Lee University (Tennessee) junior Christian Noble, who swept the NCAA Division 2 indoor titles in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters March 12-13 at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., to lead the Flames to a fourth-place team finish overall, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to recap becoming the first male athlete in program history to win an indoor championship, along with only the second competitor in Division 2 history to pull off the indoor distance double with his victories in 8:00.45 and 13:47.45, following Adams State graduate Sydney Gidabuday in 2016 and 2018. Noble is the Division 2 indoor 5,000 record holder at 13:37.39, which ranked No. 12 among all collegiate performers during the indoor season, and has run the best 3,000 time on a 200-meter banked track and second-fastest in Division 2 history on all indoor surfaces at 7:51.46, which ranks No. 7 among all collegiate competitors this year. Noble revisits he and Celine Ritter becoming the first teammates to sweep the indoor 3,000 championships in the same year since the Adams State (Colorado) duo of Kevin Batt and Alicia Nelson in 2013. He also reflects on receiving a congratulatory message from Gidabuday after capturing both titles. Noble shares the expectations he felt entering both races as the division record holder, and how grateful he was to win a 5,000 championship for Lee, and especially coach Caleb Morgan. He reminisces about how a change in shoes led to discomfort in his feet throughout the 3,000 race, in addition to being tripped up with a lap to go, and still being able to hold off Isaac Harding of Grand Valley State for the second straight day in the final 200. Noble analyzes the fourth-place result and podium finish for the Flames, which was clinched with a runner-up performance in the 4x400 relay in 3:11.53, and what it means for the future of the Lee program, both outdoors, as well as next year in indoor track, with so many athletes expected to return. He also examines his pursuit of an Olympic Trials qualifying berth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and his return to competition at the end of the month in Raleigh, N.C.

DYESTAT DISCUSSIONS - EP221 - CHRISTIAN NOBLE