CHICAGO — Huntley Project's Noah Bouchard was named the Gatorade Montana boys track and field athlete of the year on Thursday. According to a Gatorade press release, Bouchard is the first from Huntley Project to win the award.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Bouchard as Montana’s best high school boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Player of the Year award to be announced in July, Bouchard joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt High School, Iowa), Allyson Felix (2002-03, Los Angeles Baptist High School, Calif.), Robert Griffin III (2006-07, Copperas Cove High School, Texas), Grant Fisher (2013-14 & 2014-15, Grand Blanc High School, Mich.) and Candace Hill (2014-15, Rockdale County High School, Ga.).
Bouchard had a monster senior season in 2021, posting Montana's high school season-bests in the 110-meter hurdles (14.50 seconds) and the high jump (6 feet, 10 inches). He had Class B's best marks in the long jump (22-05.5), triple jump (42-11) and javelin (166-04).
At the State B meet, he won the championship in the javelin and was on his way to winning four more individual events before a right hamstring injury in the prelims of the 110-meter hurdles nearly ended his meet entirely. He came back on essentially one leg to win the State B high jump title with a leap of 6 feet, 4 inches.
“Noah was an all-around exceptional athlete in track and field,” said Becky Eichelberger, track and field head coach at Red Lodge. “As a coach, I really enjoyed his athleticism and his drive to compete at an elite level.”
Bouchard, who maintained a 3.37 GPA in high school, has volunteered locally with the Special Olympics and as a youth basketball coach. He'll continue his track and field career at Colorado next year.
