By Jeremy Dent-Smith, Sports Editor
The Toros track team has struggled to find its footing in recent years. Whether it was the shallow roster or not having a place to practice, for a long time, it seemed the program was off to a series of false starts.
Track is a women-only sport at CSUDH. Junior psychology student Teloni Ervin has been on the team since the fall of 2022, and remembers when the program hosted tryouts at the time because the roster was so thin.
“We have held tryouts that have had over 60 girls before which was something that was really great,” Teloni told The Bulletin. “However, when you take into account grades and eligibility and girls just not participating, the list becomes less than 10.”
The program took steps to change course, the first of which was hiring Lekeisha Moore as head coach this past summer. Moore spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and was recognized in 2023 as the “Assistant Coach of the Year” by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Moore told The Bulletin she knows it will take a lot of time and effort for the Toros to find success.
“I came in prepared to grind it out, and knew I had to constantly recruit and do what I do on a daily basis,” Moore said. “When you’re starting from ‘ground zero,’ it is way harder, but you’re more protective of it because it’s yours and you are building it brick by brick.”
Ervin said she feels inspired to have a coach of Moore’s caliber join Toros Athletics. Under Moore’s dedicated leadership, Ervin said she’s rediscovered her competitive edge.
“For the last two years, I feel like I have been stuck in the same spot and not getting the times that I did my senior year of high school,” Teloni said. “When I met coach Moore, I knew there was going to be improvement in my times, but also, she is going to change this program for the better.”
