KANSAS CITY — Iola native Noah Schowengerdt is getting set to compete at the track and field AAU Junior Olympics nationals meet next month in Des Moines, Iowa.
Schowengerdt, 15, was raised in Iola until his freshman year, when he and his family moved to Kansas City. Schowengerdt attends St. James Academy. While in Iola, Schowengerdt broke a 37-year-old Iola Middle School record in the 1600-meter run and was also a standout in the 800 meters.
Then an eighth-grader, Schowengerdt ran the 1600 meters in 5 minutes, .55 seconds and the 800 meters in 2:13.
Schowengerdt’s 1600-meter mark broke current Burlington High athletic director Charlie Whitworth’s mark from 1985.
“There appears to be a thought that small town kids have trouble competing against bigger city kids,” said Daniel Schowengerdt, Noah’s father. “There’s so many kids in Allen County that can compete at high levels. Noah’s a testament of that.”
To qualify for the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics, Schowengerdt finished first in the 800- and 1600-meter races at the AAU district competition in Hillsboro, Mo., and first in the 800 meters at the AAU regional competition in St. Louis.
“The goal is to win the Junior Olympics. I’m going to try my hardest every day just for that,” Schowengerdt said. “There’s no specific time in my head, it’s just about winning it. Going against tougher competition helps with everything, even the way I practice.”
At St. James, Schowengerdt set the freshman records in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter runs and was instrumental in helping set new school records in the 4×400 and 4×800 meter relays.
Schowengerdt also helped St. James Academy to win its first ever Class 5A state championship title in track and field.
To put Schowengerdt’s achievements in perspective, in the last year he has shaved off 14 seconds in his time in the 800 meters. For most athletes, cutting anywhere from one to four seconds from year to year is deemed a success.
“The coaches take running really seriously,” he said. “I dedicate my success to them. They just really put their time into you and that helped me a lot. It’s really competitive. I run every day and I’m starting to swim and jump rope every day. Lifting weights is also a big part of my routine.”
Though Schowengerdt also competed on the swim and soccer teams when he lived in Iola, his focus has since been solely on track and field.
“It’s a sport that I love a lot more than any other sport I’ve done,” he said. “Falling in love with the process of running track has been key. If you love a sport you’re going to perform better.”
Noah and his family have appreciated the support they’ve received from the Iola community, even after moving away.
“Support of the community (Iola) has been pretty incredible,” said Daniel Schowengerdt, an attorney with Johnson & Schowengerdt.
