2020 Greene County High School graduate Carter Morton finished in second place at the St. Mark’s School Texas Greatest Athlete men’s decathlon Saturday and Sunday in Dallas, TX. He scored 7,509 points, a personal best, and it was less than 100 points behind the winning score of 7,603. Scores of 8,000 points and higher qualify for the Olympic Trials later this month in Eugene, OR. Morton wrapped up his fourth year as a student at the U. of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, but he competed unattached in Texas after red-shirting both the indoor and outdoor seasons. He had ankle surgery in November 2023 and this was his first competition in a year.

Morton won the high jump competition at 6′ 10″, was first in the long jump at 23′ 9″. Those two events were on Saturday, and so was the shot put, where he was twelfth at 38′ 7-3/4″, the 100 meter dash, 4th in :11.06, and the 400 meter dash, 3rd in :50.00. His first day total for five events of 4,004 points is a career best, and he was second among 13 day one entrants. Day two was comprised of the discus throw, 110 meter high hurdles, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500 meter run. He won the 1,500 in 4:45.11, was tied for first in the pole vault at 15′ 7-1/2″, placed fifth in the javelin throw at 166′ 4″, fifth in the 110 meter high hurdles in :15.18, and ninth in the discus throw at 119′ 7″.

Carter is the son of Chad and Deb Morton of Jefferson. He has eligibility at UNI remaining and plans on competing indoors in the heptathlon and outdoors in the decathlon during 2024-25.