Perseverance is key to Samantha Noennig鈥檚 success
TUCSON, Ariz (BVM) — All-American Samantha Noennig has come a long way since tearing both her ACLs in high school.
Noennig redshirted her first year at Arizona State University (ASU) and competed the next two years.
She earned first team All-American honors after placing seventh in shot put at the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in 2018.聽
In her redshirt sophomore year, Noennig became a two time NCAA national champion after winning shot put at the indoor and outdoor Pac-12 conference meets in 2019.
Last spring, Noennig was leading the nation in shot put and was set to compete in the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships before it was cancelled, along with the outdoor season, due to COVID-19.
Noennig is currently ranked number one in the nation collegiately in shot put.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be number one, but it鈥檚 not something that you want to get used to,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淵ou want to keep pushing forward.鈥�
Pushing forward is exactly what Noennig did after tearing one ACL her sophomore year and the other her senior year of high school. The second time around, she recovered in four months rather than six months as she had the first time.
Noennig attended Hartford Union High School in Wisconsin where she ended up being a five time all-state track athlete and three time state champ in shot and disc.聽
Looking back, Noennig 鈥渄efinitely didn鈥檛 expect鈥� that she would come to be ranked number one.
鈥淲hen I was in high school…I wasn鈥檛 like a national superstar,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淎 lot of people really didn鈥檛 know who I was. So coming to college, I was this shy, young little thrower that really didn鈥檛 have a clue what she was doing yet. I worked really hard and surrounded myself with really good people and it just kind of went there.鈥�
Noennig has also competed for Team USA on three occasions. Her first time was when she was a junior in high school.
鈥淚 had to place top two to make the team to go to the world youth championships in Columbia,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淚 tied for second… It was a couple centimeters that separated me and the other girl on our second marks and mine happened to be farther, so I got to go.鈥�
Noennig had a lot of fun and made some good friends, but did not compete as well as she had wanted to. Luckily, she competed a second and third time for Team USA.
鈥淭he second and third time I felt like I was a little bit more prepared to compete at that level,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淚t was really cool because I got to be on the podium twice鈥hey were definitely learning opportunities, but they were also super fun.鈥�
It has been especially fun for Noennig鈥檚 mother, Debra, to watch her daughter, as she was Noennig鈥檚 inspiration for starting track in seventh grade.
鈥淢y mom was a heptathlete in college,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淚 had always loved watching it and my mom would tell me about her college experiences. She was like, 鈥楧o you want to do a track meet?鈥� and I was like, 鈥榊eah, sure!鈥� and I just kind of fell in love with it.鈥�
Noennig鈥檚 favorite memories are of the two NCAA national championships because in both of them she had to come from behind to win.聽
In her first national championship appearance, Noennig was in first place until the last round. The girl ahead of her had thrown farther, moving Noennig into second place. Last to go, Noennig threw a PR to win.
鈥淚n the second national championship, kind of the same thing happened, but I was not doing well at all,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淭he girl that was winning was throwing really far and I had never thrown that far before in my life.鈥澛�
However, Noennig managed to throw another PR in the fifth round to win in shot put, again.
Noennig鈥檚 current PR is 18鈥�17 meters and she has the chance to throw a new PR thanks to the NCAA giving back the lost season allowing her to compete for two more years.
Noennig graduated from ASU this past May and transferred to the University of Arizona to pursue her masters in public health at the University of Arizona.
鈥淚 love it,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淚t was a good move!鈥澛�
Now competing for the Wildcats, Noennig has new athletic goals.
鈥淚 want to win more national championships,鈥� Noennig said. 鈥淭he Olympic trials are this year, as well. Another goal that I have is to, if I don鈥檛 make the team, at least be a good competitor in the trials.鈥�
