ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Christian Noble
Courtesy of John David Clark, Photography Editor
Nationally ranked runner Christian Noble is making waves throughout the country in his third year at Lee.
Originally from Greenfield, Ind., the junior digital media major is turning heads—and has been since he first stepped onto the collegiate running scene.
Noble’s gutsy performance this weekend at the 2018 Montevallo Falcon Classic earned him Lee University Athlete of the Week honors.
“It’s always nice to receive an award like this. It shows the hard work I’ve put in over the summer months and the beginning of school,” Noble said.
Christian Noble made a significant impact on the men’s cross country team at Lee University. In high school, Noble was ranked 16th in the nation for the sport, and has only gotten better as his time at Lee has progressed. Since his freshman year, he has been one of the top runners in the Gulf South Conference (GSC).
Not only did Noble take home the accolade for his school, but he also received the honor of GSC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week for his 8K Montevallo Falcon Classic showing. Noble placed third out of 227 total runners at this national event that included schools of Division I classifications.
Training has been a crucial part of Noble's success. As reported in the Daily Reporter, running under the Texas sun at his family's new home helped him cope with the Tennessee heat.
Noble stands at 6'2" and 150 pounds, the perfect build for a successful cross country runner. His height advantage gives him the ability to make longer strides when running, compared to the shorter athletes in his weight class.
His third place finish in Montevallo this past weekend helped boost the Flames up to a second place overall finish among the 25 schools participating at the event.
Noble’s head coach and mentor Caleb Morgan said he has thoroughly enjoyed watching the Indiana native grow as a runner and as a person, something Noble credits to his coach.
“Coach Morgan is an excellent mentor and coach,” Noble said. “Through my time at Lee, he has encouraged me to always do my best and has provided guidance to get me where I am at today.”
The next race is set to take place on Sept. 29 at the Greater Louisville Classic. Noble will have the opportunity to showcase his talent at this sporting event. If you have the pleasure of attending the event, expect Noble to be somewhere towards the front, leading runners all over the nation.
