Chenango County may not ever see another distance runner in the mold of Greene senior phenom Chad Noelle.

On top of an already sparkling outdoor track and field career, myriad accomplishments continue to pile up for the University of Oregon recruit. Noelle recently won the scholastic Millrose Games mile against the best competition in the country. Less than two months easlier, he competed in the Foot Locker Cross Country nationals – a 3.1-mile race – finishing among the elite there as well. With little turnaround and training between the cross country season and the indoor season, Noelle broke the Section IV record in the 3,200 meters in his first race, and has the fastest scholastic times in the nation this year in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races.

“I think Chad is building a case as one of the most decorated high school distance runners in Section IV history,” said B-G/Afton track and field coach, who coaches Noelle during the winter indoor track and field season. “I think Brian Clas (Union-Endicott graduate) is the only other guy who did some of the things Chad is doing.”

Of course, Noelle is running faster than Clas, and it’s likely that Clas – as strong a runner as he was around 20-plus years ago – did not record national leading times in two events.