Holland's Noah Lambers races to Holland Sentinel Runner of the Year
HOLLAND - Last year when Noah Lambers ran at the state cross country finals, he was so happy do be there, it didn't matter how he finished.
The Holland runner took 109th.
This year, he was in the lead pack looking to challenge for a title.
Ultimately, the state title didn't happen, but Lambers proved how far he has come in a year on the state's biggest stage. The Holland senior finished 12th overall at the Division 2 state finals and earned all-state honors. He was selected as The Holland Sentinel Boys Runner of the Year.
"It was fun to race in a fast field at the state meet. I took a risk and went out hard, I was able to lead the race for the first mile, but could not hang onto the lead pack for the second half of the race. I was hoping for a better overall place, but I’m proud of a top 12 finish. Last year I finished 109th so it was a big improvement," Lambers said.
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Part of that improvement was health related as he dealt with some injuries last year. But much of it was his incredible work ethic that he gets from his family. His brother was a former Sentinel Runner of the Year and his mom is his coach at Holland.
"Noah has had an amazing season after coming back from an injury last school year. He was able to come back this summer stronger than ever and ready to do whatever it took to improve. He is a humble, consistent hard worker who is always striving to improve," Megan Lambers said. "He sets the tone at practice and shows the underclassmen what focused work should look like. He broke the school record early in the season and then broke it again at the regional meet. We are excited to see what the rest of his senior season holds."
While Lambers had a stellar state meet, it wasn't just in the final race of the year. He repeated as OK Green Conference champion, broke the school record multiple times, including a 15:28 at regionals.
"Breaking the school record was a big accomplishment. I have a lot of respect for Sam Martens (previous record holder) and the legacy he left as a Holland High runner," Lambers said. "Last year I was fighting knee injuries during both cross country and track. I have spent a lot of time doing physical therapy, weightlifting, and cross training over the past year. That effort has helped with recovery and injury prevention this season. I’m very thankful for the way this season has turned out and I’m excited to continue training for the upcoming track season."
Holland Sentinel All-Area Boys Cross Country
FIRST TEAM
Noah Lambers, Holland (ROY)
Jonas Ballard, Black River
Aidan Brinks, Holland Christian
Jack DeKruyter, Zeeland West
Robert Dodd, Zeeland West
Abatu Dykstra, Hamilton
Isaac Edgington, Black River
Will Engbers, Holland Christian
Carson Hauch, Zeeland West
Levi Jongekryg, West Ottawa
Sawyer Monroe, Saugatuck
Noah Schipper, Calvary
Keagan Smith, Zeeland West
Max VanGrouw, West Ottawa
Riley Weed, Calvary
Gibson White, Calvary
Will Whitmore, Holland Christian
SECOND TEAM
Caleb Adkins, Calvary
Sam Ashby, Zeeland West
Levi Benson, Black River
Alessandro Castillo, Holland
Cole Coffman, Holland Christian
Ethan Dalman, Zeeland West
Nate Davis, Zeeland East
Sam DiLaura, Zeeland West
Jake Follett, West Ottawa
Sammy Gamboa, Saugatuck
Ethan Gerlach, West Ottawa
Landon Gerritsma, Holland Christian
Caden Guffey, Zeeland East
Isaac Johnson, Black River
Eli Laninga, Calvary
Brennan Nor, Saugatuck
Christian Getz, Calvary
Rian Powers, Holland
Grant Rehkopf, Saugatuck
Brayden Rynsburger, Holland Christian
Marcus Silva, Saugatuck
AJ Sneller, Zeeland West
Nathan Steen, Holland Christian
Owen Stimer, Black River
Dylan Walters, Zeeland East
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland's Noah Lambers selected Holland Sentinel Runner of the Year
