PLYMOUTH, Minnesota — It's never too early to start looking ahead.
"I mean I've always had the goal of making it to the Olympics," said Noah Breker.
Noah Breker just graduated from Armstrong High School, but he's a name to watch for local connections on the national and world stage — starting at the 2024 Paris Games.
"Even the 2024 ones, it's next year, but I know of guys that have made it as 19-year-olds," said Breker.
Breker's prep career accolades include being a two-time Gatorade cross country Athlete of the Year, a two-time Class AAA 3,200-meter state champion, and last fall, he earned a top-10 finish at the Nike National Cross Country meet.
"That was kind of my goal, at the beginning of the year, was to place top 10 at either of the national cross country meets, and I was able to do it at both," said Breker.
Breker will depart his eight other siblings this fall for Chapel Hill to run for North Carolina.
"It's been awesome. I'm just so proud of him," said Lindsey Breker, Noah's mom.
"I'm banking on the fact that I can be the best runner there," said Noah.
"It's going to be hard to have him leave and be so far away, but I know he's so excited," said Lindsey.
And if his incredible pace continues, maybe mom, dad and his siblings will be watching on the world stage in Paris next year — or Los Angeles in 2028.
"I definitely think that's the one I'm shooting for. That would be, I feel like, my peak fitness," said Noah.
"To be able to watch him on that kind of stage, I totally believe he will be there one day," said Lindsey.
"Not everybody gets that opportunity, so that would be awesome," said Noah.
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