Coker University Men's Cross Country

Morgan led the men's and women's cross country programs to successful showings during the 2016 season. As a team, the Coker men placed in the top ten four times in 2016. The men finished fourth at the Palmetto State CC Festival (Sept. 3), second among Division II teams at the Coastal Carolina Invitational (Sept. 9), third at the Bulldog Stampede (Sept. 24) and sixth at the Great American XC Festival (Oct. 1). The womens team also had success as a whole, finishing second among Division II teams at the Coastal Carolina Invitational, seventh at the Bulldog Stampede and tenth at the Great American XC Festival. Morgan also coached Darroneshia Lott, who became the first Coker women's cross country runner to be given All-Region honors. Lott had an outstanding year for the Navy and Gold, running in six races and placing every time in the Top-20, including four times in the Top 10. She finished third (21:13.09) at the Coastal Carolina Invitational (Sept. 9), and sixth (23:15.84) at the Bulldog Stampede (Sept. 24). Lott broke the school's 5k record at the Great American XC Festival (Oct. 1) when she won the race in 18:37. The following week at the Royal Challenge (Oct. 7), she shattered her own record with a 13th-place finish in 17:57.1. Lott went on to finish seventh (18:42.8) at the SAC Championships (Oct. 22) and then 15th (22:06.44) at the NCAA Southeast Regional, breaking the school's 6k record. Morgan led the Coker track and field program to new heights during the 2015-16 season.  On the women's side, Morgan led the Navy and Gold to a third-place showing at the Lenoir-Rhyne PowerSox Invitational, fourth-place showing at the Wingate Invitational and a sixth-place finish at the SAC Championships. The Cobras had runners ranked inside the top-10 on the South Atlantic Conference performance list in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, 4 x 100-meter relay, 4 x 400-meter relay, high jump, long jump and triple jump. They had runner-up performers in the 200-meter, 400-meter hurdles and high jump. Charity Snelling was named to the 2016 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Southeast Indoor All-Region team for her performances in the high jump. Snelling, Noelia Leake and Briana Nixon were named to the 2016 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) southeast All-Region team during the outdoor season. Leake was named the Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Womens Outdoor Track Runner of the Week on March 30.  On the men's side, Morgan led the Cobras to a fourth-place finish at the Lenoir-Rhyne PowerSox Invitational and a sixth-place showing at the South Atlantic Conference championship. The Cobras had members ranked in the top 10 on the South Atlantic Conference performance list in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, 10,000-meter, 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, 4 x 100-meter relay and the 4 x 400-meter relay. Paul Taylor brought  home the first ever South Atlantic Conference Championship title this season when he won the 400-meter hurdles. Taylor and Naim Fareed were both named to the 2016 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) southeast All-Region team for the outdoor track and field season. Morgan enjoyed continued success with the cross country programs in 2015-2016. He led the mens team to one win and two second place finishes as well as a seventh place finish at the South Atlantic Conference championships. The win came at the USC Open (Sept. 23) where the Cobras swept the top six spots among Division II runners. The team also finished 15th at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. The womens cross country team also had some great success, picking up two wins and piecing together three other top-10 finishes. The wins came at the CIU Invitational (Sept. 5) and the FMU Invitational (Oct. 16). The womens team also finished 10th at the Furman Invitational (Sept. 12), seventh at the Wingate Bulldog Invitational (Sept. 26) and fifth at the South Atlantic Conference championships (Oct. 24). Morgan also led the women to a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. Morgan's squad was ranked as high as ninth in the Southeast Region. Morgan also coached Hannah Wiebel, who as a senior had two individual wins and two top-five finishes. In addition, Wiebel earned U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors. In his first season at the helm of the Coker men's and women's track and field team, Morgan led the men to 41 individual top-10 finishes. As a team, they compiled 12 top-10 finishes at the Palmetto Classic and notched an eighth place showing at the South Atlantic Conference Championship meet. He led the women's team to 34 individual top-10 showings, with the best result coming at the Palmetto Classic, where they racked up 12 top-10 finishes. They also earned an eighth place at the SAC Championship. Also, senior Dylan Bates was named to the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-American Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Team. Bates was selected to the third team in District 3 of Division II. In his first season as head coach of the Coker cross country teams in 2014-2015, he led the women's squad to a win at the Francis Marion Cross Country Invitational, a runner-up and a third place finish. Freshman Shauntel Smullen earned All-SAC honors. On the men's side, the Cobras had two runner-up finishes and a fourth place showing. Senior Dylan Bates was named to the 2015 Track and Field and Cross Country DII All-Academic Cross Country Team.  Benny Morgan has been appointed as head men's and women's track and field coach. He will be the first coach in the program's history. Morgan will also be the head men's and women's cross country coach. Morgan previously coached at Duke University, where he served as a volunteer assistant coach for cross country and track and field from 2010-11. There he was responsible for training middle distances, long sprinters and the high jump. Before coaching at Duke, Morgan was the director of men's and women's cross country and track and field at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., from 2007-10. During his time there he was voted conference coach of the year in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Morgan coached two state championship teams in women's cross country and one conference and regional championship team in men's cross country. He also had two women's track and field teams that finished second in the state. In addition, Morgan's experience includes serving as interim head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach at Winston-Salem State University (2005-06), graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator at Campbell University (2004-05) and head men's and women's cross country/men's head track and field/assistant women's track and field coach at Southeast Raleigh High School in Raleigh, N.C. (2000-04). During his time at Campbell, Morgan led the men's track and field team to a runner-up finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference. While at Raleigh High he led the men's track and field team to a 4A state title in 2004, and the women's cross country teams were nationally ranked in 2000 and 2001. Morgan graduated from Indiana State University with a bachelor's degree in sociology with an emphasis in research in 1994. He also minored in physical education endorsement with an emphasis in nutrition. Morgan received his master's in human services and health and wellness from Liberty University in 2013. Originally from Gary, Ind., Morgan resides in Hartsville, S.C., with his wife, Tiphanie, and three children: Sydni, 8; Brycen, 6; and Ethan-Isaiah, 2.

Bruce joined the Coker staff as the assistant men's and women's cross country and track and field coach in August of 2015. Bruce came to Coker after a two-year stint at NCAA Division II national power Adams State, where he worked with the sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers. During his time at Adams State he helped lead the Grizzles to the 2014 Mens and Womens Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Indoor and Outdoor Championships, as well as the 2014 NCAA Division II Womens National Indoor Championship and the 2015 NCAA Division II Mens National Indoor Championship. Prior to his time at Adams State, Bruce was an assistant at Cloud County Community College and he was a volunteer assistant at Lincoln University. A phenomenal collegiate athlete, Bruce was an eleven-time All-American and seven-time NCAA Division II National Champion at Lincoln University. He holds the second best time in NCAA Division II history in the 60-meter dash at 6.62 seconds and he has the 18th best time in NCAA Division II history in the 100-meter dash at 10.15 seconds. A native of Manchester, Jamaica, Bruce earned a Bachelor of Science in History from Lincoln University and he has a Master of Health Administration from Adams State.