Menu
White signs with Bellarmine University
Growing up, Northview senior Nolan White always saw a future that had him becoming a Division I collegiate athlete.
The sport White saw himself playing? Basketball.
He said he poured his heart and soul into the game – and still does as the starting point guard for a reigning sectional championship team – but when he got to Terre Haute North as a freshman, his love for running grew.
That continued after transferring to Northview midway through his high school career, which put him under the tutelage of the school’s boys cross country James Grounds. From their very first meeting, Grounds informed White that he could run at the next level if he wanted to.
“I always envisioned playing basketball. Basketball was my first love. I just found out that running, I was ok at it,” said White. “My freshman year, it really changed and opened my eyes, but I had never really worked at it like I did basketball until my senior year when coach Grounds told me, ‘You have a gift. You might as well use it.’”
White put together one of the best seasons in program history this fall. White was the Western Indiana Conference champion and was named to the All-State team. He set the Northview record for fastest sectional time and became a two-time state qualifier after accomplishing the feat with the Knights on the track in the spring.
White only spent one year in the Northview cross country program, but he made most of his time, and he said all of the credit goes to his coaches and teammates who constantly pushed him to become a better runner every day at practice and during meets.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all of those coaches and the teammates too. Those guys pushed me to become the athlete that I am today,” said White.
All of the hard work and dedication he’s put into the sport of running over his four years at Terre Haute North and Northview made signing his national letter of intent to run cross country and track and field at Division I Bellarmine University Wednesday evening even more special.
“It’s a dream come true,” White stated. “I’ve always worked for it since I’ve been little. It’s always been a dream of mine to become a Division I collegiate athlete, so to be able to sign here today, it’s a dream come true.”
White was contacted by a current runner on Bellarmine’s cross country and track teams during the fall, which then led to a phone call with the program’s head coach Chase Broughton, who informed White that the Knights had interest in bringing him aboard.
White and his family made the trip down to Louisville, Kentucky and toured the campus and facilities. It didn’t take long for him to decide that this was the place he wanted to call home for the next four years.
“I really loved the culture. I loved the culture of the guys that I’m going to be teammates with there. They’re a very tightknit group, somewhat like Northview. I know that leads to success,” said White.
He verbally committed to the program after weighing his options and then put pen to paper Wednesday to make it official. And in doing so, White became just the second Northview runner to become a member of a Division I cross country team, joining Cam Trout who did so when he ran at Indiana State University.
“It means a lot to me to be in the same category as Cam Trout. He’s the record holder here and he was such a great runner. I’ve always tried to be like him,” White said.
White said he is excited to get down to Louisville and get settled in with his new team but acknowledged there is still plenty left to do at the high school level. He wants to finish his senior basketball and track seasons as strong as possible, with the goal of competing in a pair of state championships.
“State championships – that’s the mentality that I have. I always try to go out and win and finish in first place in everything. I also want to be the best leader and teammate that I can be for every team,” he said.