Junior Spencer Moon was awarded the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honor in both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter events.

 The top 5 individuals in each event from all 10 regions earn the honors. Simpson is a part of the Midwest region; which has 39 schools. 

“It’s a really cool honor,” Moon said. “Our region for track is very tough so receiving this award is special; it shows the hard work that I’ve been putting in.”

Moon has put in countless hours and devoted himself to the sport. In turn, this has led him to be extremely successful in his running career at Simpson. He currently holds four school records and has earned several awards. 

 “Obviously he is an incredibly talented runner,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Heath Moenck said. “He also works incredibly hard and is very consistent. When you have all three at once, you have a good chance to be really successful.”

Moon has been busy working 40 hours a week at his internship in West Des Moines, therefore leading him to have to make many sacrifices. 

“A couple days a week I have to get up at 5:45 to run before work. It gets quite tiring but remembering what you’re doing it for is important,” Moon said. 

Not only is Moon a fast runner, but his coach also noted him to be an exceptional person and teammate. 

“He’s a super low maintenance person. He doesn’t need any extra attention. He just goes about his work the way you want a student-athlete to,” Moenck said. “He never questions why we are doing anything. He just does it. And he does it really well.”

Not only is this a great accomplishment for Moon, but this also says a lot for Simpson cross country and track as well. 

“This accomplishment shows that we can attract really good athletes and they can come here to improve and also have a really good time doing it,” Moenck said. “It shows recruits that Simpson is a destination to achieve a lot of success on the track and in the classroom.”

Moon is coming off a successful cross country season. He earned the honor of running at nationals where he placed 118th. He also received All American Rivers Conference (ARC) honors as well as being named ARC Performer of the Week. Moon was named Co-MVP of his squad. 

After receiving these honors, Moon is feeling very confident going into his outdoor track season. 

“It shows me that I can set high goals and still achieve them,” Moon said.

This season he will be competing in the 1,500-meter run, 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run. Moon will be in the 10,000-meter run on Friday, April 1, in St. Louis, Mo.