you just like having around, and we’re going to miss her.
For Morton, it’s just hard to believe that her senior year passed so fast.
“I haven’t thought about it a lot because I’ll start crying,” Morton said. “I did at volleyball at the end, at state. It was a loser-out game and we lost, and I realized that it was the last game I’m going to play with this team and all these girls. That was less than fun. It just does not feel like the end of the year.”
