Oak Knoll sophomore Reagan Moore’s dramatic kick in the final 200 meters of the 800-meter run on Sunday, March 16, at the Nike Indoor Nationals has placed her on the national stage. Moving up from 10th position early in the race with her final world-class kick rocketed her into the leading position during the bell lap, and she ended the race with a blistering speed of 2:05.05 to secure the national title. 

Moore’s Meet of Champions win on March 2 positioned her third on the All-Time list for the 800-meter indoors, behind two NJ Olympians, Athing Mu (Gold medalist in Tokyo) and Ajee Wilson. 

“Going into the race, I was intimidated by the competition,” Moore explained. “I knew that I could be one of the front runners, and I knew I had to run my race and not get too carried away at the fast pace right out of the gate. With about one and a half laps to go, I started making my move and knew I just needed to keep pushing through the finish line.”

Oak Knoll’s track program has had tremendous success recently. This winter, the team placed second in both the Union County Championship and the Prep Championship. 

Discovering her natural running talents not long ago, Moore credits the program and support of the team for drawing out her best. “It’s such a surreal experience, and I had never even thought about doing it in high school. I’ve been surrounded by incredible teammates and coaches, which has made for a super enjoyable and positive experience,” she related.

“Reagan is a true student of the sport in all aspects,” said Track Coach Mickey Cassu. “She is so receptive to training and has come to understand ‘key, hard workouts’ and how they fit into the season’s scheme. Her receptivity, speed, and talent make her a complete runner on the oval! I look forward to watching her grow and excel as she develops her strength, form, and race technique. I will always be cheering her on from the sidelines!”

Track fans in New Jersey and throughout the country are seeing her actual ability come to the surface. With two more years at Oak Knoll, we look forward to seeing her topple more state and national records.