University of Maine junior distance runner Alex Moser said his focus this season has been on quality rather than quantity — a formula that seems to work well for him.
Moser was forced to switch up his training regimen when he entered the outdoor track and field season because of a bout with tendinitis, but that has not stopped the junior from performing at a high level this year: This season the York native has wins in the mile run, the 1,000-meter run, the distance medley relay and the 1,500-meter run.
Moser has been successful in virtually every event he has competed in this year, but he says the mile run stands above the rest.
“The mile is long enough to be tactical but short enough to keep you on your toes, mentally and literally,” Moser said. “You have to be so alert and so in touch with your surroundings to make sure you make the right move when it’s time. I have also had the greatest success with the mile, so it is definitely my favorite event.”
Moser — who also competes in the 800-meter run and the 5- and 8–km races during cross country — was the first ever two-time state champion in cross country for York High School. He holds the 1-mile and 2-mile school records in both indoor and outdoor track at York High School, and a top-3 record in the 1-mile at UMaine.
“Holding a record is not as important to me — breaking them is,” Moser said. “I usually set my long-term goal time in an event based on the record board.”
Moser performed well enough to compete in the America East and Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America Championships earlier this season. He placed second and fourth in the mile and 1,000-meter run, respectively, to help the Black Bears finish fourth in the America East Championships, Feb. 11 and 12. His top three school time in the mile helped him finish fourth at the IC4A Championship March 1-3.
“I couldn’t have been happier with our team’s performance [at America East],” Moser said. “We placed much higher than we expected and much higher than we have in previous seasons.
“Competing at the IC4A Championship was, and has been, one of the most intimidating meets for me,” he continued. “The prior years I never made it to finals. Very tactical and stressful races were run, and I was not yet ready for this level of competition. This year I went in with a cool head knowing I could outrun anyone in my prelim. Cruising through in a [time of] 4:07 to make finals was a great feeling.”
Moser is a third-year mechanical engineering student at UMaine with a minor in mathematics. He says he hopes to land a job somewhere warmer when he graduates in two years, but he hasn’t ruled out running competitively at higher levels if he can continue to improve and stay healthy.
Although track is a team sport, the success of the whole relies on the individual achievements of performers in their respective events. Moser said that, even though that puts a lot of pressure on the team’s top performers, the overall success of the team this season has made it much easier on the top guns — himself, junior thrower Justin Gagne, junior sprinter James Reed and senior distance runner Corey Conner — to go out and compete without having to worry about how the rest of the squad is doing.
“I no longer get frustrated because I know that each sprinter, jumper, thrower or distance runner in their event is trying just as hard as I am and fighting for that same victory,” Moser said. “When we win events, we are not done. We know we have to go cheer on our team so that they can do their best.
“[This year’s] team has been exceeding expectations,” he added. “I don’t know the exact numbers, but many of our athletes have all had personal bests this season. Our coaches have been fine-tuning our workouts so that we can achieve more. I cannot wait to see what the end of the season brings with the promising races, throws, jumps and sprints that our team has been putting up.”
The Black Bears took first place over the weekend at the College of the Holy Cross over the weekend. Moser entered the weekend as the top seed in America East in the 1,500-meter run with a spot in the NCAA Championships in sight.
“I would love to go to nationals this spring,” he said. “I need to run a [time of] 3:43 or faster [in the] 1,500 to make it to nationals, so that’s my end season goal at this point.”
Moser and the Black Bears will enter the season’s homestretch at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., April 25 to 27.