Samuel Barber
MSMU Class of 2022
(8/2022) With the 2022-23 collegiate sports season firmly on the horizon, preparation has begun for athletes at Mount St. Mary’s to once again make their mark at our mountain home. While athletes and coaches alike are laser-focused on their respective seasons, it is important to recognize the achievements of the past. Recently graduated senior Dylan LaNoue has certainly had a long list of accolades, most recently competing in the 2022 NCAA Division-I East Preliminary Championships in Bloomington, IN.
LaNoue placed 37th overall in the triple jump championship, with a mark of 14.97 meters. The East Preliminary has become a common stomping ground for the decorated jumper, as this was his second consecutive year competing at the highly selective meet that decides who advances to the NCAA Championships.
As Mount St. Mary’s announced that this would be their last season in the Northeast Conference (NEC), LaNoue made a lasting impact for the Mount on the NEC, and he was not alone, as he was joined by three fellow NEC athletes: Fairleigh Dickinson’s Salif Mane and Taeco O’Garro, and LIU’s Jahsira Dunbar. The four athletes representing the conference on the national stage represents the growing sentiment that the NEC is moving up the competitive ladder in mid-major, Division-I track & field.
Although LaNoue has become a household name across the NEC, his success would be forged from humble beginnings when he stepped foot in Emmitsburg four years ago. Over the span of his career, he molded his specialty into the jumps, having success in all three jumping events: high, long, and triple jump. The ascension to being one of the best in the conference has proven to be a topsy-turvy journey. During his freshman campaign, the Boiling Springs, PA native snagged the bronze medal in high jump while placing seventh in triple.
No matter what level a breakout athlete reaches, there is a moment that rings true with every athlete: when the athlete lays the foundation for sustained success. For LaNoue, this moment sticks out like a sore thumb. His sophomore indoor track season was one shining moment after another. The culmination of his success that year came during the 2020 NEC Indoor Track Championships, where he won both the high and long jump and placed fourth in triple jump. It is moments like these that act as a springboard.
After a performance for the ages during his sophomore campaign, LaNoue would go on to capture four additional medals during conference championship competition: three in high jump and one in long jump, respectively. Despite the numerous titles and accolades that he racked up through high jump and long jump, even almost being crowned an IC4A champion in high jump, it would be the triple jump that would eventually vault him into national spotlight. Out of the three different disciplines, LaNoue would only reach the national stage in triple jump, with his highest finish coming in 2021, where he placed 20th.
On a local level, the Mount St. Mary’s track and field record books have already been etched with LaNoue’s name. He is currently the indoor track school record holder in triple jump, with a mark of 15.72 meters. He also ranks in the top-10 in high jump and long jump. Meanwhile, in the outdoor track installments of the respective events, LaNoue is the school record holder in triple jump. He also finds himself as the seventh-best high jumper in program history.
This sustained winning culture from LaNoue not only laid the foundation for him to conclude his collegiate career on one of the largest stages in the sport, but it also put him in the company of a slew of Mountaineers that would eventually become Olympians. Most notably, Bill Motti, who represented France in the decathlon at the 1984 and 1992 Summer Games, as well as Carols O’Connell, who was a decathlete for Ireland at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain.
While the personal feeling of accomplishment will stick with him for the rest of his life, his success speaks for how Mount St. Mary’s has seen a complete transformation of their athletics, specifically in the world of track and field. While LaNoue, among other athletes, has proven he can succeed in the NEC, the true test lies ahead: will these athletes be able to compete in the highly competitive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)?
The MAAC is home to Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
From a track and field perspective, Mount St. Mary’s appears to be in great standing to hold their own in the MAAC. Out of all of the current MAAC institutions, Mount St. Mary’s has been neck-and-neck with Iona in sending athletes to the NCAA Division-I East Preliminary meet and beyond.
Many people that are not close to LaNoue may think he reached the heights he did solely off competing and training. Although those two components are undoubtedly a couple of the driving factors in his success, it is his newfound faith that many around his inner-circle believe to be the lead catalyst in his athletic journey. LaNoue, like many people at Mount St. Mary’s, delved either deeper into their faith or opened their lives to God, the latter being exactly what he did. Since doing so, both on and off the track, accomplishments have seemingly skyrocketed.
Despite track and field being one of the more individualized sports, the team aspect is always a massive component in an athlete’s success. Throughout his career at Mount St. Mary’s, LaNoue climbed the team ladder and quickly became one of the leaders of the team while radiating a team-like atmosphere to his fellow teammates. This team-like dynamic from LaNoue was present at the multiple NEC, IC4A, and East Preliminary meets that he competed in. No matter where LaNoue was in the standings during that particular meet, the act of cheering on and encouraging his teammates to do their very best was present. The everyday fostering of a healthy team culture quickly allowed for formidable and proven success on and off the track.
An exciting component that Mount St. Mary’s coaches like Jim Stevenson will be able to tap into is the fact that LaNoue can still exercise his extra COVID-19 year of eligibility. In 2020, the NCAA announced that all current athletes competing across the three divisions would be granted an extra year of eligibility, due to the fact that the tail-end of the 2020 season and the beginning of the 2021 season was either completely stopped or drastically reduced, in terms of practicing and competing.
If he does in fact test those waters and return to Emmitsburg for a fifth and final season, that would be a monstrous trick that the coaching staff could activate from their already versatile goodie bag of athletes. From a team perspective, his return would bring roughly 10-30 points in any given championship meet, which would be crucial down the stretch. More importantly, from an individual perspective, an opportunity like this would allow for LaNoue to reach the final pillar of collegiate competition, competing at the NCAA Championships.
Read past articles related to Mount sports
