HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Brookelyn Morgan led from start to finish, and No. 3 Wallace State placed four runners in the top five to win its ninth consecutive ACCC women’s cross country championship Friday at John Hunt Park.
The Lady Lions finished with 23 points, followed by Calhoun with 84 and Gadsden State with 86. Shelton State placed fourth with 96 points, while Northeast Alabama finished fifth with 107.
Morgan earned Conference Runner of the Year honors after winning the 5K race in 19:12.8. The sophomore led a Wallace State sweep of the top three individual positions, with Hanna Sheffield finishing second in 20:12.1 and Joy McBride taking third in 20:18.9. Paizley Whitlow placed fifth in 20:49.8.
“It was a great race. It was a hot day, so that made it a little harder, and just pushing myself made it harder,” Morgan said. “But I felt like it was a good, strong race. It was smooth and it was nice.”
Head coach Tony Crider, who earned Conference Coach of the Year honors, emphasized discipline and running together in his instructions before the race.
For Morgan, the plan allowed her to adjust her effort as needed.
“I gave her kind of a race plan,” Crider said. “I told her, ‘If you feel like going, go. If you feel like backing off, back off.'”
For the rest of the group, Crider wanted his runners to stay close through the opening mile before separating.
“I told them before the race, ‘I want you to pretend you’re all in a hula hoop and you’re running together, and let’s try to stay that way for at least a mile,'” Crider said.
Anna Pezent completed Wallace State’s scoring lineup, finishing 13th overall in 21:21.5. Lynley Grace Anderson followed in 14th at 21:27.7, and Rachael Matthews placed 15th in 21:42.1.
Payton Ridley finished 20th in 22:01.0, while Dorothy Salter took 22nd in 22:04.4.
Morgan credited the entire team for its part in securing the championship.
“I’m just so grateful to be a part of this team, and the girls are great,” Morgan said. “It takes everybody to win a championship, and so it was definitely a good race for everybody, just pushing together and helping each other out.”
The Lady Lions will return to John Hunt Park in two weeks for the NJCAA National Championship.
“My goal is to hopefully run like I did today and bring home a national championship for Wallace State,” Morgan said.
