Steven Morissette was very familiar with the 400-meter dash at the start of the indoor track and field season. The Erskine Academy senior had run the 400 as part of a relay team in the spring, but that was it.

His experience in the 4x400, where he helped the Eagles finish third at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B championships, convinced Morissette it might be an event he could succeed in.

He was right.

Morissette won the KVAC B indoor title in the 400 with a time of 23.99 seconds. He also won the 200 despite an Achilles tendon injury which kept him from training at full speed.

"I liked running the 400 and wanted to compete individually," Morissette said. "I was happy."

For his season, Morissette has been named the Kennebec Journal Boys Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Cony High School sophomore Luke Fontaine was also considered.

Morissette has shown versatility as a runner throughout his career. For most of his indoor career he has run the 55 and the 200, and during the outdoor season he has run the 100 and 200. But he has always been willing to step in and run any relay he has been asked.

"Last year, I remember we were short an athlete in the 4x800 and he was willing to step in and do that," Erskine coach Erika Reay said. "It doesn't seem to matter the distance, he does well."

A week after winning the 200 and the 400 on his way to being named the co-athlete of the KVAC B championship meet this winter, Morissette ran into the best competition he faced all year and was finally hampered by his ankle injury. A triple jumper as well, Morissette landed wrong on a jump early in the year and injured his left Achilles tendon. He said the injury didn't really bother him when he ran until the state championship meet, where he finished 10th in both the 200 and the 400.

"I had to tone down my workouts," Morissette said. "I couldn't work as hard and I had to take it easy. It was a lot of stretching and a lot of icing."

Morissette's times were actually not that far off at the state championship meet, but runners of Western B and the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League dominated both events. His time in the 200 went from 23.99 at the KVACs to 24.03 at the state meet, while his time in the 400 went from 53.15 to 54.60. Still, the only athlete from the KVAC to beat him at the state meet was Waterville's Zach Jordan (sixth in the 400).

"(The state meet) was tough for him," Reay said. "I think he would have done better, but he had the injury he was nursing along the whole season. That was one of his downfalls that day. And the competition."

Morissette has given the ankle a rest since the season was over and wears a brace at times to help heal the injury. He plans to continue running the 400 during the spring season, along with the 200 and whatever relays his coaches ask him to run in.

Scott Martin -- 621-5618

smartin@centralmaine.com