Morgan (16), one of the most promising middle distance runners in Otago, powered past Daniel Balchin (Kings) in the last 60m to win in 4min 12.81sec at the Caledonian Ground. Balchin ran 4min 13.70sec and Campbell Garry (John McGlashan) 4min 27.43sec.
Garry made the pace after a sluggish first lap and Balchin took the lead with 500m left and put in a big effort down the back straight when he almost broke Morgan.
He led by 5m coming into the straight, before Morgan put in a supreme effort to catch up.
The effort by Morgan down the straight was easy compared to his weekly sprints up the steep Arthurs Walk steps.
Balchin (17) took control in the last 1000m to win the senior boys' 3000m in 8min 57.33sec from Garry 9min 03.95sec and Morgan 9min 07.82sec.
It was a personal best time by all three runners with Balchin lowering his time by 22sec. It broke the record set by junior international Max Smith (Kings) in 2001.
Robert Brown (Kings) won the senior boys' 800m in 2min 11.66sec.
The records have been kept since 1998 when the former regional meetings were combined into one Otago championships.
Leslie Taylor (Otago Boys) came close when he convincingly won the senior boys' 400m in 51.74sec from school mate Paul Wyber 54.54.26sec.
Teryn McLaren (Kings) edged out Taylor when he rattled over the final two hurdles to win the 110m hurdles in 16.79sec. Taylor was timed at 17sec.
The annual championships had a record number of 577 competitors. This was up 25% from last year with the biggest increase coming from country schools.
This was reflected in the results with Logan O'Connell (St Kevins) winning the senior boys' shot put with 12.64m, Lachlan Brenssell (Blue Mountain) the javelin with 41.51m and Matt Faddes (South Otago) the long jump (5.90m) and triple jump (12.64m). O'Connell (16) won the event with his final put from school mate Reece Bradley 12.64m.
Country pupils also impressed in the senior girls' grade with Haylee van der Salm (St Kevins) taking the discus title from Amber McAuslan (South Otago) with her final throw of 23.98m. McAuslan threw 22.96m.
Charlotte Gardiner (Mount Aspiring) won on the countback in the senior girls' high jump from Anna Isteed (Blue Mountain) when both leaped to a new record of 1.60m.
Fran Myers-Baird (Otago Girls) beat the 1998 record by 1min 12 sec when she won the girls' open walk in 11min 14.01sec from Caitlin O'Brien (St Hildas), 12min 11.11sec.
Bethany Struthers (Taieri) won the senior girls' 100m (12.81sec), 200m (26.63sec) and hammer throw (32.90m) and Devon Helm (Bayfield) the 100m (12.71sec) and 200m (26.90sec) girls' under-16 sprint double.
Guy Woodhouse (Kavanagh College) equalled the boys' under-15 200m time of 23.30sec that was set by current international Cory Innes (Otago Boys) in 2000.
Rebekah Greene (St Hildas) won the girls' under-15 800m (2min 24.62sec) and 1500m (5min 04.79sec) double. It was a record in the 800m.
Maddy McKinlay (Otago Girls) won the 100m (13.51sec), 200m (27.53sec) and javelin (28.88m) in the girls' under-15 grade.
Bella Bloomfield (Otago Girls) won the sprint down the final straight to win the girls' under-16 3000m in a personal best 11min 07.16sec from Amelia Kinnaird (St Hildas) 11min 09.27sec.
Todd Johnston (Otago Boys) won the boys' under-16 100m (11.28sec) and 200m (23.07sec) double. It was a record in the 100m.
