Video presentation
Noel Whitall blended a resilient work ethic with a tenacious spirit to become one of the greatest runners in cross country and track and field history at The College of New Jersey.
From the fall of 1996 through the spring of 2000, Whitall was a seven-time All-American. Her crowning achievement was capturing a national championship in the 5,000-meter event in outdoor track and field in 1999. Whitall also placed second nationally earlier that year at the 1998 cross country national championships.
A native of Toms River, NJ, Whitall arrived at TCNJ in the fall of 1996 when the women’s cross country program was on the doorstep of becoming a national powerhouse. After finishing 14
th at the national championships the year prior to her arrival, Whitall helped propel TCNJ to a third-place team finish at NCAAs in 1996. She was named Lions’ Rookie of the Year as well as First Team All-Mideast Region. Her success continued on the track as Whitall placed fourth in the 3,000-meter event at the ECAC championships and she contributed to a team conference title in the spring.
The Lions’ women’s cross country team enjoyed another strong finish in 1997, placing fifth nationally. Whitall was a major contributor, crossing the line 45
th overall to cap a year in which she was a First Team All-NJAC and All-Mideast Regional performer. In track, Whitall finished third in the 3,000-meter event at the ECAC championships and won the 3,000-meter in outdoor track and the NJAC championships.
The 1998-99 season was a memorable one for Whitall. She trained vigorously in the summer, running seven to ten miles every day with former Lion Amy O’Donnell ‘97. Whitall opened the year by breaking the course record at a meet held at Division I Rider University and was later named Mideast Region Runner of the Year. Whitall capped her exceptional season by placing second at the cross country national championships, finishing runner-up to Cheryl Smith of SUNY Cortland. TCNJ placed second as a team at nationals, matching the highest finish in program history. (The Lions placed second in 1981.)
Because there was no 3,000-meter event at the national level for indoor track, Whitall trained for the 5,000-meter race as well. She won the 3,000 at the NJAC championships and broke the program record with a time of 10:03. Whitall narrowly missed an automatic qualifier in the 5,000-meter by one second.
That spring, Whitall etched her name in the history books at the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships held at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Facing the same runner in Cheryl Smith who edged her that fall, Whitall used an aggressive kick on the final lap of the 5,000-meter event to win the national title in 17:02.17. She became the third runner in Lions’ history to win a national championship in an individual event. Whitall also placed fourth in the 3,000-meter race to earn another All-American citation.
As a senior, Whitall led TCNJ to its fourth consecutive top-ten finish at the cross country championships, while earning her fourth All-American honor. In indoor track, she broke her own school record in the 3,000 meters (9:56.76) and added another runner-up finish at nationals in the 5,000-meter event. Whitall was named Division III Athlete of the Year by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
In her final spring season, Whitall qualified for four events at nationals and added two more All-American citations. She finished fifth in the 5,000-meter and sixth in the 3,000-meter event. Whitall was named Atlantic Region Runner of the Year and to the GTE Academic All-America Team as a student-athlete. She still holds the program records in the indoor 3,000-meter (9:56.76) and 5,000-meter (17:01.26).
Today, Whitall remains active in competitive running and has won hundreds of races. She teaches third grade and also coaches cross country and track at Toms River North High School. Her girl’s teams have captured four consecutive sectional titles and she cites TCNJ coaches Steve Dolan and Tim Collins as her coaching models.
