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

One of the University of Northern Iowa’s greatest track & field athletes has ended his Missouri Valley Conference Meet career. Carter Morton of Jefferson, the 2020 Greene County High School graduate, took part in five events Saturday and Sunday at the MVC Championship in Terra Haute, IN hosted by Indiana State. He was named Men’s MVP and Men’s field event MVP of the meet.

Morton did four individual events on Saturday, winning the long jump at 25 feet, 2-1/2″, was third in the javelin throw at a personal best distance of 194′ 9″, and he tied for fourth in the pole vault at 16′ 1-3/4″. A mishap in the 110 meter high resulted in Morton not finishing among the leaders. Sunday saw Morton tie for fifth in the high jump at 6′ 6-3/4″. He won 11 MVC titles between indoor and outdoor conference meets over the course of his career. His list of accomplishments in The Valley is long including 2023 MVP Indoors, 2023 Outstanding Field Event Outdoors, 2025  Outstanding Field Event Athlete and 2025 MVP, 2026 Outstanding Field Event Athlete and MVP to go with the honors at Terre Haute. He also owns UNI school records in the Heptathlon and Decathlon, the Missouri Valley Conference Heptathlon record and he’s third all-time in the Valley as a long jumper.

The Panthers finished second as a team to Illinois State in the team race.

When the NCAA publishes the list of West Regional qualifiers in the long jump and the National Championship meet in the decathlon, Morton’s name is expected to appear on both.