OMS eighth grader holds two county track titles

By Wendi Reardon Price
Staff Writer
wprice@mihomepaper.com
Oxford — As Taryn Moore heads into eighth grade this week, she has her goals set to break her own records and win meets.
Moore, an Oxford Middle School student, wrapped up her seventh grade year as champion in the 1,600-meter run at the 39th Oakland County Middle School Track meet with a time of 5:18.47 minutes.
Moore was also the county champion in the 3,200-meter run, with the time of 11:12.70, which also set a new county record. The previous record was 11:22.13, set by Lucy Cook from Rochester in 2021.
“Being a county champ in both my events meant so much to me,” Moore said. “I worked all season for it. Putting in all the hard work when no one was watching led me to perform my best in front of everyone when it mattered meant so much to me. Also, proving to myself when things got tough I kept working and it all paid off in the end.”
Moore said going into the season she had a goal to break the school record and be county champion in the 1,600-meter run.
During the season she broke the school record in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:11.14. The previous record was 5:21.26 set by Mallory Bigelow in 2021.
“One of the many joys of coaching is seeing your athletes grow and thrive as they master new skills, become better athletes, and most importantly, learn the valuable life skills through sports,” said OMS Cross Country and Track Coach Anne Oliver. “Perseverance, or the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties and failures, is a characteristic that Taryn carries like no other athlete that I have ever seen. Taryn perseveres and achieves success because she continues to move out of her comfort zone and that’s what prepares here mentally and physically to move closer to her goals.”
Moore also broke the 800-meter run record with the time of 2:23.78, which was previously 2:27.3, set by Ava Kettler in 2018; and broke the 3,200-meter run with the time of 11:12.82, which was previously 11:30.45, set by Bigelow in 2021.
“I got a chance to run the 800 and 3,200, and I told myself I was going to put all my hard work out there to try to break those school records, too,” she said. “Then, performing in the 3,200 and 1,600 at counties I was going to try my best and hardest to win as well. Motivation was hard a some points, but I would always tell myself that it was all going to pay off. The hard work and extra runs put in was going to pay off.
“I had my family, friends, and coaches always supporting which always gave me motivation,” she added. “They would always believe in me even when I didn’t. But the extra runs and extra trainings were the hard things. I would just keep working and keep telling myself that it will pay off and I will be satisfied if I put in the work now.”
Oliver added it was evident going into the 2024 track season Moore was going to have a successful season.
“As a seventh grader, her motivation, focus, and discipline are what drove her success,” Oliver said. “Taryn always had a sense of purpose and direction in visualizing her success, she continued to stay focused on her goals to keep herself on track and held herself to a high level of discipline and stayed dedicated to her training.”
Moore’s goals for the cross country season is to break her school record and win the Oakland County championship and the regional meet. Her goals for the track season in the spring is also to break her own records and win county titles.
“Taryn will be exciting to watch this year because with her mindset no one will convince her that she cannot achieve what she has set her mind to accomplishing,” Oliver said. “As the saying goes, ‘If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you’ by Fred DeVito. Taryn will continue to challenge herself and build confidence through her progress by engaging in these challenges and knock down her next goals.”
The Wildcats first meet is the 56th Holly-Duane Raffin Festival of Races on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Springfield Oaks County Park.