Track success impacts Rebekah Noble in subtle ways: more school, more training.
Other times, it’s more noticeable when she’s working on homework late at night and her friends are off at the movies or she’s waking up early for classes.
Then there are the residence halls.
It’s all part of life for Hayward Field’s newest track sensation.
Noble has consistently drawn attention this spring with her performances in the 800 meters, most recently running 2 minutes, 2.85 seconds in the Oregon Twilight.
That makes two consecutive 800 performances in which Noble has pushed the two-minute barrier. The other was her 2:03.11 mark at the Pepsi Team Invitational in April. Only two Oregon runners, Claudette Groenendaal (1:58.33) and Leann Warren (1:59.63), have ever surpassed the mark, both in the 1980s.
When Noble speaks, it’s with a quiet confidence. When she runs, it comes naturally.
And yet Noble is only a freshman.
“There’s a certain level of concern when you have a freshman that launches herself onto the national scene, but she handles it well,” Oregon head coach Vin Lananna said.When Noble looks at Trackshark.com and notices teammate Matt Scherer, she said, she thinks to herself, “I’m nowhere near that.” Maybe when she competes at Junior Worlds and Nationals or helps at Oregon track camps, Noble will realize the true impact of her success, she said.
If “little kids come and (say) ‘Oh my gosh, Rebekah Noble,’” Noble said, imagining a possible scene at track camp, “that would make it sink in a little more.”
Being an elite athlete and enjoying college life can be a balancing act. Noble stays at the H.P. Barnhart residence hall, where there’s dorm food to eat and rules to abide by. She looks forward to June, when she and a friend will move into a two bedroom, two bath apartment.
Noble doesn’t have her own billboard like teammate Galen Rupp – yet. She does notice the occasional glances from students on campus, especially when she’s sporting an Oregon track and field shirt.
Noble gained a new, close-knit group of friends in Eugene who attest to Noble’s fiery personality.
“If I’m throwing a Frisbee around with friends, I’ll be competitive in that and not know it, just ’cause that’s how I am,” Noble said.
The long, slender athlete gained her start in athletics with gymnastics. She switched gyms multiple times and did the sport in part because of a friend. As Noble developed as a runner, her priorities became clear, and running topped the list.
“I do miss it, but I love running and I wouldn’t have my life without it,” Noble said.
She grew accustomed to media attention at Rogers High in her hometown of Spokane, Wash. By the time Noble left Washington, she was a five-time Washington state track and field champion and high school All-American. She ranks in the prep top 10 all-time in the 800.
Whether it’s Spokane fans or those of Hayward Field, Noble runs free and clear, oblivious to outside distractions. Last spring, she watched a video of the high school state championships and saw her mom screaming.
“I go, ‘Mom, I can’t hear you. What’s the point of screaming?’” Noble said she told her mom.
“Just for fun because I get so excited,” her mom said. Noble responded, “I know, but I can’t hear you.”
Members of the Spokane community latched onto Noble, taking pride in her success, and made the two-hour drive to the state championships.
Even now, she draws a crowd when she goes back home.
“People always tell me that go to other high schools, ‘It’s not the same without you at a high school track meet anymore,’” Noble said.
All the attention and responsibilities add up. Noble spends long days and weeks training. There’s homework that needs to be done. When it becomes too much, Noble goes off on her own, grabs her iPod, slips on headphones and listens to soothing country songs.
She has run Pre’s Trail, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing where her idol used to run.
Noble watched videos of Pre when she was in high school, and seeing him planted a seed that made it difficult to go anywhere else but the University, Noble said. She made one official visit here and a few unofficial visits to other schools.
She’s enamored with Hayward Field fans and the history of Prefontaine. Parents, grandparents, an uncle and friends are taking the eight-hour journey down from Spokane to support her in the Pacific-10 Conference Championships.
The Prefontaine Classic has always run one day after her high school state championships. This time, Noble plans to be there with her high school coach in attendance.
“I’m pretty excited,” she said.