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Noecker is ready to defend State title this week

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ALBION — Carson Noecker has run every meet this season with a target on his back.

He won the Class C State Cross Country title last year as a freshman, making him the one to beat all season long..

The humble harrier, who is clearly on course for a sweep of titles during his prep career keeps everything in perspective as the next chance at a title is set for 2 p.m. Friday at the Kearney County Club course.

“Mainly it’s just I keep going and I have started to try to run every day and have done strength training and lifting,” Noecker said. “But I haven’t changed that much (from last year). Running is more mental than it is physical. You can look like a perfect runner because it doesn’t mean anything. It’s about what’s inside and never giving up.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for everyone. It’s a challenge he has embraced head on.

“This COVID probably helped a lot of us. Everything we’ve been given this year has been a really great gift. It really makes you not take things for granted. I am going to go down there and just run like I do every time. It’s going to be what it’s going to be.”

Noecker was undefeated through his 10 races this fall.

He gets plenty of support and adulation from his coaches and those within the sports community.

“Carson is a dedicated athlete and a quiet athlete at practice who is caring and thoughtful,” said head coach Mandy Hochstein said. “At meets, spectators see Carson waiting at the finish line to congratulate each runner for their 5k accomplishment, and daily, his team is fortunate enough to have him do the same thing in practice.

“Carson runs the designated workout and then turns around and finishes with each remaining runner,” Hochstein said. “The dedication Carson has for his team and the overall support that he shows to any individual who is running is outstanding and unprecedented.”

Hochstein notes the positive influence his bloodline has had on his fleet feet and brilliant stamina.

“Carson comes from a family of runners,” she said. “They support him, and he has brothers who competed in high school, but Carson has a passion for running that seems unmatched. He gets nervous before races. He worries about the outcome, and then he takes a deep breath and starts his race.”

On a regular practice week, Carson runs the practice routines, then goes home and runs some more.

“(He’s) a runner that loves to run; I trust that’s where Carson Noecker’s success comes from. His overall determination to continue running and keep improving is unmatched,” coach Hochstein said.

Noecker will head to Kearney as the Class A leader with a 15:32 personal record.

Pierce’s Mason Sindelar, the only athlete to beat him in his two-year high school career, lurks with a 15:52.

“It’s going to be an exciting race between Carson and Mason at the State meet,” Hochstein said.

Noecker said he is only worried about his performance, not his competition.

“I just go out there and do my thing – that’s what we all have to do,” Noecker said. “I know Mason is pretty good and has been running pretty close to me all year. He is going to keep pushing me.”

Cedar Catholic athletic director Chad Cattau is proud of what Noecker has done and so are the students he walks the halls with.

“I really believe the entire student body has embraced what Carson has been able to accomplish up to this point,” Cattau said. “He gets a lot of support, as do all the runners, from our faculty and students. I just hope that everyone is appreciating what he is accomplishing right now because these types of kids don’t come along very often.”

Cattau said Noecker is constantly surprising him.

“I know I am always amazed to hear what his times are after each meet, and he seems to be pretty consistent overall no matter what the conditions are for weather, or what type of course they are running that day. I know there are a lot of factors that go into a cross country race, but he really seems to put up excellent times each race.

“I know I am excited to see what he can accomplish during the high school career and I am just really excited to watch it unfold in front of me.”

Noecker has come back this fall as strong as ever despite losing last spring’s track season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everyone continued to train because everyone was assuming the (lockdown) was going to be a week or so and we’d be back in school,” Noecker said. “You just kept going and you knew that summer was coming, and you had to keep training. Even if COVID was still going, you’d see people out there training. Not really knowing what tomorrow was going to be – every day was something different. It was just one of those things where you didn’t know if tomorrow would be your last day. You just keep going and trust in God.”

A very humble young man, Noecker still is competitive enough to beat all comers while keeping it all in perspective.

“I am nervous every race,” he said. “My coaches said that’s good because it means I care and I am trying to do better. I try to go into every race and think that even if I do get second or third or whatever, that I really have had a great gift to come this far. There are a lot of people out there who have never won a race in their career and they are still out there doing it.

“Maybe tomorrow I won’t be able to do it yesterday, but I just have to be thankful for every race and every moment. It’s truly a great gift you have to be thankful for.”

The Hartington-Newcastle boys finished fifth as a team,while the HNS girls finished eighth. The top three teams qualify for State.

Parker Albers and Riley Kuehn finished the race in 31st and 32nd.

Boys District C-3:

Top 15 Individuals:

1 Carson Noecker, Hartington, 15:32.09

2. Mason Sindelar, Pierce, 15:52.46

3. Brandon Mitzel, West Pt-Bmr, 17:05.20

4. Brady Thompson, O’Neill, 17:15.59

5.Gavin Geneski, Pierce, 17:23.92

6.Jesus Zavala III, Wayne, 17:28.17

7.Bradley Schindel, Boone Cntl, 17:33.97

8.Michael Gasper, Col Scotus 17:43.19

9.Nicolas Schultz, Col Scotus 17:47.42

10.Kayl Francis, Logan View 17:50.13

11.Christopher Efta, Pierce, 18:00.90

12.H Oestreich, Battle Crk, 18:06.02

13.H Dodds, Boone Central, 18:08.56

14.Ross Thorson, Col Scotus, 18:09.32

15. Ty Rainforth (11) O’Neill 18:13.27

Boys Team Scores:

1. Pierce, 34; 2. Columbus Scotus, 48; 3. O’Neill, 66; 4. Boone Central, 70; 5. Hartington, 106; 6. Wayne, 109; 7. West Point-Beemer, 112; 8. Battle Creek, 133; 9. Logan View, 137; 10. Columbus Lakeview, 144; 11. Madison, 191; 12. Winnebago, 217.

Boys HNS finishers

31. Parker Albers, 19:31.32. 32. Riley Kuehn, 19:36.32. 42. Alan Santiago, 20:28.08. 46. Lukas Wortmann, 20:35.99. 51. Keegan Carl, 21:21.94.

Girls HNS finishers

18. Sara Burbach, 22:51.81; 25. Jessica Opfer, 24:09.14. 31. Makenzie Arens, 24:49.88; 49. Kaydence McCray, 30:58.51.

Girls District C-3

Top 15 Individuals

1. Alexus Sindelar, Pierce, 19:19.17

2. J Soto-Stopak, Boone Cntrl,19:48.53

3. Alicia Weeder, Boone Ctrl 20:09.04

4. O Fehringer, Col Scotus 20:50.28

5. Callie Arnold, Pierce 20:59.19

6. Payten Simmons, Pierce 21:06.22

7. Laura Hasemann, Wayne, 21:18.18

8. Whitney Klug, Col Scotus, 21:28.64

9. Samantha Weeder, Boone Ctrl, 21:30.85

10. Afftynn Stusse Battle Crk, 21:34.15

11. Frantzdie Barner, Wayne, 21:51.38

12. Ashley Dickau, O’Neill 22:01.05

13. A Simons, Boone Ctrl 22:06.55

14. M Beacom, Logan Vw 22:26.92

15.E Ferguson, Col Scotus, 22:28.68

Team Scores:

1. Boone Central, 27; 2. Pierce, 35; 3. Columbus Scotus, 44; 4. Wayne, 66 5. Battle Creek, 88; 6. O’Neill, 90; 7. Logan View, 110; 8. Hartington, 119; 9. West Point-Beemer, 149.

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