Morgan Battles Through Harsh Conditions at NJCAA Outdoor Nationals

HOBBS, N.M. — Wallace State freshman Brookelyn Morgan capped off a historic season on Thursday with a 14th-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at New Mexico Junior College.

Morgan crossed the finish line in 19:49.46 while competing in difficult conditions that included 98-degree temperatures, high elevation and strong winds. She was the highest-finishing NJCAA Division II runner in the event and became the first Wallace State athlete to compete at the NJCAA Outdoor National Championships since 1997.

Morgan positioned herself near the front early in the race, running inside the top two runners through the opening 1,800 meters before dropping as far back as 15th during the middle stages. She recovered late to finish 14th overall, matching her national seed entering the event.

"It was an honor getting to run at nationals," Morgan said. "The conditions made it a tough race but I was able to persevere. It was a great experience!"

Wallace State head coach Tony Crider said the environment created one of the most challenging races he has witnessed.

"First off it was 98° at 4 000 feet of elevation with 25 to 30 mile an hour winds at 4:25 p.m. in the afternoon," Crider said. "The hottest part of the day for sure."

Crider explained that the race strategy was built around maintaining consistent pacing throughout the 5,000 meters.

"The race plan was to do moderate laps — 83 seconds per lap," Crider said. "She started the race in her first lap around 72-73 seconds, which in most cases has been fine this year because she likes to get a good start, so everything was kind of normal. Then the second lap came. She's running her 83 split third out and things start to slow a bit. She gets to 90 seconds then 95 seconds then maintains that through most of the race and then finishes in the 19:49 range. Probably about two minutes slower than her personal best. She went in ranked 14th. She comes out ranked 14th. I would say that's a push."

Crider said nearly the entire field struggled with the extreme conditions.

"Most everyone in the field was two to four minutes slower than normal because of the excessive heat," Crider said. "They set up water stations at every 100 meters — craziest thing I've ever seen in my life. This race reminded me of the cross country national championship except there it was extreme cold and snow and here it was extreme heat and wind and elevation to go with it. Nevertheless, she fought through it."

Despite the challenging race, Crider praised Morgan's competitiveness and leadership.

"I absolutely love her heart and her will to compete," Crider said. "I think she'll do really big things next year. Also, she will be a great mentor to all the young athletes coming in. I hope that she can rub off some of her grit that she has on some of the freshmen coming in."

Crider also reflected on the overall success of the Wallace State track and cross country programs during the 2025-26 season.

"In closing, we've had a great year," Crider said. "I'm super proud of every single athlete on the women's and the men's side and I'm looking forward to the 2026 cross country season. I think we could really do something very special if everything lines up like I think it will."

Crider also credited his assistant coaches and Wallace State administration for helping the program continue to grow.

"I also wanted to say a big thank you to my coaches, Coach Mandy and Coach Cole," Crider said. "They're outstanding people and I sure couldn't do this without them."

"Also kudos to my administration here at Wallace State, which had given us the opportunity to do these great things with these very special athletes," Crider added. "If it wasn't for Paul Bailey, Kristen Holmes and of course Dr. Vicki Karolewics, we would never be able to even be talking about this today. I just want to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Go Lions."