A giant step
- Updated: April 27, 2022
Anniston’s Moore , described as ‘small in stature but a giant on the track,’ running off to Kentucky after signing with Campbellsville
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Everywhere Niecy Moore ran this season the people around the track wanted to know the same thing: Where is the little girl with the long or orange hair?
The Anniston senior sprinter hasn’t always had orange hair, but she’s always been a giant on the track, even though she’s only tall enough to walk under the winning high jump mark on most meets.
After she takes care of some unfinished business the next couple weeks with the Lady Bulldogs’ track team, Moore will take her 4-foot-9 frame and orange hair to Campbellsville University after signing with the Kentucky college Wednesday afternoon.
Moore will run the 200, 400, anchor the 4×100 and leadoff the 4×4 when the Lady Bulldogs compete in their sectional meet later this week in Beauregard. Then it’s on to the state meet in Gulf Shores.
She’s seeded first in her heat in the 200 (27.40) and fifth the fast heat in the 400 (1:03.80). She hopes to run aa 58 or 59 in the 400.
“She’s small in stature, but big on the track,” Anniston track coach Lisa Howard Holland said. “She is like always David and Goliath on the track going against bigger girls, but she gets in those blocks and takes off like a rocket.”
Moore has always been the smallest runner on the track from the time she started realizing she was good at it beating the taller girls in the third grade.
“With the running, I feel for me to be this small, I’m good at it,” she said. “You know how the tall girls have the long stride, I don’t have that. I have to get out when I’m running.”
She only went with the orange body-length braids this year to do something different for her senior year. Her mother, Crystal, a hairdresser, did the honors and they were all good with it. Orange was the only option.
“Orange is a bright color,” she said. “I wanted something bright, to stand out.”
Signing Day was an emotional one for Moore. She fought back – unsuccessfully at times — tears as she addressed the crowd, later explaining she had gone through a lot on her “long journey” through track that brought her to Wednesday’s signing.
OXFORD SIGNINGS: Six of Oxford’s female athletes, representing four sports, celebrated their college signings Wednesday.
Softball player Cohlee Boone, who delivered the game-winning hit in the Lady Jackets’ walk-off Strike Out Cancer win over Pleasant Valley last Wednesday, signed with Southern Union.
Volleyball players Adriana Foster and Ashley Paulson signed with Agnes Scott and Bethel, respectively. Basketball players Kaleah Taylor and Lauren Ellard signed with Shelton State and Birmingham Southern respectively. And Kinley Sparks signed to be a member of the dance team at UAB.
The basketball players helped the Lady Jackets win 51 games the past two seasons and reach the Class 6A state championship game for the first time this past season. The team was recognized by the City of Oxford Tuesday night.
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