Hurdlers Matt Moore and Angelo Goss only joined Syracuse’s track team this fall as transfers from Tennessee and Alabama, respectively, but the pair has been quick to adjust. Both are headed to the NCAA Indoor Championships to compete in the 60-meter hurdles on Friday.

They are two of the four Orange runners who qualified for the meet, and Moore and Goss both agree the deep hurdling group at Syracuse has given them an advantage.

Syracuse’s stacked unit includes assistant coach Freddie Crittenden, a 2017 graduate and five-time All-American, and senior David Gilstrap, who finished fourth in the ACC Indoor Championships last weekend. Juniors Richard Floyd, Chevis Armstead and freshman Jamil Adams have also run well, with each recording at least one top-three finish. Goss, a senior, who finished 11th at the indoor championships in 2016 for Alabama, said both his teammates and coaches have provided him with the extra guidance he needed.

“The guys around me, the hurdle crew, they do a good job telling us what to do and critiquing us on everything,” Goss said. “That’s what I didn’t have at Alabama.”

With the added help while transitioning, Goss produced right away for the Orange this season. He racked up one win and four second-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles this season. At the ACC Indoor Championships, he finished first in his preliminary but ended up with a DQ in the final.

Just as the team gave him support upon arrival, Goss has tried to help younger runners, contributing to environment of learning. He has aided them with the technique he referred to as “the get down,” which emphasizes getting off each hurdle and on to the next one with more speed.

Moore was also able to jump start his career with the Orange, with his best performance of the season coming last week at the ACC Championships where he won the silver medal in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.74 seconds.

Moore, who has never been to nationals, recalls not having other hurdlers to train with at Tennessee. He looked at the sport differently with a group of older teammates once he joined Syracuse.

“I had to bring my A-game every day and it was pretty challenging going with the older guys,” Moore said. “Having them next to me every day made me work harder. … I don’t know what I’m going to do without them when they leave next year.”

Assistant coach Dave Hegland, who specializes with the hurdlers and sprinters and recently won USTFCCCA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year title for the third-straight year, said he has been happy with what Goss and Moore have been able to do already. He noted only 16 hurdlers in the country qualify for the meet, a testament to their consistently strong times this season.

But despite the successful moments, it hasn’t been an easy season for the two runners. Goss said he is still trying to get his groove back after being hurt for a couple weeks, though he still was able to compete in the ACC Indoor Championships last weekend and the Cornell Deneault Memorial the week before.

Moore missed significant training time after a knee ligament injury sidelined him for five weeks, followed by a hip injury that kept him out another two to three weeks. However, he said he was able to get through it by following his rehab and staying positive. When he came back he only had two weeks to train for the season, but is glad it didn’t compromise his performance.

“For me to execute the season that I’ve been doing,” Moore said, “it just says a lot, so I’m pretty excited. I’m very grateful this season.”

Despite his youth, Moore isn’t intimidated by older competition. He pointed out that opponents are the same regardless if a runner is a freshman or a senior. And he knows if he competed the best way he could, he would challenge the top runners.

The development of young runners is made easier with Syracuse’s team culture. Hegland said the goal is to always have a competitive practice environment, which these hurdlers have achieved organically just with their talent. However, he noted that the team’s support for each other has been a key part of it.

“The rising tide lifts all boats,” Hegland said. “The better they are collectively as a group the better they are individually as well.”

Published on March 7, 2018 at 9:27 pm

Contact Eric: estorms@syr.edu