By Mark Ambrogi
Stacy Morozov is truly a girl for all seasons at Carmel High School.
She originally planned to just swim in high school.
“But I started doing cross country and I loved it,” Morozov said. “I loved it more than swimming, and I wanted to do both. I couldn’t stand just doing one. I got really into cross country.”
The distance runner then added track and field in the spring as a freshman. Despite the sacrifices to her social life, Morozov stuck with all three sports and will earn her 12th varsity letter after this track and field season is complete.
According to Carmel High School athletic director Jim Inskeep, Morozov is believed to be the first CHS girl to earn 12 varsity letters. Billy Shepherd, the 1968 Indiana Mr. Basketball, had 15 letters (four each in basketball, cross country and baseball and three in track and field) for CHS.
Morozov said she had to cut down on her social life so she could focus more on her grades.
“It just got to be a pattern to me,” said Morozov, whose swimming specialities were the 50-yard and 500-yard freestyle. “My freshman year it was really difficult. I was so tired. I would come home and crash on the couch all the time. It made me who I am today. I’m stronger and I’m passionate about what I’m doing. It was worth it. It made me so much stronger as a result.”
Morozov thought about just concentrating on her running as a junior.
“But I just couldn’t let go of swimming,” she said. “I’d been doing it for so long.”
Morozov, who signed a national letter-of-intent to compete for Indiana University in track and cross country in November, finished fifth in the state cross country meet last fall. As a team, Carmel has captured six consecutive state cross country titles. Morozov finished 56th in the Nike cross country nationals in in Portland, Ore., Dec. 5. Morozov was fifth in the 3200 at the state track and field meet as a junior.
