University of New Hampshire Athletics
Photo by: Greg Greene
Sarah Moore: Transforming Pressure Into Progress
5/1/2026 8:03:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
DURHAM, N.H. – Sarah Moore (Lisbon, Maine) has been an athlete for as long as she can remember.
"I started track and field when I was four," she explained. "My parents put me in summer track with my brother, and then I continued all the way through."
But before college, her sights were on hockey, the family sport she had played for 16 years.
"Having to make the ultimate decision on whether I wanted to continue my career in hockey or track and field was probably the hardest life decision I've had to make. But it came down to what was going to be best for me, and that was track."
Once committed to UNH, Moore quickly made an impression, but her sophomore year brought unexpected challenges. "This indoor season, it started out really rough," she recalled. The early struggle was a turning point for the sophomore, who had entered the season carrying the weight of her freshman-year success.
In just her first year competing at UNH, Moore filled her resume with impressive feats. She was named America East Female Athlete of the Week during the 2025 outdoor track season and earned UNH's Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week four times between the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.
Moore shattered two different school records in her freshman year, as she set a record in the long jump at the 38th Alden Invitational during the indoor season and also set a record as the anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay at the UMass Lowell George Davis Invitational in the outdoor season.
"Coming into sophomore year, I had really high expectations for myself because of everything I achieved my freshman year," Moore said. "I felt like I needed to prove to everyone that I was still what I was freshman year."
Instead of letting that pressure be paralyzing, she found a way to redirect it.
A shift in mindset helped Moore find consistency and growth. Rather than competing against others, she reframed the sport into competing against two other things: herself, and the clock.
"Recently I've been changing my mindset – it's not about what other people think. It's just about how you perform, that's what will show," she said. "If you just keep working hard, the results will show, no matter what people might think."
Her focus shifted inward, and the progress followed.
Moore began visualizing her jumps, a technique that has transformed her performance.
"I never used to hit the board, which is a whole new thing for me," Moore said. "So this year, actually hitting the board and not being five feet behind has really helped me. Now, I visualize the jump every time I come on the runway. I know that I can hit that, so why not envision and strike for it?"
That daily visualization has become more than just a tool for athletics, as it mirrors how she sees her long-term goals and strives towards them with intention.
Her discipline and strategic approach paid off. At the New England indoor championships, Moore broke a 33-year old record in the 200m dash (24.70 seconds) and also won the long jump. She went on to become the first UNH women's track and field athlete to win America East Indoor Performer of the Year.
"I actually didn't even know [I won] when my coach texted me and said congratulations," she laughed. "But it felt like all my hard work was paying off and being seen. I definitely value and appreciate the support from everyone that nominated and voted for me."
Balancing multiple track and field events requires precision and planning, and Moore makes sure to find cohesive ways for each to benefit the other.
"That's the hard part, but they all tie into one another. The 60 (dash) helps with my long jump because of the runway. The 100 (dash) helps with the long jump as well, because of the speed. Long jump and triple jump have the explosiveness that just helps with it all."
Despite track and field being primarily an individual-focused sport, Moore values her team.
"You're not necessarily competing against someone else. You're kind of competing against yourself and the clock. But we all support each other on our events. It's nice to be able to rely on teammates, not just coach."
Moore admits she's her own toughest critic, but she's learning to balance accountability with enjoyment.
"I'm making sure to have fun with it again rather than putting all this pressure on myself. Showing up to a meet, smiling, being in a good mood, cheering for others rather than just being super serious. If I jump bad, it happens. All you can do is go up from there."
Looking ahead, she hopes to step into a leadership role while continuing to grow as an athlete.
"I'm not necessarily the loudest person in the room, so I tend to lead more by example. I'm hoping to become more verbal to help people out and to show them that you can do both – be social and help yourself and others."
As the outdoor season approached, Moore was focused on managing her goals and her perspective.
"I'm super excited. My goal is to just get six-meter jump. If I don't make it, I don't make it – I'm not disappointing myself. At the end of the day I still did what I could, but I'm still hoping to be able to make it there."
She achieved that goal with a leap of 6.19m at the Virginia Challenge on April 17 and has a chance do top that at the America East Championships on May 9-10.
For Sarah Moore, the journey is about more than just meeting goals and breaking records. It's about mindset, resilience, and the joy of competing against herself, one event at a time.
In just two years at UNH, she' s shown that pressure can be transformed into progress, and hard work can be transformed into success, on and off the track.
"I started track and field when I was four," she explained. "My parents put me in summer track with my brother, and then I continued all the way through."
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But before college, her sights were on hockey, the family sport she had played for 16 years.
"Having to make the ultimate decision on whether I wanted to continue my career in hockey or track and field was probably the hardest life decision I've had to make. But it came down to what was going to be best for me, and that was track."
Once committed to UNH, Moore quickly made an impression, but her sophomore year brought unexpected challenges. "This indoor season, it started out really rough," she recalled. The early struggle was a turning point for the sophomore, who had entered the season carrying the weight of her freshman-year success.
In just her first year competing at UNH, Moore filled her resume with impressive feats. She was named America East Female Athlete of the Week during the 2025 outdoor track season and earned UNH's Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week four times between the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.
Moore shattered two different school records in her freshman year, as she set a record in the long jump at the 38th Alden Invitational during the indoor season and also set a record as the anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay at the UMass Lowell George Davis Invitational in the outdoor season.
"Coming into sophomore year, I had really high expectations for myself because of everything I achieved my freshman year," Moore said. "I felt like I needed to prove to everyone that I was still what I was freshman year."
Instead of letting that pressure be paralyzing, she found a way to redirect it.
A shift in mindset helped Moore find consistency and growth. Rather than competing against others, she reframed the sport into competing against two other things: herself, and the clock.
"Recently I've been changing my mindset – it's not about what other people think. It's just about how you perform, that's what will show," she said. "If you just keep working hard, the results will show, no matter what people might think."
Her focus shifted inward, and the progress followed.
Moore began visualizing her jumps, a technique that has transformed her performance.
"I never used to hit the board, which is a whole new thing for me," Moore said. "So this year, actually hitting the board and not being five feet behind has really helped me. Now, I visualize the jump every time I come on the runway. I know that I can hit that, so why not envision and strike for it?"
That daily visualization has become more than just a tool for athletics, as it mirrors how she sees her long-term goals and strives towards them with intention.
Her discipline and strategic approach paid off. At the New England indoor championships, Moore broke a 33-year old record in the 200m dash (24.70 seconds) and also won the long jump. She went on to become the first UNH women's track and field athlete to win America East Indoor Performer of the Year.
"I actually didn't even know [I won] when my coach texted me and said congratulations," she laughed. "But it felt like all my hard work was paying off and being seen. I definitely value and appreciate the support from everyone that nominated and voted for me."
Balancing multiple track and field events requires precision and planning, and Moore makes sure to find cohesive ways for each to benefit the other.
"That's the hard part, but they all tie into one another. The 60 (dash) helps with my long jump because of the runway. The 100 (dash) helps with the long jump as well, because of the speed. Long jump and triple jump have the explosiveness that just helps with it all."
Despite track and field being primarily an individual-focused sport, Moore values her team.
"You're not necessarily competing against someone else. You're kind of competing against yourself and the clock. But we all support each other on our events. It's nice to be able to rely on teammates, not just coach."
Moore admits she's her own toughest critic, but she's learning to balance accountability with enjoyment.
"I'm making sure to have fun with it again rather than putting all this pressure on myself. Showing up to a meet, smiling, being in a good mood, cheering for others rather than just being super serious. If I jump bad, it happens. All you can do is go up from there."
Looking ahead, she hopes to step into a leadership role while continuing to grow as an athlete.
"I'm not necessarily the loudest person in the room, so I tend to lead more by example. I'm hoping to become more verbal to help people out and to show them that you can do both – be social and help yourself and others."
As the outdoor season approached, Moore was focused on managing her goals and her perspective.
"I'm super excited. My goal is to just get six-meter jump. If I don't make it, I don't make it – I'm not disappointing myself. At the end of the day I still did what I could, but I'm still hoping to be able to make it there."
She achieved that goal with a leap of 6.19m at the Virginia Challenge on April 17 and has a chance do top that at the America East Championships on May 9-10.
For Sarah Moore, the journey is about more than just meeting goals and breaking records. It's about mindset, resilience, and the joy of competing against herself, one event at a time.
In just two years at UNH, she' s shown that pressure can be transformed into progress, and hard work can be transformed into success, on and off the track.
Players Mentioned
Jumps/Sprints
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