Wallace State Claims Ninth Straight ACCC Title
Brookelyn Morgan wins the individual 5K as the Lady Lions top Calhoun, Gadsden State and Shelton State.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Running
Wallace State's women's cross country team won the ACCC championship for the ninth consecutive year at John Hunt Park in Huntsville. The Lady Lions scored 23 points and placed four runners in the top five.
Why it matters
The title extends Wallace State's run of conference dominance and sets up the team's next test at the NJCAA National Championship. Morgan's Conference Runner of the Year honor adds an individual milestone to the team result for the Huntsville-area program.
Wallace State finished with 23 points, well ahead of Calhoun's 84 and Gadsden State's 86, while Morgan won the 5K in 19:12.8 and Hanna Sheffield finished second in 20:12.1. The results are official conference scoring, and the source does not address the team's national-level prospects.
The players
Wallace State Community College
Wallace State is a community college in Hanceville, Alabama, whose women's cross country program has won the ACCC title for nine straight years.
Brookelyn Morgan
Morgan is a Wallace State distance runner who won the 5K race and earned Alabama Community College Conference Runner of the Year honors.
The details
Morgan led from start to finish at John Hunt Park, and coach Crider instructed the runners to stay together through the opening mile before separating. Wallace State placed four runners in the top five, with Joy McBride third in 20:18.9 and Paizley Whitlow fifth in 20:49.8.
Timeline
Friday: ACCC women's cross country championship held at John Hunt Park.
In two weeks: NJCAA National Championship at John Hunt Park.
Season Trajectory
The ninth straight ACCC title extends a conference dynasty that has made Wallace State the benchmark for community college women's cross country in Alabama. The team now carries that momentum into the NJCAA National Championship, where a strong showing would further define its season.
Fans who follow collegiate distance running can track Wallace State's next meet at the NJCAA National Championship in two weeks. The result will show whether the team's conference form carries over to the national level.
The takeaway
Consistency over nine straight seasons is what separates a strong program from a dominant one, and Wallace State's depth of four top-five finishers shows how that consistency is built. Following the team at the national meet will reveal whether that depth travels beyond the conference.
What happens next
The Lady Lions will compete in the NJCAA National Championship at John Hunt Park in two weeks.
Further reading
For more race coverage, explore the Running section.
