Mansfield cross country runner Katlynn Moore is flanked by her parents as she signs to run next school year at the University of the Ozarks.
Every few weeks it seems like members of the Mansfield cross country team gather together for another signing. Such was the case on April 14 when the group made their way to the Tiger Trophy lobby. There before teammates, parents, and administration; Katlynn Moore became the latest Lady Tiger to commit to college.
Moore, a senior member of Mansfield’s most accomplished cross country team, signed to join the University of the Ozarks distance team.
“This was our fourth player off this year’s team to commit to run in college next year,” said Mansfield coach John Mackey. “Katlynn’s decision to run with the Eagles meant Mansfield had 80 percent of it’s senior distance runners move on to college.”
Moore will join Mansfield teammate McKenzie Griffin who committed on March 2 to also run cross country at the University of the Ozarks.
In consecutive order, Mansfield class of 2022 seniors signing to participate in college next year were Faith Rainwater, Darby Jones, Griffin, and Moore.
Rainwater took the first step by signing with UA Rich Mountain in Mena. Jones followed by accepting an offer from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. Griffin then put her signature on the University of the Ozarks paperwork followed by Moore’s signing on Thursday.
Moore was a contributing member of Mansfield’s two time class 2A state runner-up teams. Having joined the squad as a sophomore, she instantly fit into the team plans.
“Katlynn came to us two and a half years ago out of the offseason program,” noted Mackey. “Our cross country team was pretty good but we couldn’t score as a team because of the lack of numbers. Kat filled the void. From there, she just got better and better. Her commitment to the Tigers completed our team. Now, she’ll be soaring with the Eagles.”
Moore has earned All-District, All-Region, and River Valley All-Star credentials during her time with the Lady Tiger distance team. Her personal record for a 5K race according to ar.milesplit.com was 24:56.
In February, Moore added depth to the Mansfield indoor track team. That group went on to win the 2022 ATCA class 1A-2A state title.
Currently, Moore runs a varied slate of distance events for the Mansfield outdoor track team.
