Clayton Moore overcomes odds, competes at State

Clayton Moore came into the track season injured. It was unknown how well he would do this year or what he could accomplish. He defied the odds by ending his season off with an improbable qualification to the State track meet.

    Moore was one of the veterans on the team and it was known he would be looked upon for leadership. While he was unable to compete in the early on-goings of the season, due to an injury in the latter part of the offseason, he was still able to be a guiding force.

    Even though he wasn’t back to form he never gave up hope and kept at getting back in shape and running quicker times. His coach, Becky Becker, praised him for what he was able to do in such a short span of time and how well he ran each week.

    “My teammates pushed me pretty hard when I came back,” Moore said. “There was a lot of training and a lot of work from them.”

    Moore continued to improve from meet to meet, limited as they were due to early season rainouts and cancellations. He returned to peak form right when it mattered most, running a time of 58.99 seconds in the 400m hurdles at the District track meet on May 10. He was the only boy to represent English Valleys, and even with that pressure, he finished out on the big stage.

    “It was kind of overwhelming to be the only guy here to represent EV, but I got here and it’s alright,” Moore said. “I was trying to get below what I ran at Districts, aiming for about 58.5.”

    He was unable to quite accomplish that goal but came close, running a time of 59.51 seconds. He did however beat out three other boys and finished fourth in his section.

    “It was pretty fun and a good experience. I beat some guys and I’m pretty proud of that,” Moore said. “I’m going to train hard next year. I’ll be back again.”