OATCCC Hall Of Fame
Rebekka Simko Morgan

Rebekka Simko Morgan, a 2010 graduate of Gilmour Academy, was one of the most versatile and successful Track & Field athletes in the State of Ohio during her 4-year high school career. During her time as a Gilmour Lancer Rebekka was able to prove her versatility across the Track & Field spectrum by earning All-Ohio honors in the 200 Meter Dash, 400 Meter Dash, 800 Meter Run, 1600 Meter Run along with earning All-Ohio honors in Cross Country. She was a four-time D3 qualifier in Cross Country placing 14th (19:14) as a freshman, 11th (19:05) in 2007, 27th (19:56) in 2008 and helped the Gilmour Lady Lancers earn a D3 State Team Championship in 2006, a D3 State Team Runner-Up finish in 2007 and a 5th place team finish in 2008. Track & Field was where Rebekka was able to prove her overall diversity as a sprinter, middle distance, and distance athlete. Individually Rebekka had remarkable results over a four-year period starting her freshman season where she placed 2nd in the 1600 Meter Run (5:05.24) and 2nd overall in the 800 Meter Run in 2:14.75. In Track & Field the 1600 and 800 meter is a very difficult combination for anyone, but she achieved this after running as a member of the State Champion Gilmour 4x800 Meter Relay (9:13.89 – a new state and state Meet record) the day prior before finishing the meet running in the State Champion 4x400 Meter Relay (3:55.48 – a new state and state meet record) helping Gilmour finish as the D3 Girls Co-Champions (tied Bellaire St. John Central with 48 points) in the team standings. Over the next three years she continued to show her individual talents and help the team relays at the State Track & Field Championships. In 2008 she placed 1st in the 400 Meter Dash (56.30), 4th in the 200 Meter Dash (25.88), competed with the 1st place 4x800 Meter Relay (9:24.21) and the 1st place 4x400 Meter Relay resulting in a runner-up finish in the team standings. In 2009 she continued to roll with a second 1st place finish in the 400 Meter Dash (56.11) and ran as a member of the 2nd place 4x800 Meter Relay (9:18.08), the 1st place 4x200 Meter Relay (1:41.31- a new state and state meet record) then finishing up with the 1st place finishing 4x400 Meter Relay (3:57.19) helping the girls team capture a team state championship. In 2010, her senior year, she again attempted the tough 1600 and 800 Meter Run double. She placed 2nd in 1600 Meter Run (5:02.62) and the captured a 1st place finish in the 800 Meter Run (2:12.62) she once again ran a leg of the 1st place finishing 4x800 Meter Relay the day prior and finished the meet running a leg of the 2nd place finishing 4x400 Meter Relay to help the Lady Lancers finish as the D3 State Team Runner-Up. After the 2010 regular season ended Rebekka competed in the New Balance Nationals where she placed 4th in the 800 Meter Run in a time of 2:09.04. Rebekka finished her high school career earning 19 All-Ohio honors, 18 State Championship medals (2 Cross Country, 16 Track & Field). In Track & Field 10 of the 16 medals were 1st place, the 2nd most earned by an individual in OHSAA history. After high school Rebekka committed to Penn State University where she competed in Cross Country and Track & Field for the Nittany Lions. In two years at Penn State she qualified to the NCAA Cross Country National Championships placing 71st overall in the 20:35 for the 6,000 Meter race, earned All-Regional honors with her 10th place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Regional meet helping Penn State capture their first ever regional team title, she placed 5th at the Big 10 Cross Country Championships earning Big 10 First Team Honors. In Track & Field Rebekka placed 6th in 800 Meter run at the Outdoor Big Ten Championships in a time of 2:09.01 and placed 6th in the 600 Meter Run in 1:34.42 at the 2011 Big Ten Indoor Championships. In 2012 she placed 3rd at the Big 10 Championships in the 800 Meter Run in a time of 2:06.96 and she placed 8th in the 1500 Meter Run in a time of 4:22.35. In the 2012 Indoor Big 10 Championships she was a member of the 3rd place DMR and finished 3rd in the 800 Meter Run in a personal best time of 2:06.88. She clocked a sizzling Penn State record in the 800 Meter Run at the American Milers Series in Indianapolis to earn a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials where she placed 27th in the Trials, as one of just six collegians in the field. Rebekka earned Second Team All-American honors at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships by placing 15th in the 800 Meter Run in a time of 2:05.13 after she had qualified to the First Round in both the 800 and 1500. She also qualified to the 2011 NCAA First Round in the 800 Meter Run finishing 32nd overall in 2:09.13. In 2015 she transferred to Arkansas where she was part of the winning Indoor SEC Championship Distance Medley Relay and placed 5th in the 800 Meter Run at the same meet before finishing out her career with a NCAA Second Team All-American honor in 2015. In recognition of your career state and national achievements it is with immense pride that the OATCCC welcomes Rebekkah Simko as a 2026 OATCCC Hall of Fame Inductee. Congratulations Rebekka!