With the Brooks Cowboy Jamboree on Saturday, we caught up with 2015 NCAA 1500m Champion Chad Noelle of the No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys. This is Noelle's first cross country season for the OSU squad since 2013, where his best finish was 18th at the Big 12 Championships. After winning his first NCAA title in June, Noelle has some big goals for his last fall season as a Cowboy.

Ok first thing’s first: Congrats again on your NCAA title! How was your summer after being crowned an NCAA Champion?

Thank you! It was pretty good. I did a couple races after, USAs and ran an 800m PR up at the Portland Summer Twilight. Then visited the Brooks Beasts in Seattle. I took a nice few weeks off and went home to New York for a month. I got to see friends and family and went up to the St. Lawrence River a few times. I rode a jet ski for the first time, loved that. I got a lot of love from all different places and it seemed to make people happy that someone from my small town was able to do that, so that was pretty exciting.

Now that it’s a new season, what do you think that NCAA victory will do for you in cross country?

It helps with confidence for sure. I want to give it my all this season since it’s my last and it’ll also get me super strong for the coming track season. Everything builds on each other and with an upcoming Olympic year that’s important.

Do you feel like you have a target on your back, even though XC is a totally different game?

I would say only a little bit. A 10K on grass is a different animal than a 1500m on the track. But either way if someone has won a national title and you see that person in front of you then you might try a little bit harder to try and get a scalp.

We haven’t seen you on the cross country course since 2013! 1. How much do you love/hate XC? and 2. What are you hoping to accomplish on the grass this fall?

I think a love/hate relationship sounds about right! My favorite part of XC is honestly the team aspect. Everyone is doing the same workouts and running the same race all together. It’s fun having 5 or 6 of your teammates surrounding you also wearing bright orange and talking to each other, encouraging each other mid-race. During track I’m very focused on how I place individually, but during XC I’ve always said that if I’m our 7th guy but I’m also 7th in the race then I’m a very happy camper. That being said, my two goals are to contend for the Big 12 title out on our home course and then be an All-American in Louisville. Top 20 would be even sweeter, which I think will be tough but I think is possible if I can just put together consistent training each week until then.

There have been plenty of milers in the NCAA that excelled in cross country (German Fernandez, Miles Batty, O’Hare, to name a few), do you see yourself as one of those types of athletes? Someone who can win an NCAA 1500m title AND contend in XC?

Yes, I believe so. I don’t know if “contend” is the right word. Truthfully I don’t believe I can go win nationals over 10K on grass. But I do believe I can excel and bring home an All-American honor and help my team to another trophy.

Some think the Louisville NCAA course favors the milers (Anthony Rotich 4th, Tom Farrell 9th, Chris O’Hare 20th in 2012) - what do you have to say about that?

I’ve heard this a number of times. I’ve never run it before but everyone says the course is hard-packed and relatively flat, so that sounds like a dream come true for a miler. I hope there’s a nice long straightaway at the end! 

OSU tends to stay away from the bigger invitationals like Wisconsin and Pre-Nats, so how important is this weekend’s Cowboy Jamboree to you and the rest of the Oklahoma State squad?

Yeah, the way Dave’s [Coach Dave Smith] training system works it makes more sense for us not to go to these meets most years. I think the Jamboree is a good way for all of us to gauge our fitness and see how much improvement needs to be made over the next 8 weeks or so. I also think this year specifically will be helpful because we host Big 12s on the same course. It will be very useful mentally having run it hard previously so that you are prepared and know what to expect, when to surge, when to relax, etc.

REAL QUICK:
Fave pre race song?

I usually do music before workouts instead of races, but those would be "Lose Yourself" by Eminem and anything DMX. "Big Rings" by Drake lately too.

Fave XC race memory?

Either us winning Big 12s a couple years ago or winning Foot Locker Regionals in HS in one of my first XC races.

Fave post race food?

The whole menu plus a chocolate shake.

Who will win the men's NCAA individual title?

I really can’t bet against a certain runner from Oregon. And that guys name is Russell Hornsby.

Will OSU make the podium in 2015?

Absolutely.