Juan Villa / The Collegian

Ryan Moore̢۪s days are filled. When the political science senior isn̢۪t in class, he̢۪s on the track field. When he̢۪s not in class or preparing for a track meet, he̢۪s lifting weights or working on his plans for law school.

With a 3.8 GPA and a full scholarship for track and field, the hurdler not only does it all, he does it all well.

Moore described himself as a “very competitive person,” and men’s track and field assistant coach Joe Gonzales said that competitive edge, even more so than innate ability, has caused him to stand out on the field.

Gonzales has a favorite saying: “Talent is limited, but effort is unlimited.” The coach said no one epitomizes that idea better than Moore.

“Everybody knows how hard Ryan works,” Gonzales said. “He doesn’t glide by on natural talent. He works for it, and he deserves everything that he gets.”

Chris Baptista, also an assistant coach for the men̢۪s track and field team, agreed.

“Ryan is the ideal student athlete,” he said. “The first thing that stands out about him is his dedication and work ethic. He’s a leader at practice. Also, he will do things without any hesitation and he will do everything that he is taught. I wish I had 60 people on the team like him.”

Moore, 22, was recruited out of Redwood High School in Visalia to Fresno State by Gonzales.

“I knew he was a good athlete and a tough competitor,” Gonzales said. “I liked his personality. I wasn’t the hurdles coach at the time, but I recruited him because no one else had.”

Baptista said Moore̢۪s track career at Fresno State has surpassed his high school accomplishments.

“He wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school,” Baptista said.

“He had good marks, but he wasn’t national. He’s someone who was overlooked and undeveloped in high school, but he was able to be nurtured and developed at Fresno State.”
Still, as one of the top eight hurdlers in the state in high school, Moore had options. As a talented basketball player, he even considered playing Division II basketball before deciding to stick with track.

While being recruited for track, Moore said he chose Fresno State over schools like Iowa State because of the people at Fresno State, and because it was close to home.

“The people at Fresno State were very friendly and accommodating,” Moore said. “They wanted
me to be here.”

Fresno State̢۪s athletic history was also enticing.

“There is a lot of history here,” Moore said. “Growing up in the Valley, I know a lot about the school’s legacy.”

In fact, even in childhood Moore was an athlete. He began his career in track at just 10 years old and then in junior high school, learned how to jump hurdles.

From that point on, Moore said track has been an important part of his life. After graduation this May, there will be other challenges and changes to come.

One important challenge that lies ahead of Moore is law school.

Already admitted to several law schools, he is taking his time to decide which one is right for him.

Moore said he is currently “exploring all options,” but he is considering going to law school in Australia. Moore is interested in doing international law once he gets his law degree.

“I really enjoy the policy aspect of the law and working with people,” Moore said.

While he may be leaving Fresno State and its track team behind him soon, Moore is not concerned about the future success of the team.

“The track team is in good shape for at least the next couple of years,” he said.

“The coaches are recruiting hard and it’s an exciting time for the team.”