After capturing Division 1 indoor and outdoor shot put titles last year at Arizona State, Noennig will pursue Master’s degree in public health in Tucson with eligibility in both seasons remaining

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Samantha Noennig, the reigning NCAA Division 1 Indoor and Outdoor women’s shot put champion, confirmed Sunday on her Instagram that she would be transferring from Arizona State to compete as a graduate student-athlete at rival Arizona.

Although Noennig graduated from Hartford Union High in Wisconsin in 2016, she has only been competing at the collegiate level for the past two years.

In addition to pursuing a Master’s degree in public health, Noennig will have two years of outdoor eligibility and one season of indoor eligibility remaining in Tucson.

Noennig, who captured the gold medal at the NACAC U-23 meet last year, was in position to repeat as Division 1 indoor champion in the shot put in Albuquerque, N.M., before the meet and the entire spring athletic schedule were canceled March 12 by the NCAA as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.

The NCAA Division 1 Council made the decision March 30 to provide all seniors in spring sports an extra year of eligibility and potential scholarship relief, giving Noennig the opportunity to participate in two outdoor seasons for Arizona, in addition to her remaining year of indoor competition.

Noennig led all collegiate athletes during the winter season with an indoor shot put mark of 59-7.50 (18.17m).

She also placed fifth Feb. 14 competing against professionals with an effort of 58-2 (17.73m) at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships at Albuquerque Convention Center.

Noennig won last year’s Division 1 outdoor shot put title with a mark of 59-6.25 (18.14m), after capturing the indoor shot put championship with an effort of 58-9.25 (17.91m). She also placed seventh in the shot put at the 2018 Division 1 outdoor final, earning her first All-America recognition.

Noennig added the NACAC U-23 title last July with a 56-6.50 (17.23m) performance in Queretaro, Mexico.

It marked the third international experience for Noennig representing the United States, in addition to a bronze medal in the shot put in 2017 at the Pan American U-20 Championships in Peru and a 10th-place finish in the discus throw at the 2015 World U-18 Championships in Colombia.

Noennig arrives at Arizona as the No. 12 all-time collegiate indoor shot put performer and No. 24 in outdoor history.

She will attempt to join Raven Saunders — Southern Illinois in 2015 and Ole Miss in 2017 — as the only female athletes in Division 1 indoor history to win NCAA shot put titles for different schools.

Saunders is also the only female athlete to achieve the feat outdoors, winning at Southern Illinois in 2015 and Ole Miss in 2016.