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Interscholastic Hall of Fame to induct 3 from Bristol County
Ann Chandler Morris, ever energetic, is still active in gymnastics, and has been a member of numerous athletic organizations in the state of Rhode Island. She's been a track and field competitor in the U.S. Senior Olympics since 1981. She was meet director of R.I. Senior Olympics from 1990-1994, still competes in the Senior Olympics in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter runs and the long jump. One of the charter members of the Warren Athletic Hall of Fame, Morris said she's overwhelmed at being one of the newest members of Interscholastic League Hall of Fame. "I was thrilled to learn I had been elected," she said. "I've spent half my life working with the interscholastic league." As a coach, Morris had a remarkable record during the seven years she spent at the then Mary V. Quirk Junior High School and Warren High School. During that period, she coached 15 girls state championship teams in cross country, gymnastics and track. At Quirk, Morris' cross country teams won three state championships, while finishing second twice. In gymnastics, her squads won the state title every year from 1972 to 1976, and then won again almost a decade later. Morris' girls' track teams added three state championships, while finishing runnerup three times. Warren High School was the capital of girls' gymnastics and track in the state during Morris' tenure as head coach. Her gymnastics team won the state title in 1975, while her track squads won three consecutive state championships from 1973 to 1975. Morris' teams also produced a number of fellow Warren Athletic Hall of Famers, including Pat O'Blenis Lachance, Karyn McCahey Monti, Beth Penkala and Laurie Figureid Ross. She also coached gymnastics teams at YMCAs in Barrington and Fall River, and was an assistant gymnastics coach at URI for three years. She's been a gymnastics judge at virtually every level: state and regional, junior high to college, as well as gymnastic clubs, since 1970. She's still going strong. Morris also served as a member of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League's girls' athletics subcommittee for 28 years. She was the league's director of cross country, gymnastics, and track for a combined total of 22 years. She also served on the executive board of the Rhode Island Association for Girls and Women's Sports for 30 years, and as an official with the Rhode Island Senior Olympics in the 1980s and 1990s. She was the executive director of the Rhode Island Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and served as a game/meet official in basketball, field hockey, gymnastics and track. She received an award from Rhode Island athletic directors for outstanding contribution to girls' athletics in 1975, the Rhode Island Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance meritorious service award in 1976, the URI High School Girls' Coach of the Year award for 1978,and the Brown University honorary referee award for track in 1991. She was inducted into the Bridgewater State College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. In addition, Morris was inducted into the Rhode Island Cross Country and Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1993, and the New Agenda Northeast Women's Hall of Fame in 1994. She also received the A. Lenore Cranston award for service to girls' sports in 1996. In 2003, she was named Rhode Island's Female Athlete of the Year. Morris received a bachelor of science degree in education with from Bridgewater State and did graduate work at Rhode Island College, URI and Brown. "I'm in good health and I still officiate now," said Morris, "I assign for judging in gymnastics, and I love what I do." One of Morris' favorite athletes was Elizabeth Penkala, who remembers her former coach as a woman of great energy and enthusiasm. "She always pushed us to do better," said Penkala. "She made a great impact on all of us." "She was like a mother to a lot of us," she said. "At times, Ann would pack us into her station wagon. She would pick us up and drop us off at home. She helped us with things that went way beyond coaching. I know she inspired me to be the league fast-pitch softball director from 1980 to 1985." Morris said she still has fond memories of her days in Warren. "Pat (Abbruzzi) and I were inducted together in the first class of the Warren Athletic Hall of Fame," she noted. "What a thrill that was. We worked together for 28 years at Warren High School." "She was the godmother of girls sports in Warren, and possibly Rhode Island," sais John W. "Jack" Flynn, chairman of the Warren Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. "There wasn't another school in the state that had a 1-2 punch like Pat and Ann. Between the two of them, they won 10 state titles during the early 1970s. Quite an achievement." Morris is married and the mother of five children, ages 38 to 45. |
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