Noll enters triathlon hall

Springfield attorney Jon Gray Noll will be inducted this month as one of the first five members of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.

He will be honored as an innovative nurturer of Tri-Fed/USA during its formative years, and its president from 1984 to 1989. The inaugural banquet will take place Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs.

“I am very honored to have been selected for this award,” Noll said, “and am particularly gratified that USA Triathlon acknowledged the demands on me, my legal practice and other areas of interest” in the 1980s.

Noll teamed with Verne Scott, who also is being honored, in establishing the foundation of the national governing body, its first sets of competitive rules and event production standards.

He also created the Tri-Fed National Championship as a separate race, rebuilt the organization’s structure and bylaws, and created the sport’s magazine, Transition Times.

“At the time, it was quite evident that the group of interested people needed guidance, stability and a quiet hand,” he said.

He became the federation’s face and voice, complementing Scott’s organizational ability in creation of “the necessary mortar” that binds the athletes with event sponsors, promoters, directors and other entities.

An ISBA member since 1975, Noll was an Army Judge Advocate General officer for three years before entering private practice in Springfield. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law.