University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Morton finishes seventh in decathlon at USATF Outdoor Championships
8/3/2025 3:21:00 PM | Track and Field
Panther alum Heims also captures para national title and World Championship team spot.
EUGENE, Ore. --- Three days of track and field action at historic Hayward Field concluded for one current Panther athlete and three UNI alumni over the weekend at the USATF Outdoor Championships and Para National Championships, which included a para national championship and a spot on the 2025 U.S. Para World Championship team.
Northern Iowa's Carter Morton, who placed fifth at this past season's NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in the heptathlon, captured seventh place in the decathlon with 7,679 total points, the second-highest total of his career. On the first day of action on Thursday, Morton shined in the high jump competition, placing third while tying his career-best in the high jump before also taking third on Friday in the pole vault, clearing 16 feet and third-quarters of an inch.
Panther alum Brandon Carnes, a 2023 world champion in the 4x100-meter relay, ran the 100-meter dash in Eugene, facing off against a tough field of competitors, including reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles, as well as two-time Olympic medalist Fred Kerley. Carnes would clock a time of 10.35 seconds in Friday's preliminary heat before finishing 20th in the semifinals in 10.29 seconds.
In para competition, three-time Paralympian Jessica Heims captured the F64 women's discus title after throwing for 109 feet, seven inches to earn a spot on this year's U.S. Para World Championship team, set to compete this September and October in India. Heims previously placed eighth in the discus in her classification at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, fifth at Tokyo 2020 and sixth at last summer's games in Paris.
Erin Kerkhoff, meanwhile, competed in a pair of sprint competitions in the T13 classification. After posting a time of 26.44 seconds in the 200-meter prelims on Thursday, Kerkhoff finished second in 26.33 on Friday. In 100-meter action, she would clock a 12.87 in Saturday's opening heats before recording another silver medal finish in 12.92 seconds. A two-time Paralympian herself, Kerkhoff ran the T13 100 and 400 meters at each of the previous two games.
UNI head cross country coach and track assistant Alex Teubel was scheduled to compete in the women's 1,500 meters, but was a scratch.
Â
UNI track and field action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Track and Field), X (@UNITrackFieldXC) and on Instagram (@uni_tf_xc). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
Players Mentioned
