NEOHSTRACK: So Matt, first of
all, congratulations on your signing with Ashland
University. What was it about Ashland that made you choose
to go there?
MM: The thing about
Ashland that made me want to go there was the track program.
Coach Logan, the head coach, is a four time Olympian and my
distance coach, Coach Cordes, is an Ashland Elite runner.
Together, they, along with the other coaches, have one goal
and that is to be a national powerhouse.
NEOHSTRACK: How did you get started in
running?
MM: I first got
started in running when I was in Africa. My parents were
missionaries and my family and I spent almost 5 years in
Senegal, West Africa. There the local American school held
their own "Olympics". It was there that I really started
running.
NEOHSTRACK: That's really cool. How is
the season going for you so far?
MM: So far this
season has started pretty well. I came off a solid indoor
season and then had a minor setback with a slight hamstring
injury. However, I have managed to bounce back and hold
strong. Right now I am starting to hit more speed oriented
workouts. I have to make up for what I missed earlier
because of my hamstring.
NEOHSTRACK: So what type of training are you
doing at this point in the season? Do you have a favorite
workout?
MM: If I had to choose
a favorite workout I would have to say repeat 400's at about
67 second pace.
NEOHSTRACK: To what do you attribute your
success to?
MM: I attribute
my success to first of all God. Had He not given me the
ability to run I would not be doing an interview with you.
Secondly, I would have to say that hard work and
determination pay off.
NEOHSTRACK: Do you have any specific
goals for yourself or your team this year?
MM: I have a
specific goal of making it to the Outdoor State
Championships in the 800 and hopefully carry the 4x4 relay
team to state as well. I would also like to see the team
repeat as Federal League Champions.
NEOHSTRACK: Who else on your team
should we look out for this year?
MM: I do not
think there could be just one kid to look out for. We have a
very well rounded team that consists of many great athletes.
To put it simply I would say watch out for Boardman. Caleb
Matthews is running and jumping very well this year. Our
throwers are doing great (Evan, Corey, & Alex). Seniors like
Brent Bionci, Mike Lesko, and Elliot Thomas have all made
great improvements as well. Coach Pav could tell you that
most of our team is setting personal bests in their events.
NEOHSTRACK: Sounds like Boardman could
make some noise this year. Do you have any pre-race
rituals you go through?
MM: One thing I
always do is pray before a race. I find you can never pray
too much.
NEOHSTRACK: Who is your favorite track and
field athlete of all time? If you could go for a run
with one person, who would it be?
MM:
My favorite runner would have to be
Jeremy Wariner. I would love to go for a run with him
sometime and just talk to him about his training and what he
does. In my mind though I would have to say my all time
favorite would be, the classical answer, Prefontaine. Very
few distance guys would name someone else.
NEOHSTRACK: Good choices. Wariner is
awesome, and you can never leave out Pre. Well, thanks
a lot for the interview Matt. Best of luck to you the
rest of the season. I'm sure we'll be seeing big
things from Boardman this year.
That
concludes our interview with Boardman's Matt Moore. |
