Isaiah Vohs: Student Spotlight

Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided

Isaiah Vohs, an eighth-grader at Noblesville East Middle School (NEMS), was recently named Hamilton County’s cross-country champion, beating out almost 100 area runners. He says it involved a lot of hard work that paid off.

“I won the Hamilton County 2023 cross-country meet on Thursday, September 28,” he says. “Then, on Saturday, September 30 I competed in the big school state cross-country meet and placed first out of 361 runners. I ended with an undefeated season. I broke the school record held by Luke Shinneman at state. I was 0.6 seconds away from getting the state record.”

Vohs loves competing.

“I run for NEMS during the school season, and Body in Training after the school season for club,” Vohs says. “I have some of the greatest coaches and teammates to run with. My coaches at NEMS were Lathan Stuart and Savannah Congrove. In Body in Training, my coaches are Bob Bragg and Becky McGriff. I will be running for Noblesville High School next year, and it makes me super excited to get to learn from new coaches and have some more people to push me. Body in Training coaches have encouraged me to stretch myself both physically and spiritually. I’m very grateful for what I have, and what I was given.”

Vohs has been running for a long time.

“I have always liked playing tag, sharks and minnows, and other running games, but it didn’t really catch my attention until the middle of elementary school,” he says “The summer going into third grade, we moved from Champaign, Illinois, to La Grange, Kentucky. The school I attended had a cross-country team. I joined partly to try something new, as well as my parents just wanting me to meet new people. It just came naturally. I had a great season and then I was hooked.”

Vohs likes being a part of the running community.

“The people are just very nice and encouraging,” he says. “Running outside with people has helped me keep going, because running by yourself day after day can get into your head. Then when I’m running it’s just a different feeling, and something inside of me just wants to keep going. Otherwise, I don’t really know – I just like running.”

Making new friends has been another benefit for Vohs.

“I have made tons of friends in cross-country, not just on my team, but in the teams that I race,” he says. “It’s fun to talk to the guys you just competed against.”

Vohs says he enjoys school.

“My favorite school subjects are math, Spanish, science, physical education and lunch,” he says. “I’m involved in the Noblesville Swim Club, National Junior Honor Society, NEMS student advisory, and CRU.”

Vohs credits his family and friends with helping him become a better runner.

“The only reason that I am who I am is because of my friends and family,” Vohs says. “But my grandpa, Graham Porter, was a good runner, and he helped me a lot with running. I couldn’t have done any of this without the lord. He is my strength. He is the only one who has made me become who I am today. I couldn’t have done anything without him. I shouldn’t be the one who is praised, it should be the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, the one and true God, who should be praised. Following him will change your life, just as he changed my life.”