Morgan Uceny

Morgan Uceny
Personal information
Born (1985-03-10) March 10, 1985
Plymouth, Indiana
Residence Boston, Massachusetts
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight 115 lb (52 kg)
Sport
Country  United States
Event(s) 1500 m
College team Cornell Big Red
Club adidas
Turned pro 2007
Coached by Terrence Mahon
Retired 2016
Achievements and titles
World finals
Personal best(s) (800 m) 1:58.37
(1500m) 4:00.06
(Mile) 4:24.6

Morgan Uceny (born March 10, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete who specialized in middle distance running. Uceny won three national championships and was the 2011 IAAF Diamond League Champion at 1500 meters. She ended 2011 as the first American since 1985 to be ranked number one in the world in the 1500 m by Track & Field News.

She represented her country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2007 Pan American Games and the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. Her personal records are 1:58.37 minutes for the 800 meters and 4:00.06 minutes for the 1500 meters.

Personal life

Uceny was raised in Plymouth, Indiana, with her father, Marty, her mother, Brenda, and her two older brothers Alex and Matt. She is of Czech descent through her great-grandfather.[1] As a child she loved basketball and aspired to play in the WNBA. She ran track and played basketball in high school, also running cross-country her freshman and sophomore years, but decided to quit and focus on basketball and track. She won the state 800 meter championship her Junior year. In March 2017, Morgan married professional rock climber Shane Messer.

College career

Uceny attended Cornell University and graduated in 2007 as a Four-Time All-American:[2] Indoor 800m (2006, 2007) & Outdoor 800m (2005, 2007).

Professional career

Uceny took a bronze medal over 800 m at the 2008 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and was the winner in the mile at the 2010 indoor nationsls.[3]

In the 2011 season she won the 1500 m at the Brussels Diamond League, out-sprinting a loaded field and setting the world leading time of 4:00.06, with a closing 400m of 61 seconds. At the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, she was tripped by Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri who had fallen, and ended up placing 10th in the final, well out of medal contention.[4][5] Despite the result, Uceny finished the 2011 season ranked No.1 in the world.[6][7]

Uceny won the national titles in the 1500 m at the 2012 US track and field Olympic Trials, qualifying for her first Olympics, alongside Shannon Rowbury, and Jenny Simpson. At the London Games, Uceny and Rowbury made it to the final, but a mid-race clash with Ekaterina Kostetskaya meant she fell hard onto the track as the pack moved on,[8] injuring her back and right side.[9] She did not finish the race and left the stadium in tears.[6]

Uceny once again made the 1500 m final at the 2014 USA Championships, but was clipped around halfway through the race and fell. Uceny ran 4:04.76 in the 1500 metres at the Paris Diamond League to redeem herself and this was her fastest time since 2012 summer.[10]

Uceny ran a 4:11.18 1500 m en route to 4:29.39 mile at Fort Washington Avenue Armory. Uceny ran a season best 4:09.31 1500 m at June 2015 Sainsbury's Birmingham Grand Prix. At US championship 1500 m, Uceny finished 21st.[11] Uceny ran a season best 4:34.02 mile at Sir Walter Miler hosted by Meredith College.

Uceny ran 4:09.21 1500 m at NYRR Millrose Games. Uceny ran 2:02.00 near Boston, Massachusetts, 4:03.94 for 1500 at Furman University elite women race, placed 5th at the 1500 m final at 2016 US Olympic Trials (track and field) and placed 10th in 4:24.6 at 2016 Fifth Avenue Mile.[12] Olympian and former world number one Morgan Uceny has announced her retirement from professional track and field.[13]

International competitions

Representing the  United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2007 Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 11th (h) 800 m 2:04.13
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 10th 1500 m 4:19.71
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom DNF 1500 m DNF

National championships

US Championships
YearDistanceTimePlaceRef.
2007800 meters2:01.754th[14]
2008 indoor800 meters2:04.123rd[15]
2008800 meters2:02.166th[16]
2009800 meters2:01.326th[17]
2010 indoor1500 meters4:19.461st[18]
2010800 meters2:00.865th[19]
20111500 meters4:03.911st[20]
20121500 meters4:04.591st[21]
20131500 meters4:31.328th[22]
2014 indoor1500 meters4:20.498th[23]
20141500 meters4:24.0112th[24]
2015 indoor1 mile4:38.137th[25]
20151500 meters4:21.2021st[11]
20161500 meters4:06.945th[26]

References

  1. ↑ IAAF Relays bio
  2. ↑ "2007 Cornell University Big Red Morgan Uceny biography". Cornell Big Red. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  3. ↑ "2011 USATF Morgan Uceny biography". USATF. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ http://daegu2011.iaaf.org/ResultsByDate.aspx?racedate=09-01-2011/sex=W/discCode=1500/combCode=hash/roundCode=f/results.html#detW_1500_hash_f
  5. ↑ http://www.nbcolympics.com/wthr/news-blogs/track-and-field/morgan-uceny-hopes-upward-trajectory-continues-in-2012.html
  6. 1 2 Olympics 2012: Morgan Uceny falls during 1,500-meter final - Indystar.com, 10 August 2012
  7. ↑ 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 1500 metres
  8. ↑ "U.S. runner Morgan Uceny falls during 1,500-meter final". USAToday. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  9. ↑ Creason, Tim (August 19, 2012). "Uceny Ponders Future After Heartbreaking Olympics". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  10. ↑ http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/terrence-mahon-to-coach-elite-group-for-baa
  11. 1 2 http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/USATF-Outdoor-Championships/Results-by-Day/Results-FULL.aspx
  12. ↑ New Balance 5th Avenue Mile Professional Women nyrrc.org. Retrieved by September 3, 2016.
  13. ↑ US OLYMPIAN MORGAN UCENY ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT - December 14, 2016 Global Athletics & Marketing. Retrieved by December 14, 2016.
  14. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2007/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/results/fullResults_open.asp
  15. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/USAIndoorTFChampionships/results/fullResults.asp
  16. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/results/fullResults.asp
  17. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/results.asp
  18. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAIndoorTFChampionships/results/Results.asp
  19. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/results/completeresults.asp
  20. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2011/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/results/complete_senior.asp
  21. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/results/Results10-3.htm
  22. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2013/USATFCS/Events/USA-Outdoor-Track---Field-Championships/Results---Full.aspx
  23. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2014/USA-Indoor-Track---Field-Championships/Results.aspx
  24. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2014/USATF-Outdoor-Championships/Complete-Results.aspx
  25. ↑ http://www.flashresults.com/2015_Meets/Indoor/02-27_USA/008-1-01.htm
  26. ↑ 2016 Olympic Trials USATF. Retrieved by September 3, 2016.
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