Noah Lyles: From High School Prodigy to World Champion - Did He Attend College?

Noah Lyles has become a global sensation in the world of track and field. His recent gold medal in the 100m final at the Paris Olympics, winning by a hair's breadth of five-thousandths of a second, has solidified his place as one of the fastest men in the world. Lyles’ victory broke a 20-year drought for Team USA in the event. As he vies for additional medals in the 200m and 4x100m relay races, fans are eager to learn more about this extraordinary athlete.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Gainesville, Florida, on July 18, 1997, Noah Lyles moved with his family to Alexandria, Virginia, where he attended T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School). Interestingly, Lyles initially wasn't focused on track and field. He and his brother Josephus were interested in gymnastics until they watched the 2012 Olympics. Inspired by Usain Bolt, they turned their attention to sprinting.

Lyles debuted on the global stage at the World Youth Championships in 2013, earning silver in the medley relay. In 2014, he represented Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games, where he won a gold medal in the 200m. As a junior, he cleared a 2.03m high jump and was named the 2015 High School Boys Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News.

In 2016, Lyles competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials, aiming for a spot on the team in the 100m and 200m races. Although he didn't advance past his first heat in the 100m, he placed fourth in the 200m final with a time of 20.09 seconds-good enough to break a three-decade national high school record. Though he didn't qualify for Rio in 2016, he did make an appearance at the World U20 Championships the same year. There, Lyles earned gold medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay. He was also named the High School Boys Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News again.

The College Question: University of Florida and the Turn to Professionalism

After graduating high school, Lyles initially committed to attend the University of Florida, setting up a potential homecoming. However, in July 2016, both Lyles and his brother, Josephus, decided to turn professional, signing with Adidas. This decision meant he would forgo competing in the NCAA.

What if Noah Lyles Had Attended College?

It's interesting to consider what might have happened if Noah Lyles had chosen to compete collegiately.

Freshman Year:

If Lyles had followed through with his commitment to the University of Florida, he would have joined forces with Grant Holloway in 2017. As a professional in 2017, he ran the 60 meter dash twice with a season's best of 6.63 and the indoor 200 meter once, finishing in 21.02. He also ran the 300m indoors three times, with his fastest time being 31.87. That time already would have been the NCAA record in the 300 meter. His 6.63 in the 60m would have ranked him 12th in the nation.

Florida finished second at the NCAA indoor meet that year, losing to Texas A&M by a half a point. Adding Noah Lyles in the 200m dash should have easily pushed them into the lead for the national title. Outdoors, Lyles ran 19.90 in the 200m into a minus headwind in May, which was better than the top-ranked time of 19.96 run with a slightly illegal wind. Noah Lyles would have dominated the Outdoor 200m and likely made the 100 meter final at the NCAA championships.

Sophomore Year:

As a sophomore in 2018, Noah could have duplicated his actual times of 6.57 in the indoor 60 meter, 9.88 wind legal in the 100 meter, and 19.65 wind legal in the 200 meter dash outdoors. And that 200 meter performance would go down as the collegiate record. He would have projected fourth in the indoor 60 meter at nationals, second in the indoor 200m, but won the double championship in the 100 meter and 200 meter outdoors.

Junior Year:

In 2019 as a Junior Noah only ran outdoor races in reality. But he ran 9.86 wind legal, and 19.50 into a minus headwind in the 200m. Divine Oduduru ran 9.86 at the national meet in reality, so even if Lyles had lost, it is safe to assume he would be no worse than second. But the 200 would have been Lyles race to run away with.

Read also: Veteran-Focused STEM Initiatives

Senior Year:

And in 2020 there famously was no indoor or outdoor national meet in NCAA track and field leaving Noah the option to return for one final season with the Gators in 2021.

The Bottom Line:

If Noah Lyles went to college, he would have broken 2 individual collegiate records and won at least 1 100 meter outdoor title and 1 indoor 200 meter title. But as far as the 200 meter dash outdoors is concerned he would have gone undefeated in the NCAA championships, four times in a row. And he would have made Florida men’s track and field, into a dynasty for the ages with six back to back indoor and outdoor national titles.

Professional Career and Achievements

Turning professional proved to be a fruitful decision for Lyles. He earned his first piece of hardware in 2017 with a senior national title in the 300m at the 2017 USA Indoor Championships, claiming the indoor world record by one-hundredth of a second. Since then, Lyles has competed in the Diamond League circuit and World Championship meets.

His accomplishments include:

Olympic Games: Bronze medal in the 200 meters (Tokyo 2020), Gold medal in the 100 meters (Paris 2024)
World Championships:
- 2019 (Doha, Qatar): Gold medal in the 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay
- 2022 (Eugene, Oregon): Gold medal in the 200 meters, Silver medal in the 4 x 100 meter relay
- 2023 (Budapest, Hungary): Gold medal in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay
World Indoor Championships: Silver medal in the 60 meters, 4 x 400 meter relay (Year)
Awards: Men's World Athlete of the Year award from World Athletics (2023)

Lyles delivered his crowning achievement at the 2023 World Championship in Budapest, where he retained his 200m crown from 2019 and 2022 to complete the three-peat. At Paris 2024, Lyles won 100m gold in a photo finish race, beating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson to the line by a mere five-thousandths of a second.

Read also: The impact of Trevor Noah

Lyles' best time in the 200 meters is 19.31 seconds, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. He also holds the world record for most sub-20 times in the 200 meters with 38 in sanctioned competitions.

Beyond the Track

Beyond his athletic achievements, Lyles has become a vocal advocate for mental health awareness. He has been open about his own struggles, using his platform to encourage others to seek help and break the stigma surrounding mental health.

Lyles is also known for his engaging personality and showmanship. At the Olympic trials, he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, incorporating Yu-Gi-Oh! cards into his races.

tags: #did #noah #lyles #attend #college