Carlsbad senior track and field athletes and twin sisters Morgan and Makenna Herbst may look alike, but on the track, they run very differently.
“Even though they’re twins and people often have a hard time telling them apart, I never do — I can recognize them from the back, the front, their stride patterns, everything,” said Matt Large, head coach of the Lancers track and field team. “They both have exceptional talent, but Morgan’s more of a technical sprinter and thrives in the 100 and 200, while Makenna shines once she gets going in the 400 and 800.
“Morgan hates running anything over 400 meters, and Makenna embraces those longer sprints. That’s why I encouraged Morgan to take up hurdles after her freshman year — to give her a unique identity and a set of races that were completely hers.”
At the CIF San Diego Section Championships on May 24 at Mt. Carmel High School, the Herbst twins made history with record-breaking performances.
Minutes after Makenna shattered her own 800-meter section record with a nation-leading time of 2:03.30, Morgan made California history in the 300-meter hurdles.
She crossed the finish line in 39.95 seconds, breaking a long-standing state record of 40.10 set in 2001 by Ebony Collins of Long Beach Wilson. Morgan’s time ranks third on the all-time national list, trailing only Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin (38.90) and Jasmine Robinson (39.81).
San Diego High’s Anisa Bowen-Fontenot stayed close through the final stretch, but Morgan pulled away decisively.
“Morgan did a really good job on the first three hurdles — she really nailed those, and that sets up the rest of the race,” said Large. “If she can keep her 16-stride pattern going as long as possible before switching to 17, that’s a big key for her, and she had no momentum breaks going into the turn. Watching it unfold, I thought, ‘This could be something special,’ and by the time she cleared the last hurdle and I saw the clock, I knew we had a shot at something historic.”
The twins capped their historic day by anchoring Carlsbad’s 4×400 relay team to victory with a time of 3:48.52.
“I’ve literally been dreaming about this – in my sleep and every time I dozed off during the day it’s what I am thinking about,” said Morgan Herbst following the race. “It’s no surprise that it happened today. It’s been my goal. I am really grateful that I have someone to share it with – especially my twin sister. We are carrying a legacy for the two of us moving on from high school.”
According to Large, Morgan could have run even faster in her record-breaking sprint.
“She kind of clipped the seventh hurdle a little bit, so there’s still time to be found,” he said. “So, she’s still got some improvements ahead of her.”
The Herbst sisters built on their success at the section championships by winning state titles on May 31 at Veterans Stadium in Clovis, with Makenna winning the girls’ 800-meter run in 2:02.28 and Morgan claiming the 300-meter hurdles crown in 39.64 seconds.
“In my opinion, the two hardest races in track and field are the 800 meters and the 300 or 400 hurdles,” said Large. “The hurdles are extremely technical because you have to maintain a precise stride pattern and learn to alternate lead legs efficiently, which Morgan struggled with at first but mastered over time. With years of training and dedication, she has combined her speed and endurance to become the person to beat, going undefeated last season and continuing to improve.”
Next year, the Herbst twins will compete for the University of Arkansas track and field team under Razorbacks head coach Chris Johnson and his brother, Boogie Johnson, who is renowned for developing elite athletes such as Dalilah Muhammad, Britton Wilson and Anna Cockrell.
“Before the season, we talked with Morgan and Makenna about their ultimate goals and what they could realistically achieve,” said Large. “Morgan had already established herself as the person to beat after going undefeated last year, and breaking the 40-second barrier in the 300 hurdles was the first big goal she set for herself. After that, she aimed for national and historical greatness, while Makenna continued to chase the two-minute mark in the 800.”
