State champion twins highlight record-setting Aledo fall national signing day

When it came time to choose where to compete in college, Aledo distance runners Graydon and Gracie Morris chose their home away from home.

The twins were among 20 Aledo High School athletes to sign letters-of-intent, a school record for the fall signing season, all of whom gathered Wednesday in the main high school gym for a signing ceremony celebration. The Morris twins committed to the University of Texas at Austin to run track and cross country.

“I feel like runners can be pretty superstitious, and that track has some luck tied to it,” Graydon said with a chuckle, referencing the track at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the UT campus, where he has won three state titles in track (800-meter run in 2019, 1600 and 3200 in 2018).

“Every time I’ve run there I’ve had success,” said Gracie, who won a state championship in the 800 as a freshman.

But then, where have they not had success? Along with their track state titles, Graydon was second in the state in the 3200 this past season and as a freshman, and he has three consecutive cross country state championships with a third-place finish as a freshman.

Gracie, who missed an entire year with an injury, has a state runner-up finish in the 1600 her freshman year, along with a fifth-place finish last year. She was second at state in the recently concluded cross country season, third as a sophomore, and fifth as a freshman.

While not on the Myers Stadium track, the state cross country meet is nearby in the Austin suburb of Round Rock. So, suffice to say, they are quite comfortable going back to the Austin area to compete on a regular basis.

“And they’re just getting started,” Aledo track/cross country coach Mike Pinkerton said. “They’re two of the most phenomenal athletes I’ve ever been around. The way they work and bring their team along with them is rare.

“They are going to be big names in the college ranks.”

Believe it or not, there was a time when the two didn’t win or at least come close every time they ran. Though they fell in love with running in the second grade after trying it at the request of their teacher, whose husband was a running coach, they weren’t quite champions yet.

“We’d come in last in every single race,” Gracie said with a laugh. “But we just kept running and kept getting better.”

And competing at the same college is something they’ve been thinking about for a long time. Gracie said it’s been a goal of theirs since fourth grade.

“We’ve been talking about this for years, and to see it come true is just amazing,” Gracie said.

“We are really close, and this is something we really wanted to happen,” Graydon added.

Both are pursuing the same major, physical therapy.

In all, athletes from six different sports signed this fall to compete in college from Aledo, including 10 from baseball.

“They’ve been playing together since they were little. It’s great to see them have this moment,” Aledo baseball coach Chad Barry said.

Signing from the baseball program were Jaden Ard, Murray State; Garrison Berkley, TCU; Nathen Fingar, Fort Scott Community College; Logan Hewitt, Sam Houston State; Max Lucas, Panola College; Carter Mach, Weatherford College; Dylan Mach, Dallas Baptist; Hayden Poston, DePauw; Will Sisk, New Mexico; and Carson Wersal, Frank Phillips Junior College.

“I grew up right down the street, it’s always been a dream of mine to play for TCU. My dad did his post-graduate work there,” said Berkley, who plans to enter pre-med.

Berkley has been working with former Texas Rangers outfielder Cecil Espy, who was on hand for his student’s big day.

“He could hit hard when I first met him at 9 years old,” Espy said. “He’s just a good baseball player. And this is awesome because I get to keep watching him.”

Also celebrating their signing Wednesday were swimmers Hannah Farmer (Houston), Elijah Sohn (Texas A&M), and Hannah Terrell (Adams State), along with cross country runners Chloe Gatch (McMurry) and Cooper Goggans (Abilene Christian), girls basketball player Riley Sale (Mary Hardin-Baylor), girls golfer Madison Head (Lipscomb), and volleyball player Alex Gantt (Fontebonne).

Sohn made history this past winter when he became the first swimmer from Aledo to win a state championship, capturing a gold medal in the 200-yard freestyle. He also claimed a bronze in the 100 free. Farmer qualified for state three years, bringing home a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke this past season and a bronze the year before. Terrell qualified on a relay this past season.

“It’s cool to represent the school in a sport other than football,” Sohn laughed. “But this really is a fantastic day.”

Aledo Athletic Director Steve Wood called the number of signees “unbelievable.”

“This is a sign of great kids, great parents and a lot of hard work,” Wood said. “You like to be well-rounded and do well in all sports and with student-athletes like this, it’s how you do it.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 7:00 AM.