Ranking the Records Countdown - #1

Ranking the Records-Kansas
Rod Murrow

Boys #1
NOAH GREEN, St. Thomas Aquinas, 110H 13.51 (2017)
IAAF Score: 1,1565 points



Noah Green only competed in Kansas for three year before the family relocated to Texas, but the mark he left is indelible.

Anyone who ever saw Green hurdle in person has the image of his grace, power, and athleticism seared in the memory. 

In addition to his 110H record, Green posted the following PRs in high school:

200m 21.97
300mH 36.28 (#2 on the Kansas all-time list)
400H 52.52 (#4 on Kansas all-time list
5K XC 19:56 (yes, hurdlers can run cross country!)

Green's last season in Kansas was one for the ages.  He won titles in the 110H at State, New Balance Nationals Outdoor, and the USATF Junior Olympics.  He was also third at the U.S. Junior Championships the same year.

Noah Green's epic NBNO 110H win


Track & Field News ranked him 6th in the U.S. at both 110H and 300H when just a sophomore, 5th as a junior at 110H and 6th at 300H the same year.

In a much-anticipated decision, Green selected the University of Kentucky out of high school.


Noah Green discusses his decision to attend the University of Kentucky

After a year at Kentucky a coaching change opened the door for Green to transfer to the University of Southern California, where he's majoring in Human Biology major with a Health Care Studies minor.  Green was to be a sophomore before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of this season.

Green lists his brother, Isaiah Austin, as his sports hero "for being able to compete at a high level with only one eye."  Austin played basketball at Baylor University before entering the NBA draft after his sophomore year. However, shortly before the 2014 NBA draft, he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome medically barred by the NBA. 

So, Austin went to play professionally in China despite the medical risk, where he is putting up huge numbers.

But then, athletic greatness runs deeper in the family than "just" Noah and Isaiah. Green's father, Benjamin, was a 45.9 400m for Baylor and later Fresno State in college.

There's no way to know what 2020 would've held for Green had the season not been cancelled.  The postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to 2021 will likely factor into training and competition plans in the coming year, but if the past is any indicator, we're in for an exciting ride.  The future is bright, and we were blessed to have Noah Green share part of the journey with us.


Note: High school hurdle heights are different for the 110H heights that make up the IAAF Scoring Tables.  Despite that, the decision was made not to disqualify the event from consideration for these rankings.