The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER getting her feet wet during their collegiate indoor season a week ago, University of Kentucky’s junior quarter-miler Megan Moss said she was so delighted to be able to come home to celebrate the Christmas holidays.

“It’s definitely good to be home in this warm weather. I’m really excited because I will get to train with my dad a little bit too,” said Moss about her father and coach of the Red-Line Athletics Track Club, Tito Moss.

On Saturday, December 11, in the Louisville Cardinal Classic at the Norton HealthCare Sports and Learning Center, 19-year-old Moss was one of three Bahamians representing the Wildcats women’s track team.

She moved up to the 500 metres in which she placed second overall in one minute and 13.21 seconds.

The other two members of the University of Kentucky’s team, coached by Bahamian Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene and assisted by “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson- McKenzie, are sprinters Anthaya Charlton (freshman) and Jaida Knowles (sophomore).

“It was a great season opener and I’m really excited about next year because I’m in great shape,” said Moss about her performance in the meet.

“This is probably the best shape that I’ve been in since I came here to Kentucky.”

Coming off her appearance at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan where she ran on the women’s 4 x 400m relay team, Moss said her goal next year is to qualify in the 400m for the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Championship in June and the World Athletics’ World Championships in August.

“I want to be able to represent our country, not just in the relays, but in the 400m in any international meet that I can compete in,” said Moss, who began her national trip experience at the Central American and Caribbean Youth Championships and the CARIFTA Games.

Three years ago when Red-Line Athletics Track Club hosted its first awards presentation and Christmas party, Moss was named the Athlete of the Year. Last year, the award went to sprinter/hurdler Shimar Bain.

At this year’s awards on Saturday, Lacarthea Cooper, who would have been a part of the women’s 4 x 400m relay team at the Olympics, but couldn’t travel after she came down with a case of COVID-19, was the recipient of the prestigious award.

Moss, who was named the Collegiate Athlete of the Year once again, said she’s proud of the strides her younger team-mates are making.

“It is so, so exciting and I am so happy,” Moss said. “There are so many young athletes coming up in the sport and are excelling, Lacarthea in particular. We are so close and so I’m so happy with the success that she is having.”

The two were originally scheduled to travel to Tokyo, but on the eve of their travel, it was discovered that Cooper contracted COVID-19 and was unable to leave the country.

“It was really an unfortunate event, but hopefully we both will be on the 2024 team and get to run together (on the relay team),” Moss projected.

As for next season at Kentucky, Moss said she has been anticipating another banner year for the Wildcats.

“The team is looking great. We’re definitely going to have an awesome tear,” Moss said.

“It’s always an honour to have other Bahamians there showing it off for our country, so it’s just great.”

Although she’s on a break, Moss said she’s going to indulge herself in some good old Bahamian cooked food by her mother, Nekeva, but she’s looking forward to staying trim and fit for the upcoming season by working out with her father and members of Red-Line Athletics, which includes her younger sister, Madison, who is following in her footsteps.

“Indoors, I want to run 51 seconds (in the 400m) and outdoors I want to 50 high or 51 low (in the 400m) so I can qualify for the World Championships,” said Moss of the standard of 51.35 she will need to attain in order to compete in the biggest meet on the schedule next year in Eugene, Oregon, August 6-15.

When she returns to Lexington, Kentucky in the new year, Moss will have to get right back in action as Kentucky hosts their first meet at the Jim Green Invitational over the weekend of January 14-15.

She is expected to run in her first 400 metres for the season.

“I want to be ready,” said Moss, who is majoring in human health science.

To the athletes looking up to her and preparing to head off to college, Moss advised them to “remain focused and always have their end goal in mind and to stay motivated” because their time to shine will come.