Carter Morton after clearing a pole vault height Photo courtesy of Morton Family

2020 Greene County High School graduate Carter Morton of Jefferson is now a two-time first team track and field All-American in NCAA Division I. The sixth year senior at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls finished in sixth place yesterday in the seven event Heptathlon with 6,003 points. He was fifth in the same event a year ago with 5,852 points. The DI Championships were held Friday and Saturday inside the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, AK.

Morton competed in the 60 meter dash, long jump, shot put, and high jump on Friday, and Saturday’s events were the 60 meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1,000 meter run. He scored 920 points in the hurdles race, 901 in the pole vault, and 844 in the 1,000. He ran the short hurdles race in 8.25 seconds, cleared the bar in the pole vault at 16′ 3-1/2″, and he ran the 1,000 in 2:42.63.

Here’s how good this field was. Peyton Bair won the 2025 title for Mississippi State and there was only one heptathlete over 6,000 points all season. This year, Bair, competing for the U. of Oregon, won with 6,503 points. Morton’s sixth place total this season would have been number two a season ago. He’s in rarified air at UNI with back-to-back first team DI All-American finishes, as well as completing his indoor career as one of the Missouri Valley Conferences most accomplished performers.

Carter is the son of Chad and Deb Morton of Jefferson. He and his UNI teammates will now turn their attention to the outdoor season.