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- Morgan Nokes, a Utah Valley University runner, was named WAC Athlete of the Week again.
- Balancing motherhood and studies, Nokes won her fourth race at the Princeton Fall Classic.
- Coach Scott Houle praised her dedication as she prepares for upcoming championships in Texas.
OREM — When Utah Valley University cross-country runner Morgan Nokes won her fourth race of the season, she was met with cheers from coaches, teammates, friends and family — including her husband and 7-month-old son.
Nokes, who is earning a master's degree in public administration, was named the Western Athletic Conference Cross-Country Athlete of the Week for the second time this season, following a win at the Princeton Fall Classic on Oct. 17. KSL.com spoke to Nokes, 23, who said her journey to the top has been a little less than traditional.
"I started out playing soccer, and that was my sport," she said. "I ran a little bit in elementary school and junior high, but it was always a means to get better at soccer."
By high school, however, her coaches noticed that running might not be a side gig after all, and they encouraged her to get out on the race course. Unfortunately, as she started gaining speed, that's when the world slowed down.
"COVID happened my senior year, so I was only able to run in one track meet," Nokes said. "I actually never ran at a state championship meet."
Nokes, a Boise native, said missing her senior track season didn't hinder her desire to compete, but only ignited it. With very few "fast enough" times under her belt, finding a college that would allow her to run on their team was difficult. She said she reached out to college coaches, asking for the chance to walk on.
One of those teams was Utah State University. There, she competed for several seasons and did well enough to earn a spot on the traveling cross-country team and compete at nationals. It was at that national meet when life changed in more ways than one.
"My sophomore year, I ran at nationals and finished near the very back, at around the 200th place," Nokes recalled. I remember looking at one of my teammates and saying, 'I want to come back. I want to race and I want to race well.' … That night, I also met my husband."
Her husband, Joey Nokes, runs for BYU and was part of the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country National Championship team. During their courtship in 2022-23, Morgan Nokes transferred to Utah Valley University. She said the encouragement and support from her husband led to a positive shift in her trajectory as an athlete and her eventual new role as a mother.
"My husband is very inspiring to me," she said. "He got me excited and in the mindset of wanting to compete and excel in this sport. I don't think I ever knew what I was capable of. I wanted to be good and I worked hard, but I don't think I had the confidence until I met my husband."
'I've always wanted to be a mom'
At Utah Valley University, Nokes saw her times improve and even placed in the top three in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the WAC Outdoor Conference Championships. While she was gaining speed, she had a feeling she couldn't shake.
"I've always wanted to be a mom," she said. "I would talk to my teammates about it. It was difficult for me to keep running when I knew I wanted to be a mom so badly. After the conference championships, I told Joey that I wanted to be a mom and we agreed that we wanted to try."
She quickly became pregnant and was now faced with the task of breaking the news to her coach, Scott Houle. She said that even though she was nervous to tell him, she had always felt supported and knew it would be OK.
"I went in to talk to him, and before I could say anything, he was like, 'You're pregnant,'" she recalled. "He was so amazing and so kind. He was just like, 'Great. I'm so excited for you! I want you to come back, though. I want you to keep running.' There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to come back."
Houle recounted a similar interaction, saying that he and his staff aim to be supportive of all their athletes' journeys.
"We were right at the beginning of the season and ready to go, and I could tell when she walked in the office what she was going to say," Houle told KSL.com. "From then on, we knew what we were working with. She stayed as fit as she could as long as her body let her, and as soon as she was able to, she got back into shape. And wow, she got into shape!"
The comeback
Weeks after having her son, Theo, in March of this year, Nokes started walking, and then jogging, and then running, and soon she was running faster and feeling stronger.
"I remember my runs would get faster with the stroller, and I was so excited!" she said. "I remember going on a run with my husband and feeling so good. I ended up going 13 miles at a 6:17 mile pace, and when I finished, I cried a little bit. I was so grateful that my body could do something like that. I knew I could be fast after having a baby, but I didn't know that I could be as fast as I was."
Fast is an understatement. This season alone, Nokes has run a 19:29.7 in the 6K, which is a 5:12 pace on uneven grass and dirt. Her times and placings throughout the season have earned her four first-place finishes and two WAC Athlete of the Week honors. Houle said that he is not surprised by her performances and loves seeing athletes like her succeed.
"She's always been a focused runner and diligent in all that she's done," he said. "I think her time has become a lot more precious to her. Everything she does is very concise. Whether it's family time, school or practice. Little Theo has helped her become a great runner, and her husband Joey is the perfect match for her to help her along this journey of being a D1 runner, mom and a wife. It's been quite fun to watch as a cross-country fan and also as her coach.
"I've had many athletes balance parenting and competing," Houle continued. "I've had moms and dads. I've had dads who have brought babies with them and we've watched the kids at practices, and it's pretty fun to have. I love it. If this is part of their college experience, I have no problem with it."
The cross-country season is ramping up with conference championships on Friday, Oct. 31, in Arlington, Texas, followed by NCAA Mountain Regionals in Salt Lake City at the Regional Athletic Complex on Nov. 14.
