| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1985-03-10)March 10, 1985 (age 40) Plymouth, Indiana |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 115 lb (52 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Event | 1500 m |
| College team | Cornell Big Red |
| Club | adidas |
| Turned pro | 2007 |
| Coached by | Terrence Mahon |
| Retired | 2016 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| World finals |
|
| Personalbest(s) | (800 m) 1:58.37 (1500m) 4:00.06 (Mile) 4:24.6 |
Morgan Uceny (born March 10, 1985) is a retiredAmericantrack and field athlete who specialized inmiddle distance running. Uceny won three national championships and was the 2011IAAF Diamond League Champion at1500 meters. She ended 2011 as the first American since 1985 to be ranked number one in the world in the 1500 m byTrack & Field News.
She represented her country at the2012 Summer Olympics,2007 Pan American Games and the2011 World Championships in Athletics. Her personal records are 1:58.37 minutes for the800 meters and 4:00.06 minutes for the 1500 meters.
Uceny was raised inPlymouth, Indiana, with her father, Marty, her mother, Brenda, and her two older brothers Alex and Matt. She is ofCzech descent through her great-grandfather.[1] As a child she loved basketball and aspired to play in theWNBA. 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.
Uceny attendedCornell University and graduated in 2007 as a Four-Time All-American:[2] Indoor 800m (2006, 2007) & Outdoor 800m (2005, 2007).
Uceny took a bronze medal over 800 m at the 2008USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and was the winner in the mile at the 2010 indoor nationals.[3]
In the 2011 season she won the 1500 m at the BrusselsDiamond League, out-sprinting a loaded field and setting the world leading time of 4:00.06, with a closing 400m of 61 seconds. At the2011 IAAF World Championships inDaegu, she was tripped by Kenyan runnerHellen 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 the2012 US track and field Olympic Trials, qualifying for her first Olympics, alongsideShannon Rowbury, andJenny Simpson. At the London Games, Uceny and Rowbury made it to the final, but a mid-race clash withEkaterina 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 the2014 USA Championships, but was clipped around halfway through the race and fell. Uceny ran 4:04.76 in the 1500 metres at theParis 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 4:29.39mile atFort Washington Avenue Armory. Uceny ran a season best 4:09.31 1500 m at June 2015 Sainsbury'sBirmingham Grand Prix. AtUS championship 1500 m, Uceny finished 21st.[11] Uceny ran a season best 4:34.02 mile atSir Walter Miler hosted byMeredith College.
Uceny ran 4:09.21 1500 m atNYRRMillrose Games. Uceny ran 2:02.00 near Boston, Massachusetts, 4:03.94 for 1500 atFurman University elite women race, placed 5th at the 1500 m final at 2016US Olympic Trials (track and field) and placed 10th in 4:24.6 at 2016Fifth Avenue Mile.[12] Olympian and former world number one Morgan Uceny has announced her retirement from professional track and field.[13]
| 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 |
| Year | Distance | Time | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 800 meters | 2:01.75 | 4th | [14] |
| 2008 indoor | 800 meters | 2:04.12 | 3rd | [15] |
| 2008 | 800 meters | 2:02.16 | 6th | [16] |
| 2009 | 800 meters | 2:01.32 | 6th | [17] |
| 2010 indoor | 1500 meters | 4:19.46 | 1st | [18] |
| 2010 | 800 meters | 2:00.86 | 5th | [19] |
| 2011 | 1500 meters | 4:03.91 | 1st | [20] |
| 2012 | 1500 meters | 4:04.59 | 1st | [21] |
| 2013 | 1500 meters | 4:31.32 | 8th | [22] |
| 2014 indoor | 1500 meters | 4:20.49 | 8th | [23] |
| 2014 | 1500 meters | 4:24.01 | 12th | [24] |
| 2015 indoor | 1 mile | 4:38.13 | 7th | [25] |
| 2015 | 1500 meters | 4:21.20 | 21st | [11] |
| 2016 | 1500 meters | 4:06.94 | 5th | [26] |
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