Interviewed by Sophia Marcum
I caught Noah a few weeks after he raced in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ track and field nationals. We spent some time predicting the future and remembering the past.
Where are you now and what is your major?
I attend Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) in Marion, Indiana. I am a double major in Business Marketing and Management.
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
Honestly, I am not very sure. I’m not sure if I want to go a corporate route like my older sister Amanda or stay local and work for a smaller business. I might even try to start my own. I have also thought about possibly working for a non-profit; something like a mission organization where I am able to go overseas and serve others who are less fortunate than me.
Mission work is a huge passion of mine. Whatever route I take, I hope that I’m serving God with the best of my abilities. I would also sure hope to be married and maybe starting a family within the next 15 years, Lord willing. I’m a guy who takes life one day at a time so it’s hard for me to imagine myself 15 years from now.
Where do you see technology in 15 years? Will we ever have jet packs?
I sure hope we have jetpacks. That would be so sweet! Or even hover-boards, which would be cool too. I bet that cell phones will be obsolete. With the new Apple Watch out I can see that taking over. However, if we do still have cell phones, I hope someone comes up with a way to keep phone screens from cracking so easily. It would also be incredible if we would have new technology in the medical field to help us find cures for diseases and sicknesses.
Additionally, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon, but if we found a way to teleport that would be amazing. You know, like being able go to the beach for a day and then zap back to Bluffton. I think a lot can happen in 15 years but I’m not sure if we’ll have a super “futuristic” world by 2030.
Let’s talk track. What were your goals going into this season?
Track was amazing. Basically my goals at the beginning of the season were to set some personal records which I was able to accomplish. Also, my biggest goal was to qualify for NAIA nationals.
Which you did! You even broke some school records and then ended up running at both NAIA and NCCAA nationals. Can you tell us a bit about these?
I was blessed enough to be a part of two relays that ended up breaking three records. Our 4x400 set both the indoor and outdoor school records while our 4x100 broke the outdoor school record. The NCCAA qualifying standards are easier to qualify for than the NAIA qualifying standards so we treat NCCAA almost like a regular meet. During indoor, I was able to qualify for NCCAA nationals in four events: the 200m, 400m, Mid-Distance Relay (DMR) and 4x400m relay. However, Coach didn’t have me run the 200m so I could focus on the other three events. I was able to place Top 8 in all three events.
I didn’t run at indoor NAIA nationals which made me push myself even harder during the second half of the season because it was my main goal to make it to NAIA nationals! During outdoor, I qualified for NCCAA in the 400m, 4x400m relay and 4x100m relay. I finished Top 8 in both the 400m and 4x400m relay. Our 4x100 team was disqualified.
NCCAA is where I ran my PR in the 400m. Next was NAIA nationals. Our 4x100m relay qualified to run at the national meet in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We didn’t make finals but we were able to beat our own school record we had set earlier in the season.
That’s an exciting accomplishment, especially considering your goals going into the season. What have been your reflections since then?
Looking back, running in all these meets was a huge blessing and great experience that I hope to use later in my track career. I never would have thought that I would be on a national qualifying 4x100m relay considering I never ran the 100m in high school and only ran the 4x100m relay a few times in my high school career. The seniors that I competed with in my relays were great role models and it’ll be sad to see them go. However, running with them this year helped me train for the years to come. I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else.
My sources tell me you had a pretty standout coach. What impact did he have on you and the team?
My coach, Coach John Foss, is one of the best coaches and men I have ever been around. He is one of the most well-known coaches in the NAIA and has lead IWU to many conference championships in both track and cross country. Foss knows how to get the best out of all his athletes. He knows how to motivate, lead, and make us into better men and women. He loves to win, but winning is never what he stresses most.
Coach stresses poise more than anything else. Whether we win or lose, he wants all of his athletes to show poise. Above all, Coach has impacted me through his walk with Christ. He’s a very godly man and is very wise when it comes to any situation his athletes might have. I look up to him and his walk with Christ and hope that one day I can have as strong of a relationship with God as he does.
Did you do any cooking for yourself at college this past year?
Cooking is not one of my strongpoints. I stuck to mostly cereal and Ramen on nights where I missed dinner. I always had breakfast in my room because it gave me extra time to sleep and I needed all the sleep I could get. However, in the cafeteria there is a self-cook station with eggs, pasta, and rice amongst others things. I would use that station a lot to cook myself lunch or dinner. I guess that counts as cooking?!
Can you remember the first person you danced with at a junior high dance?
Oh gosh, I have no idea. Hopefully it wasn’t you and this is just a test to see if I remembered. If it was you, I am sorry. All I remember is doing a snowball for the first time and I was so confused on what was going on. I remember spending half of the time wondering why it was called a “snowball” dance.
I also have no recollection of the first person I danced with in junior high, so you’re in the clear! No worries. While we’re on the topic of musical events…who is one of your favorite artists?
I am a huge John Mayer fan. I love the man’s music. His album “Continuum” is my favorite, but I also love “Where the Light Is” which is just a recording of a concert he did in L.A.
Can you give us a favorite John Mayer lyric?
From his song “Heart of Life” my favorite lyric is:
No it won’t all go the way it should but I know the heart of life it good.
In the event of an apocalypse, if the Village of Bluffton remained completely intact, do you think we could be self-sustainable? What would be our greatest local resources?
I think it would be hard to live normal lives but we would be self-sustainable. I mean our greatest local resource would be agriculture. There are so many hardworking farmers around that could help supply the town with food. Then the Riley would help sustain the town with enough water. We also have a quarry which I’m sure would help us a lot.
You know, there are just so many talented people in this town that could offer goods and resources to one another, I believe it would be hard, but we could be self-sustainable.
If you were given a class to teach for a semester - what would it be called and what would be taught?
I think that if I had to teach a class for a semester it would probably be about track. In the past year I’ve spent a lot of time at practices and in the weight room working to make myself better. I’ve learned a lot about proper technique and training, plus it’s something that I love to do. One day I would love to be a coach and that’s almost the same thing as teaching a class!
Having graduated from Bluffton High School in 2014, Noah will be entering his sophomore year of college this fall. Leave a comment to wish him well!
