Wichita East High senior cross country runner Ruby Moore had a very successful
junior season. She finished sixth at the City League (GWAL) meet, and she qualified for
the state meet, finishing 45th overall in Kansas 6A. Those accomplishments were
enough for her to be recognized as Second-Team All-Metro for the Wichita area.
But Moore is not one to rest on laurels, and she entered this season with some
pretty big goals. She would love to medal at City again and qualify for state – and
hopefully improve on her finishes for both. However, like most seniors, Ruby is mostly
trying to keep things in perspective, and enjoy the ride one last time, “I’m looking
forward to enjoying my senior season, having fun with my teammates, and running fast.”
Moore understands that, as a senior, it is her responsibility to set a tone for the
younger members of the squad, and she fully embraces that idea, “I see myself as a
leader on the team. We only have three seniors this year. Over half of our team is
freshmen or sophomores, so I try to help my coaches during warm-up and cool-down to
keep my teammates on track. I’m also the most experienced girl on the team, so I try to
be there for my younger teammates whenever they need advice or help.”
Running offers very unique challenges for athletes, and Moore’s experience is no
different. “During the offseason I made sure that I had fully recovered from track
season. I went through some mental issues during track, so I wanted to make sure I had
fully worked through that before I shifted to cross country. I worked on keeping running
fun because sometimes it can be stressful and rigid. I remember when my dad
convinced me to join cross country in 7th grade at Robinson. The practices were at 6
a.m., and let’s just say I was not thrilled about that. But, after going to practice for a
couple of weeks and completing my first race, I was hooked.”
When she is not running for the Aces, Ruby is fully immersed in the school
culture at East High. She is the yearbook editor, the president of East High’s chapter of
the prestigious National Honors Society. She is the Secretary of the Spanish Honors
Society, and she is also in East High’s rigorous and respected IB (International
Baccalaureate) Program. Additionally, Ruby is a member of several clubs: the Scrubs
Club, Spanish Club, and the Feminist Club.
After graduation, Ruby plans to attend Kansas State University to study
Integrative Physiology. She hopes to someday become a surgeon.
