University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
NCAA Indoor Championships
Carter Morton sets sights on Arkansas and NCAA Indoor Championships
3/11/2026 12:00:00 PM | Track and Field
MVC champion and returning All-American to compete in heptathlon in Fayetteville this weekend.
Carter Morton at 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships
- Mar. 13-14, 2026
- 11 a.m. CT
- Randal Tyson Track Center | Fayetteville, Ark.
- WATCH (ESPN+)
- LIVE RESULTS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The 2025-26 NCAA indoor track and field season will conclude this weekend with its Division I national championship meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas as Panther redshirt senior Carter Morton prepares to compete in the heptathlon for a second straight season.
Live coverage of the meet can be found on ESPN+.
Morton, a Jefferson, Iowa native, enters the NCAA Indoor Championships seeded fourth in the 16-man field set to compete in the seven-event competition. The first day of competition will feature athletes competing in the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put and high jump, while Saturday will include the final three events of the heptathlon with the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000-meter run. A full schedule of the heptathlon events can be found below.
Morton enters the national championships after an impressive performance at last week's Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, where he not only captured the heptathlon title, but also won the men's long jump and high jump crowns, while also placing second in the pole vault. Contributing 38 points towards the UNI men's second consecutive MVC team title, Morton was named the Most Valuable Athlete of the meet, as well as the Most Outstanding Field Athlete of the championships.
Earlier this season, Morton, who finished fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2025 to earn First Team All-American status, set the UNI and MVC record in the heptathlon with 6,052 points competing at the Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational in December, earning his United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete of the Week honors.
MORTON'S CAREER-BEST MARKS (Heptathlon Events)
- 60m - 6.95 (2024 ISU Holiday Invite)
- Long Jump - 24' 10" (2026 MVC Indoor Championships)
- Shot Put - 43' 10 ½" (2025 Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational)
- High Jump - 7' ¼" (2026 Larry Wieczorek Invitational)
- 60m Hurdles - 8.19 (2025 Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational)
- Pole Vault - 17' ¾" (2026 MVC Indoor Championships)
- 1,000m - 2:45.76 (2025 Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational)
- Heptathlon Score - 6,054 pts (2025 Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational)
2026 NCAA INDOOR HEPTATHLON SCHEDULE
Friday, Mar. 13
- 11 a.m. CT - 60m
- 11:40 a.m. CT - Long Jump
- 12:50 p.m. CT - Shot Put
- 2 p.m. CT - High Jump
Saturday, Mar. 14
- 11 a.m. CT - 60m Hurdles
- 11:50 a.m. CT - Pole Vault
- 4 p.m. CT - 1,000m
2026 NCAA INDOOR HEPTATHLON FIELD (Listed in seeding order)
Peyton Bair (Oregon), Kenneth Byrd (Louisville), Luuk Pelkmans (Illinois), Carter Morton (UNI), Jip DeGreef (Illinois), Zach McGlynn (North Dakota State), Blake Harris (Texas A&M), Landon Helms (Boise State), Tayton Klein (Kansas), John Swabik (Kansas), Edgar Campre (Miami-FL), Yannik Knobloch (TCU), Ryan Gregory (Long Beach State), Nathaniel Paris (Virginia Tech), Ben Barton (BYU), Aiden Carter (Oregon).
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
