Salute To Seniors: Creighton Will Soar With The Redhawks


Name: Noah Creighton

School: Hamilton HS

A year ago, Noah Creighton played a key role for the Hamilton 4x800m Relay which took the Division I State Title over Desert Vista. As a Senior, Noah had a breakout year with PRs of 15:28 for 3 miles at Woodbridge, and 16:02 for 5K at Desert Twilight. During the track season, after a few years of not breaking 2 minutes, he lowered his 800m PR down to 1:57.71. His defining moment came at this year's State Meet when he anchored the Hamilton Huskies 4x800 to 3rd place in 7:57.16.
Where are you from and when did you begin running?
I am from Gilbert/Chandler, Arizona. I always loved to run and I played many sports throughout grade school, but I didn't start running Track until 8th grade, and I started running XC my junior year of high school.
What was your most memorable track race?
My most memorable track race was the 4x800 at the 2017 State meet. Dan Darnell, Chris Fusaro, David Nelsen and I won the state championship and broke our school record.
Did you listen to music before your races? If so what's on your playlist?
Yes, all the time. The artists I listened to the most were Eminem, Weezer, Green Day, and Coldplay. The song that always got me the most hype before a race was "Famous" by Kanye West.
Who was your biggest competition over the years?
Without a doubt, my biggest competition in high school was Xander Witthus from Desert Ridge. Our stories were relatively similar. We became good friends during the 2016 XC season and we were starting to develop a friendly competition that lasted the rest of high school. We ran a lot of very competitive 800m races against each other along the way.
What was your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment was at the DV Last Chance Meet this past April when I ran 1:57 and PR'd. I was in 12th place halfway through the race and ran a 58 2nd 400m lap to finish 3rd.
If you could do it all over again what would change about your running career in high school?
Looking back on it, I might have lifted a little bit more my junior year in the offseason so my body was stronger. I strained 3 muscles my junior track season that made me miss four months and I feel like lifting might have fixed that problem.
What will you miss most about competing for Hamilton?
I am going to miss representing Hamilton. I have developed a strong sense of love and passion for Hamilton and who we are as a school, team, and community. A few of my fellow teammates who pushed me to my limit and made competing for Hamilton fun for me were David Nelsen, Morgan Parzych, Emma Merritt, and Melanie Loff. All 5 of us are running in college next year, and I wish them absolutely nothing but the best.
In contrast to last year's State Meet, this year you switched legs with your teammate David Nelsen, now handing off to you for the anchor leg. What did that responsibility mean to you and how did it feel to pull your team to third place?
The responsibility meant a lot to me. David was injured and missed a majority of the season and I knew I had to run a good anchor leg to make him proud. Getting third felt just "okay", not gonna lie. We were hoping to go back to back as state champs but considering that me and David missed a majority of the season, we proud of what we had accomplished. Shout out to Highland for running a crazy fast time and winning state, you guys killed it.
(Below: Noah anchors the Hamilton Huskies to 3rd place in the D1 Boys 4x800m.-photo by John Hays)
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
My advice to younger athletes would be to never stop believing in yourself. If you focus extremely hard, have phenomenal self-discipline, and attack everyday with the mentality of being the best runner you can be, you will see results, and I am a firm believer in that. Whether it is on the track or in another specialty, we all have something we are gifted at, and once you discover what your passion is, lock-in and go for it. It is also important that you surround yourself with people and friends who push you to be the absolute best person and runner you can be.
What are your college plans? Have you decided on a major?
I will be attending Seattle University where I will be running XC and Track. I am going to major in Business/Economics and Education. My plan after college is to become a high school economics teacher and to coach XC/Track. If I am given the opportunity, I would love to come back and do this at Hamilton. I love my school and the city of Chandler, and coaching/teaching at my alma mater where I grew up would be amazing.
What made you decide on Seattle University?
I have always been in love with the city of Seattle. It has been a dream of mine to attend college in Washington. I knew it was the perfect city for me. The coaching staff blew me away as well. They took really good care of me on my visit, and I am very excited to be working with them for the next 4 years. Coach Sullivan has been coaching at the D1 collegiate for over 25 years. He also coached Nick Symmonds at Williamette University, who was 5th in the 800m at the 2012 Olympics. I am very confident that I am going to improve as a Redhawk the next four years.
Who would you like to thank for your success in high school?
I have a lot of people to thank for my achievements. My parents and family have always been there for me. My track and XC coaches (Coach Vaughn, Coach Moomaw, and Coach Alfredo) have all helped me as well. All three of them are very different coaches with different coaching styles, but each and every one of them wanted me to succeed, and I am very thankful for that. My teammates have pushed me tremendously. They set an example and expectation of what it was that I wanted to accomplish, and I am very thankful for them and the friendships that we have all built together. The last shout out that I want to give out goes to Mr. Parzych and the Hamilton Track Booster Club. They supported and cheered on every single Hamilton athlete, and their support meant a lot to me.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Shout-out to the Goon Squad, I love you all from the bottom of my heart. And Go Redhawks!

Fun Stuff!

What's the last movie you watched?
8 Mile (Eminem is my favorite artist)
What's your favorite sports team?
Phoenix Suns
Would you rather be able to play any instrument or understand any language?
Definitely any instrument (I love to play the piano)
If you could go on a long run with any professional runner who would you pick?
Nick Symmonds
What are you most eager to do when you get up to Seattle?
I am most eager to go on long runs along the water underneath the clouds, nothing beats that.