Noble Haskell, cross country community stay connected following devastating accident

AURORA – Smoky Hill junior Noble Haskell had big plans for this cross country season that included a return to the state championships, where he placed 78th in his state meet debut as a sophomore last fall.

But a terrible car accident this summer left Haskell with a broken C5 vertebra in his neck and damage to his spinal cord. After several surgeries and a month spent in the ICU, Haskell stabilized and was transferred to Craig Hospital in Denver, where he has been attacking his recovery with the same steadfastness that spurred him on the cross country course.

Forced to sit out this year’s state championships, Haskell misses the competition. He misses the tight-knit Colorado cross country community even more.

That community, including other teams nearby Smoky Hill, has reached out to Noble in many ways to show its support. At the statewide level, the Colorado cross country community is also reaching out to Noble, who has asked for help collecting t-shirts (not racing singlets) from as many different teams across the state as possible so that he can make a quilt out of them as a way of still feeling connected to the community he holds dearly.

So, at the coaches’ check-in table at Saturday’s state championships at Norris Penrose Event Center, there will be a drop-bin for coaches to donate their runners’ t-shirts to the cause.

“I know the commitment and dedication it takes to make it to the state meet,” Haskell said. “My best goes out to all the runners. I will miss not being there but in spirit and soul I will be. The shirts will help me feel connected to all the teams and athletes that made it. Thanks, everyone, for their support in my recovery.”

To this point in what has been a painful recovery process, Haskell has come a long way from not being able to move to being able to operate a manual wheelchair. He is determined to run again and has inspired many who have witnessed his unyielding approach to his therapy.

“He’s attacked this with the same resolve, energy and purposeful grit that any top-notch athlete would approach a training cycle,” said Lisa Mills, one of Haskell’s former coaches. “He’s been such an inspiration for me. He doesn’t want pity, he just wants to stay connected with the sport he loves.”

Noble needs no one’s pity, just a few of their t-shirts. Word is getting around quickly already and with the cross country community being what it is, odds are he’s going to get enough to make a pretty big quilt.

For updates on Haskell, visit his page at CaringBridge.