COSTA MESA FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:Juggling maestro

Thursday, April 25, 2007. On the surface, that date doesn’t seem all too special for the Costa Mesa High softball and girls’ track and field teams.

The two squads won that day — track staying undefeated against Laguna Beach, softball beating the winless Breakers, 1-0.

But when one looks deeper into the results, a name pops up at both places, Orange Coast College and Laguna Beach High.

Her name is Danielle Morton.

How did that happen?

Morton, Costa Mesa High’s Female Athlete of the Year, competed in three sports — two in the spring — all four years for the Mustangs. Well, she didn’t just compete. She won.

She was the Orange Coast League champion in the long jump and triple jump, helping the Mustangs to the league title. As a shortstop, she was also the MVP for the softball team and earned first-team All-Orange Coast League honors.

Pretty good for a juggling act.

“It was a little hectic,” Morton said of April 25, when she won the long jump and triple jump and then went to be a part of the victory at Laguna Beach. “I was worried about both sports, getting there on time and trying to please everyone. The track meet was against Laguna Beach. They were our toughest competition in track and also they needed me in softball. We had a small team. It was hectic, but it was fun.”

In the fall, Morton was on the volleyball team. But her schedule wasn’t all about sports. On the weekends, she worked for a pet supply company at the swap meet. She was also the school’s yearbook editor.

This past year, she helped plan Costa Mesa’s first all-color yearbook. The staff named it, “In Living Color.”

Her ability to find time for Mustang athletics made her just as valuable to Costa Mesa, as Jamie Foxx was to the once-popular comedy sketch show.

For Morton, the proof comes in the clothing, specifically her varsity jacket. It’s covered with patches and bars, signifying the success and experience she’s attained while at Costa Mesa.

The bars signify every additional year she was on the varsity team for volleyball, softball and track and field. Two bars for volleyball, and three each from softball and track.

Yes, that’s right, for four years, Morton excelled on the track and field and softball varsity teams in the spring.

A Golden West League champions patch is also on the jacket as well as all-league patches and a few bars for the times she was a captain.

“I love that girl,” said Diane Bjelland, Costa Mesa’s track and field coach. “She’s multi-talented. She’s not only a gifted athlete, but a hardworking one. Not too many kids can do many sports, especially two in the same season.”

Morton will not only be remembered as a prolific athlete, but her name will also be in the school’s track and field record books. That’s because she has the record in the triple jump, 35 feet, 1 inch, set this past spring against Calvary Chapel at OCC.

When Morton achieved the feat, Bjelland yelled over to the announcer, Costa Mesa supporter Ted Spoulos, and he belted out the news with enthusiasm.

“Everyone was cheering for me,” said Morton, who noted that it was one of the most memorable moments for her in track and field.

Overall, Morton just enjoyed to be a part of the team.

“[Playing three sports] was a lot of fun,” said Morton, who plans to try out for the volleyball and track and field teams at OCC in the upcoming school year. “It’s hard to do softball and track in the same season. Sometimes I would practice track on my own or with the team.”

When Morton wasn’t driving from Costa Mesa to Laguna Beach for sporting events, she took advantage when her teams would be at home. OCC is across the street from Costa Mesa. She would sometimes compete in the long jump and triple jump at the community college and then dart over to the high school to play shortstop for the softball team.

She earned All-Newport-Mesa honors, hitting .493 with three home runs. Both ranked second on the team, which went 11-8, 4-4 in league. Quite an improvement. The year before, the Mustangs were 2-19, 0-12.

Of course, Morton was part of that rise.

“She’s an all-around athlete,” said Sharon Uhl, the softball coach and girls’ athletic director. “She could probably do any sport she wanted. She’s just naturally talented.”

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or at [email protected].