Morris takes latest honor to PU

Princeton resident is lacrosse All-American

By: Justin Feil
   Nellie Morris was preparing for her next level of lacrosse, at Princeton University, when she got a surprise announcement to cap her high school career.
   Morris was one of two Princeton residents along with Keely Langdon to be named to the High School All-America first team. Langdon led Princeton Day School to the Mercer County Tournament and Prep A state tournament finals. Morris was co-captain and the top scorer for the Lawrenceville School girls’ team that won eight games and captured the Mid-Atlantic Prep League title.
   "I found out a couple days ago," Morris said. "My mom told me. I was so excited. I had no idea. I couldn’t have been more honored. I was very excited.
   "It was so out of the blue. The whole Lawrenceville experience for me and the season, it was a great ending to that. I feel honored to get it. I feel so lucky with the local competition we have around here. I’m excited for Keely Langdon and (Lawrenceville co-captain) Ryan Ball, who made honorable mention. It’s fun to see all those others get awarded."
   Morris and Langdon are the first Princeton residents in at least seven years to earn the awards. The last Packet-area All-America was Sarah Driscoll, who was named to the team out of Stuart Country Day in 2001. Katie Lewis-Lamonica of Lawrenceville was All-America in 2004, and it is her former teammate that Morris was preparing to rejoin at Princeton University when she found out about her rare accolade.
   "Freshman year, she was my captain," Morris said. "I’m so excited to reunite with her. She’s an amazing player and someone to look up to. It’s so funny we ended up at the same school. She was definitely a factor in my decision.
   "In the end, I absolutely love the lacrosse program at Princeton," she added. "I just think (Chris Sailer) is one of the best coaches. All the girls were amazing people. Academically, it has what I’m looking for. I’m hoping to major in international relations and they have a great program. And my family is really close. My grandparents live next door to us. It’s fun to stay around the area. When I went on my official visit, I had no idea I was still in Princeton. There’s still so much to explore."
   Going to Princeton was something Morris thought about years ago, even if she wasn’t too serious about it then. She started playing lacrosse a couple years after her family settled in Princeton. It was then that she began attending Princeton University women’s lacrosse games. Now, she will be playing for the Tigers.
   "It was always a dream to me," Morris said. "When I started getting involved in lacrosse, we’d go to watch games. They had a team that won the national championship. I never thought of going to Princeton, but I remember being excited to play the sport of lacrosse after seeing them win. That got me motivated to work hard and maybe one day play in college."
   After graduating from John Witherspoon Middle School, Morris took her athleticism to Lawrenceville, where in addition to playing point guard for basketball and attack for lacrosse for four years, she also played two seasons of soccer and two seasons of field hockey.
   "I’ve always stuck to lacrosse," Morris said. "I’ve loved the games. It’s a lot like basketball and all those other sports. I love the game more (than the others) and I’ve played it a lot more outside of school. I’m a lot more comfortable with it.
   "I played soccer freshman and sophomore year, and field hockey junior and senior year. I was a goalie for field hockey. That was a lot different."
   Morris is known for her ability to put the ball past goalies on the lacrosse field. She is slated to contend for a spot on the Tiger women’s attack.
   "I’m hoping to get some playing time," Morris said. "I’m just very excited. All these girls are amazing lacrosse players. To get the opportunity to play alongside them, it motivates me to get better. It’s kind of like my dream. I remember watching Lauren Simone, Elizabeth Pillion, Julie Shaner. They were so good. I’m hoping for the best. Getting to be a part of the program is just a dream come true."
   Morris got there due to her dedication. After breaking onto the scene quickly at Lawrenceville, she continued to improve year after year. She is hoping to build on her All-America season. She has met some of her other high-profile classmates at the Princeton lacrosse camp.
   "We got to know each other well," Morris said. "We’ve become so close already, I just want to go. That’s another element of surprise going into the program is figuring it all out as you go."
   Morris doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned in her preparation. It’s why she has set out diligently to put herself in position to contribute as much in college as a freshman as she did as a high school freshman out of JW.
   "At Princeton, we get a huge, huge workout packet," she said. "I’ve been trying to keep up with them. I’m coaching for Tri-State, so I get to scrimmage now and then. And I’m playing in a couple Princeton pick-up leagues. I’m trying to stay involved. I’m keeping my hands on the stick and watching the game.
   "I’m still going to be coaching," she added of the remainder of the summer. "My family goes away a little in August. I’ll be training really hard. I’m going to try to be in the best shape when I go in. I’m getting ready for the fall."
   Morris hasn’t forgotten her nearby roots to lacrosse as she heads into the next phase of her career. She will play her college lacrosse just a few minutes from where she got her start.
   "I started playing with Y lacrosse, now PG Lacrosse," she said. "Meredith Elwell, she runs Tri-State. She took over PG Lacrosse and now it’s become this amazing, amazing program. It’s really fun to see. It shows how much the sport has grown and the competition has improved. Watching that since my age is amazing."
   Next spring, there could be some PG Lacrosse players watching Princeton University games. They will have the chance to cheer for a homegrown star, Nellie Morris, who got her start in Princeton and will keep her All-America accolades in town with the Tigers.