One of the most decorated runners in Chaska High School’s history, 2026 graduate Noella Ross broke the Minnesota State Record in the 800-meter run in her last-ever high school event. The University of Iowa commit is one of two student-athletes that share CCLN’s Girls Senior Athlete Of The Year award.
When Noella Ross lined up at the starting line of the State Track & Field Meet in the finals of the 800-meter run, her thoughts briefly went back to her past few years as a Hawk.
“Leading up to finals, I took a lot of time to reflect on what I had done and how far I had come,” she admitted.
This was not unfamiliar territory for Ross, the defending state champion in the 800. She had competed in the state finals each and every year as a high schooler, finishing 6th as a freshman and 4th as a sophomore, before winning it all in 2025.
But this race was different. It would be her last event as a Chaska Hawk. It would also be her last chance to break the state record — a record she missed by just one-hundredth of a second in Prelims. One hundredth!
Ross would not let her last race end in disappointment.
The Chaska graduate ran the race of her life, besting the runner-up by nearly three seconds, and setting a new Minnesota state record with a time of 2:06.17.
“Crossing the line truly felt so special and I am so grateful,” she said.
Ross ended her high school career —a career filled with first-place finishes, state meet visits and a wall filled with medals — with another state championship, and now a state record.
For all of her successes, CCLN is proud to award Noella Ross as co-winner of the Carver County Girls Senior Athlete Of The Year award.
A three-sport star
Track was only part of the story. Ross was a three-sport athlete at Chaska, competing in cross country, Nordic skiing, and track and field across all four years. In each, she brought the same relentless desire to improve.
The cross-country trails shaped her as much as the track did. She qualified for the Class AAA State Cross Country Meet three times as a Hawk, building each season on the last. Her senior season brought an individual Metro West Conference championship, where she broke her own school record with a time of 18:36. She was also an all-conference performer in Nordic skiing.
“These three sports have fully formed me as a person,” she said. “They have given me my best friends, and I will forever be grateful for the lessons I have learned about myself and who I want to be on and off the track. They have taught me the value in enjoying the process of getting better and the value of working hard, and understanding what a privilege it is to get to compete and represent Chaska at a high level.”
A coach and a culture
To understand Noella’s successes, you have to understand the Chaska Track & Field program. Coach Jesse Longley has been central to her development from her first year to her last. Six varsity seasons is a long time. There were races that went as planned and races that tested her. Through all of it, the relationship between athlete and coach held.
“Longley has done so much for me and I am so grateful,” she said. “He has truly taught me that running should be fun and does so much to make sure that all athletes are getting the most out of their time on the team.”
Building a program culture where athletes genuinely enjoy the process, where hard work and joy coexist, is among the most difficult things a coach can do. And when it was her turn to lead, she passed it on.
As a captain, she pushed her teammates toward a specific mindset shift: from “we have to” to “we get to.” She watched it take hold across an entire roster.
“Almost everyone reached a PR this season,” she said, “and I think a big part of that was our collective mindset.”
She also shared the experience with her sister. Rebecca Ross, a sophomore, ran beside Noella in the 4×800 relay and competed on the same cross-country courses. Rebecca — herself a decorated Chaska Athlete — now sits in second place all-time in the Chaska Cross Country record books.
Asked what she wanted to leave behind for Rebecca and the younger runners still in the program, Noella offered something simpler than a résumé.
“I hope to have shown the younger runners that a critical part to success is continuing to have fun,” she said, “whether that is sharing jokes between reps or singing to songs on easy runs, because ultimately the team plays a huge part in each of our success.”
From Hawk to Hawkeye
Next fall, Noella heads to the University of Iowa and the Big Ten to compete in both cross country and track. When she first sat down with the Iowa coaching staff, something familiar looked back at her.
“I saw that he seemed to carry a lot of knowledge but also cared so much about the athlete as a person,” she said of her future Iowa coach. “That connection mattered.”
Knowledge paired with genuine care for the person wearing the uniform — Noella spent four years inside that kind of program. She knew what it looked like. She knew what it felt like. And she knew she wanted more of it.
“I think that being a Hawk has taught me about taking in every moment and using it to build toward the best future possible,” she said.
Her final race as a Hawk was her best — a state championship; a state record; and a perfect ending.
“State finals will forever hold a special spot in my memory,” she said, “a moment where all the years of hard work come together, and watching the clock and feeling strong on the last homestretch in my last race representing Chaska was the perfect way to finish.”
