It is not always how you start in a race or any athletic endeavor in life, but more about how you finish. Noah Hauswirth endured a slow and steady start, but he has sprinted towards the finish line of his Branford High School competitive running career rather strongly.

The Hornets boys’ cross country senior captain began with the squad last year after being drawn to distance through his track seasons, but did not start his cross country tenure at the top of the heap. Yet this postseason, Noah finished 33rd overall at the SCC Championship in a time of 17 minutes and 58 seconds, and placed 31st in 19 minutes flat at the Class M State Championships.

“I was one of the slower runners on the cross country team when I started. When I switched to the 800 for track, I discovered distance running was my passion,” says Noah. “The support of my coaches has been very helpful to me; even when I was a slower runner, they kept encouraging me to keep going. The prior captains I had on teams also encouraged me to keep running, as have my teammates this year–they have inspired me.”

October can be an unpredictable month as far as the elements, and both 2023 postseason courses for Noah were a casualty of Mother Nature, though he held firm and stayed on a path to prominence.

“I thought I did pretty well at SCCs,” says Noah. “With the course due to the weather, it was hard to gain traction. Wickham Park [site of the state championship race] was a hard race because of the heat that day, and a lot of runners did not finish, but I stayed in it and finished it.”

Several competitors like to wait until the home stretch to pump the legs and bring the heat, yet Noah notes that there is a forgotten third of the event they forget about, which is where he takes the time to pounce and surpass adversaries.

“I try to pass people in the middle of a race, around the 1.5-2-mile mark,” Noah says. “That is usually the part of the race where a lot of people like to slow down, so I see it as a good spot to speed up and pass them. I am not a sprinter, so I have to make up for that by passing the other runners before the final parts of a race.”

Persistence paying off has never held more true for Noah when it comes to his experience with the Hornets’ cross country program. He wants to convey that creed to his younger peers as a squad steward this fall, while emulating his predecessors in that role.

“I have improved by just working hard for it. Cross country is great because if you truly put in the effort, you will improve. I also like how running is a sport anyone can get good at,” Noah says. “I love helping my teammates get better and grab personal records. I also take inspiration from the prior captains and want to be like them to help out the runners who will be captains in the future.”

It has been more than just a metamorphosis in Noah’s mach speed–he has also unblocked new avenues and runways when it comes to showing off his true personality amongst friends and gaining a great deal of self-belief.

“Branford cross country has really made me the person I am today,” says Noah. “When I started high school, I was not very social or outgoing. But this team has been a great way to meet people, make new friends, and gain confidence in myself. Those are all things I needed in general.”

Branford cross country Head Coach Kevin Connell has certainly taken note of Noah’s increased speed and abilities when it comes to pounding the pavement this campaign. He adds that Noah’s narrative of marked improvement will inspire future Hornets’ runners to stick it out with the sport.

“Noah embodies what this sport is all about; he has put in consistent hard work that will lead to improvement. He has been focused over the past couple of years on becoming a better runner and we’ve seen the results,” says Connell. “Noah motivates others with his positive conversations about workouts and competition. He did a great job getting others to participate in summer running. Many runners were sprinters from the track team and were not used to the mileage of distance running, Noah did a great job bringing them together as a team. He had been a back-of-the-pack runner who is now up in the front. I hope his example will ignite younger athletes to follow in his footsteps.”

Fortitude can help anyone forge ahead towards goals and personal objectives in Noah’s mind. While he certainly wants to keep pedaling forward post-graduation this spring, he still has his sights set on topping new tiers on the indoor and outdoor track circuits.

“I have learned as an athlete that if you work hard and put all your effort in, you will get what you want,” Noah says. “For winter and spring track seasons, I want to make states. I look to continue running in college, too, but I hope to make states and break 10 minutes and 30 seconds for the 3200.”