Senior cross country standout Lenore Moreno has been more than just an impact performer for the Leopard squad in 2012. After transferring from Mt. San Antonio College and sitting out the 2011 season, Moreno has enjoyed tremendous success in her early season meets which includes a first-place finish at the Westmont Invitational and she looks forward to a strong finish to the 2012 campaign. A former softball player, Moreno's transition from the diamonds to the trails and the track is a unique one. She also describes both her academic and athletic journey from Mt. SAC to La Verne, and her plans for the future.
Being that I am a senior, I have my personal expectations set very high for what I would like to achieve this season. I would like to finish in the top 3 at the SCIAC championship meet, top 10 at West Regional’s and hopefully advance to the NCAA national championships. Just making it to the NCAA championships will be such an honor because it is such a competitive race with tremendous athletes all competing for the ultimate title.
Describe the first few meets of the season and how it relates to your expectations.
There is always room for improvement, but I feel thus far that the past few races have gone pretty well. The first meet of the season that was held at Carbon Canyon Park in Fullerton, was such a nervous and exciting experience for me. I felt so anxious to get out there and compete. Going into that race my expectation was to use that meet to get the feel for racing again. From there on after I feel myself improving at each race and getting closer to my expectation of being one of the top in the conference.
Talk about your transition from Mt. SAC to La Verne from
a competitive standpoint.
I feel like Mt. SAC prepared me tremendously for my transition to La Verne. The coaches at Mt. Sac really developed me and pushed me into the type of athlete I am today; as well as help build the confidence I needed to go on and compete at a higher level. I learned so much from the coaches at Mt. SAC on what it means to be a successful student-athlete. I owe a lot of credit to Mt. Sac for helping me become a better athlete. However, being surrounded by a new group of girls on the cross country team here at La Verne has really brought me to experience that sisterhood friendship with them. The women on the cross country team at La Verne are so incredible and have definitely helped make my transition an easy one.
Describe how you became interested in La Verne?
I became interested in La Verne after attending Long Beach State for only a semester. Later, I wanted to attend a much smaller campus and one that I would feel most comfortable. A prior coach had mentioned La Verne and urged me to check it out. Seeing how beautiful and cozy-like the campus was, and how welcoming everyone was to me, was what drew me in. The school just seemed to fit my personality and was what I was searching for all along.
How was that transition from an academic standpoint?
I was thrilled that the student-teacher ratio at La Verne was so much better compared to the Mt. SAC student-teacher ratio! So that was a plus. I will never forget the day I walked into my very first class at La Verne and seeing only about 12-15 students. I was definitely thrilled about that one!
What do you most enjoy about the University of La Verne (environment, classes, etc.)?
The professors at La Verne are amazing and so knowledgeable. They are so friendly and make approaching them very easy. They are willing to help you with whatever you need to become successful. All the students are just amazing and helpful and I feel like I have made valuable connections with the students in my classes. Every class that I have taken here at La Verne has provided me with right knowledge I need to become successful in the future.
Growing up my life consisted around softball. I started playing when I was just four years old and truly developed a love for the game. I had played in numerous of leagues, travel ball teams and continued to play in high school. However, being that softball is played in the spring quarter in high school I wanted to do something that would fill up my time in the fall and help condition me for the spring. I chose to join the cross country team my freshman year. I really didn’t think of it as anything because my primary sport and focus was on softball.
I didn’t participate in track my freshman or sophomore season because I was playing softball. I was given the award of best defensive fielder both years. However, after I started growing a greater passion for running, I wanted to try and run track. Still not wanting to give up softball, I got the okay to participate in both track and softball at the same time for my junior year. It was pretty hectic running from practice to practice playing both sports. I often found myself with having to run a track race on a Saturday morning, then leave and play a double hitter out on the softball field. It was exhausting but looking back I don’t regret any of it.
After advancing to CIF that junior year and setting personal records in the mile and 2 mile, I realized running had more opportunities in store for me. I decided to give up softball my senior year to focus more on track. It was hard to give up something I had been playing for so many years, but I knew I was starting to develop into a better runner. My senior year I was able to qualify for CIF as well as improve on personal records.
Going back to my sophomore year in college at Mt. SAC, I was fortunate enough to reach a goal that I never thought would be possible. Setting the school record in the 5k and 10k. However, the biggest achievement was having those school records being ranked first in the nation for all community colleges that season. My coaches worked with me and pushed me to surpass my goals to ones that I never even thought were possible for me. I am so thankful and honored to have been coached by them.
I am a huge Angels fan, so when they are in season I usually go to tons of baseball games. I love watching professional sports, and I am a big fan of the Boston Celtics as well. I love spending time with my family and best friends. My parents are such a huge support system for me. We have a tradition every Sunday to have a family dinner. I look forward to that every week. I am a big fan of Twilight as well and have read and seen the movies at least a hundred times!
I hope to be living my dream of being a middle school teacher. I want to be a teacher because they have the ability to reach out to the future. It’s a challenging, rewarding, and adventures career that I have a passion for wanting to do. In the future I also plan to join an outside league of a women’s softball team of some sort, and also participate in running city 10ks and half marathons non-competitively. I hope to be healthy and happy and enjoy living life.
