AU cross-country lands another commitment in East Coweta’s Moore
By Justin Brosemer |
Sports writer
Augusta University’s cross-country program continues to build a strong incoming freshmen class for the 2021-22 season with the verbal commitment of East Coweta High School standout Matthew Moore.
“I could just tell by the way he interacts with his athletes that Coach (Adam) Ward cares about the program,” said Moore, a senior at East Coweta. “He knows where he is capable of taking them.”
Moore gives credit for his recruitment to the atmosphere reminding him of his hometown team in Coweta County. The county, located southeast of Atlanta, is where Moore has continuously gotten better throughout his high school career, in which he would erase more than nine minutes from his first 5-kilometer run time back in August of 2016. This can be attributed to his strong work ethic, seen from him logging 550 miles during East Coweta’s summer training program, more than any other runner participating.
“My favorite memory race-wise would probably be winning the county championship this year.” Moore said. “It was a great turnaround from five years ago when I finished third to last out of everyone.”
Moore won the Coweta County championship on Sept. 19. Moore ran a 16:05.71 in the 5K race and edged teammate Houston Hamby by nearly 19 seconds.
There is more to Moore’s commitment than just athletic considerations.
“I knew I wanted to work with technology, so cybersecurity really just stuck out to me,” Moore said. “Seeing that Augusta University is one of the higher ranked cyber programs led me toward it.”
A lot of anticipation rests on the upcoming 2021-22 cross-country season due to the national championship being out of play for COVID-19 safety precautions. As eagerness builds, Ward and Augusta University continue to put their chess pieces in place to put them in the best position to continue their dominance in the future. The AU men’s team is currently ranked fifth in the nation among NCAA Division II teams.
“For the 2021 track season, I really want to climb the ranks of the 3,200-meter race,” Moore said. “Hopefully, I’ll become the first East Coweta runner (in history) to qualify for state in the 3,200 meters.”
Matthew Moore (second from right) has run the 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes, 16 seconds. (photo by Chris Goltermann, special to the Bell Ringer)
Contact Justin Brosemer at JBROSEMER@augusta.edu.
