Baldwin High senior Matt Noonan, one of six three-time state champions in Kansas prep boys cross country history, has orally committed to run at Missouri.

“It came down to Kansas State, KU and Missouri,” said Noonan, who will run cross country and track at MU. “It wasn’t a clean-cut thing for me. After thinking about it for a while and analyzing, I felt I fit best at Missouri. I was told in the end to go where you feel like you’ll be the most comfortable the next four years.”

Noonan, a four-time member of the Journal-World all-area cross country team, won 29 of 35 races in his high school career. He placed second at the Class 4A state cross country meet as a freshman before winning three state titles.

In track, Noonan has won back-to-back titles in the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs.

“I figure in college I could run anywhere from the mile to 10,000 meters,” said Noonan, who plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Until his senior year, Noonan never considered himself an NCAA Div. I runner.

“While cleaning out my room the other day, I found scripts (BHS) coach (Mike Spielman) used to have us write on how we expected each meet would go,” Noonan said. “I just wanted to make varsity and once I got on varsity I wanted to get to state. In the last year, it started hitting me that I could run in college and even at the Div. I level.”

Spielman, a former runner at KU, let Noonan make his own decision.

“I tell these kids I’m there if they want to know anything,” Spielman said. “If you have questions you can ask, but I’m going to stay out of it. He likes the coaching staff (at MU).”

MU’s coaching staff includes former Baker University head coach Matt Candrl, who coaches Tiger sprinters.

“All three (MU, KSU and KU) are great schools and Missouri was one that happened to work out the best,” Spielman said. “Probably last year in cross country solidified he could run at this level. The kids he beat in big meets (Foot Locker meet in Wisconsin and AAU meet in Florida) really showed he can run at that level.”