Moore accolades for track star Devotia

Devotia Moore wasn’t interested in just finishing first in the 2000-meter steeplechase, the event she’d won 17 other times, including two consecutive city championships. Been there, done that.
The Townsend Harris junior wanted the city record, set by Jewel Wells of South Shore at 7:31:24 seconds. Not only did Moore accomplish that goal, but she shattered the mark, finishing at 7:18.86 seconds in the PSAL city championship at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island last Sunday afternoon.
“I’m just so grateful,” said Moore, a junior, who is hoping to attend North Carolina. “I just wanted to come and get the title. Hopefully, my name will be [in the record books] for a long time. Next year, I’m going to come back and beat it.”
A year ago, Moore had the record beaten as well, but because of a steeple malfunction - the last one was the height for the boys race, and PSAL officials tried to switch it back, only for Moore to run the final lap with only three - she was forced to wait another year.
“It was a little extra motivation,” Townsend Harris Coach Tim Connor said. “This is right where we wanted to be, and she responded.”
Moore also blew away the competition in the 1500-meter run, just a few hours after her record-setting performance. Connor credited Moore’s drive to succeed as the reason for her success. “Last week, when we had those three really hot days in a row, she put in three hard workouts in a row to prepare herself mentally to do what she did today,” Connor said. “She has great physical ability, but she has great work ethic and she’s relaxed before every race. …. She’s the best middle distance runner I’ve ever coached.”
“It’s great,” she said of her performance. “My goal is always to improve myself and to work harder than I did the last time.”
–Zachary Braziller