By Mackenna Stewart
Noah Claxton is a dedicated multi-sport athlete who has reached his final high school season. Not only does Noah throw shot put for his track team, but he also plays football. Noah Claxton recently committed to Mercer University, a D1 school, to play football.
Now that the last semester has kicked off, Noah plans to lock in on this last track season. Last year, Noah and his team had a very exciting season, culminating with a region championship. Noah, ambitious to make another championship happen, has already set his eyes on adding more hardware to the trophy case. He applauds the way the coaching staff is dedicated to ensuring everyone on the team is prepared for their events.
Last year’s region championship was very successful for Noah, with individual and team success. At the start of last season, Noah continuously threw in the range of 45 ft, but at the region track meet he threw 48 ft, setting a new PR. Although 48 ft will serve as yet another challenge for Noah, he believes that with practice and dedication he will be able to rise above.
And this won’t be the only challenge that Noah will face this season. The main obstacle that seems to stand between the team and the Region trophy is Lovett’s relocation into 4A. “I think that we have the capabilities of doing it (winning region) because we have such a great team bond, and our coaches are going to prepare us,” Noah told me confidently.
In addition to Noah’s athletic goals, he is also focusing on making new memories during his last season. “I really just want to make an impact on the team and make a mark, and help all the new guys that are coming in with throwing,” Noah said.
Being on a team as a senior has definitely given Noah more insight into what it means to be on a team. He enjoys being seen as a veteran, a person who other people on the team can look up to. Additionally, track is also an outlet for him where he doesn’t have to worry about the pressures of school.
A typical practice for Noah heavily depends on the weather. Because track is just getting started and because the weather has been mostly rainy, the track team is in their conditioning phase, which gives the track athletes an opportunity to get stronger and get back in track shape by lifting weights 3-4 days a week.
After the team gets past the mostly rainy January, they begin working on technique and throwing in early to mid-February. Practice usually starts at 3:45 and ends at 5:30. Noah tells me that practices are mostly fun and are never too long.
Noah and his team plan to stick to this schedule as they prepare for their first meet on February 22nd at Westminster. Noah is excited for the chance to compete against Phillips Moore, who Noah tells me “is a great guy and he’s really inspirational and a person I look up to, even if he’s younger than me.” This will be Noah’s 5th time facing off against him and he hopes to pull out a win. He hopes to tell him, in a little friendly competition, “I’m the best.”
