San Diego Player of the Week : Outlaw Clears Another Hurdle With Record Speed

If there was any doubt about the fitness of Lincoln High School’s Michelle Outlaw after her arthroscopic knee surgery, it was erased at last Saturday’s Poway Invitational track and field meet--along with the meet record in the 300-meter hurdles.

Running the event for only the third time since her surgery in January, Outlaw broke by more than two seconds the meet record of 47.74 set last year by Vista’s Jenny Lawrence. Outlaw’s time of 45.29 was the best in the county this year, surpassing the previous best, 46.86, which she also held.

“I felt pretty good,” said Outlaw, The Times’ High School Player of the Week. “I’m 100% physically, but I’ve got more work to do on strength and stamina and developing my technique. . . . My goal each time is to beat the time I ran the previous meet. I’m trying to get under 43 seconds before I get to CIF.”

Outlaw, who pulled knee ligaments playing basketball before the start of basketball season, also anchored Lincoln’s low-hurdle relay team, which finished in 1:03.71, breaking the meet record of 1:07.89 set by Morse in 1984.

Outlaw no longer thinks about the injury, which forced her to miss most of the basketball season.

“At first, it was in mind all the time when I ran,” she said. “Now that I’ve overcome the psychological part of it, I’ve been running hurdles a lot more.”

Last Thursday, she ran the 100 meters for the first time this season and won in a time of 12.75.

Outlaw also long jumps, runs the 400 and 800 meters and competes on the 440-relay team.

“I run the open events to really train for my hurdles,” she said. “I run the 100 for speed, the quarter (mile) and the 800 for endurance. The long jump I just really enjoy doing and I really feel I can advance more in the long jump. I feel I can clear 19 feet.

“To be the best, you really have to spread yourself out and just be versatile. You’ll be more valuable to colleges. I won’t be just running the hurdles. They could put me in the 100 and I could still do well.”

Outlaw has been accepted by California and UCLA and is planning a visit to Tennessee.

“I’m really keeping my mind open because things can get so confusing when you’re a senior,” she said. “When I look at a college, I look at three things. First, I want to be a child psychologist, so I look at the quality of that program. Secondly, I look at the quality of the school, and then I look at the quality of the sports program.”

Outlaw has never had to worry about her family’s support. Her mother, Irene, is the girls’ track coach at Lincoln.

“The first two years of high school, it felt strange, but I’ve matured a lot,” she said. “Now I know when she’s out on the field, she’s the coach. When she’s at home, she’s my mom.”