Team turns attention to outdoor season
By Clara McGarvey, 8th-Grade
NOE MIDDLE SCHOOL, FEBRUARY 27, 2026 – Noe’s track and field team ran into the indoor season with skill, talent and a hunger to win.
On February 21 at Norton Sports and Learning Center, runners from all around Kentucky participated in the Indoor State Championship.
Runners from Noe participated in different events such as the 60, 200, 400, 800, 1600 meters, and more. As a team, the middle school girls took fourth place over all and the middle school boys placed sixth.
Best efforts and strong leadership were portrayed at the meet. Mackenzie Packwood, Eloise Roth, Liliana Ucan Shadle, and Adelaide McDonald placed first in the 4×800 race. The boys 4×800 team -Wilson McGarvey, Max Perkins, Asa Ewing, and Joseph Thang – also won.
The sixth-grade girls’ 4×800 and 4×400 teams won sixth-and-under state championships. The girls’ 4×800 team consisted of Edy Ewing, Olivia Nelson, Savannah Vail, and Abigail Mather. The girls’ 4×400 team consisted of Ewing, Nelson, Savannah Vail, and Eleanor Faversha. Also, sixth-grader Payton Barnes won the 400-meter 6th-and under state championship.
Eighth-grader Ucan Shadle was proud of the team’s win. Running the race and preparing for it was not easy but working together was the key to success.
“Winning was definitely a team effort,” she said. “Our plan was to get out strong and in a good place and to win. Another one of our goals was to cut off 15 seconds, which we basically did, we cut off 13. We did expect to win. That was our biggest goal going in. We worked for it by working hard in practice and encouraging each other during the race.”
Similar to Ucan Shadle, eighth-grader McDonald is proud of her team. She is working hard for more wins in the Spring season and is also excited about cheering on her friends during outdoor track.
“Winning was very much a team effort and our plan was to just cut off time. We did expect to win because we just knew what we were capable of. We worked towards (our goal) by working hard in practice and cheering each other on.”
Seventh-grader Ewing, a member of the boys 4×800 team, felt they had a good performance but could still continue to work harder to get a better time.
“We have [some] considerable room for improvement, but it seems fairly likely that we will prevail in the outdoor 4×800 as well,” said Ewing.
Perkins, a team leader, said, “It was a team effort.”.
Overall, the team has shown great dedication and devotion to this year’s indoor season, something that will push through as they race towards the Spring season. They will continue to break personal records, bond and become stronger runners during the spring season.
Photos by Clara McGarvey and assistant coach Jason Nelson.
