Utah-Based Luge Star Finds Time for Lacrosse

By James Joseph
WSL Senior Features Writer

Lacrosse is known as the fastest game on two feet.

But the speed of the sport is all relative to Taylor Morris, a guy who flies down icy tracks at 90 miles per hour. Morris, a senior middie at Bingham High in Utah, is a member of the United States Junior National Luge Team and a potential future Olympian.

Morris travels and competes on the Junior World Luge Tour eight months out of the year. His commitment to the sport forced him to give up football, wrestling and track. But he’s continued to play lacrosse. And now the sport provides a welcome respite from competition on the ice.

“It is great to have a break from all the cold-weather places and to enjoy a warm sunny day on the field,” Morris said. “So the three-month lacrosse season is fantastic.”

While Morris notes that lacrosse is “totally different” from luge, his experiences on the ice have helped him on the lacrosse field. Most notably by giving him the ability to temper the speed of the game.

“I think that my luge training has really helped me be able to think on my feet,” Morris said. “Making a mistake at 90 miles an hour can be bad for your health. So being able to slow things down in your mind and react on the fly is critical. This has been really helpful in lacrosse, because when the game slows down you can anticipate what your teammates and the opponents are going to do and take advantage of those things. There is nothing better than seeing the play develop 10 seconds before it happens.”

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Morris’ top strengths on the lacrosse field are speed (he runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash), shooting ability (with both hands) and versatility. He’s played all over the field – defense, long-stick middie, attack, midfield and even goalie for a handful of junior varsity games last season. This year, he’ll likely play midfield for a senior-laden Bingham squad.

“The best part about lacrosse...is that it is a team sport,” Morris said. “I love my teammates and playing with the group we have. There are probably 25 seniors on our team this year that have been playing together since about sixth or seventh grade. We have a lot of experience and have worked our way up. There are friendships that have been built on this team that will last a lifetime. It is hard to believe that this will be our last year playing together as a group. It has been a great ride.”

Morris has had plenty of great rides in his primary sport, which he found when he was 11. Shortly after the 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Morris – intrigued by the sledding events he watched in the games – attended a “Slider Search” event put on by Verizon Wireless. During the event, for boys and girls ages 11-14, USA Luge coaches and athletes taught the basics of the luge and administered fitness tests, measuring the strength and flexibility of the children. The kids then made runs on luge sleds fitted with in-line skating wheels.

More than 1,000 participated in Slider Search events across the country, and – based on his performance in the tests and the trial runs – Morris was one of 30 selected to go to an on-ice camp. After the week-long camp he was then one of three invited to start on a developmental team.

“I loved the sport right away,” Morris said. “That very first day on the ice in October 2002, I knew that I wanted to do luge.”

So in sixth grade, Morris began sliding six days a week in Park City. He progressed through the ranks to the junior national team, and since ninth grade he’s been traveling and competing eight months a year.

He has one clear goal.

“I want to wear the stars and stripes and walk into the Olympic stadium representing my country,” Morris said. “I always want to perform well wherever I am sliding, but to be an Olympian is the ultimate sporting achievement.”