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Track aficionado not forgotten
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Tom Moore became meet director of the Modesto Invitational Relays after moving to Ceres in the 1940s.

The former world-record holder in the 120-yard hurdles filled that position, along with official starter until he passed away at the age of 88 in 2002. Moore also helped out at the 1968 and 1984 Summer Olympics, and countless college, high school and youth track meets.

This Saturday, hundreds of athletes from more than 25 different clubs will converge at Modesto Junior College for the fifth Tom Moore Youth Classic.

Sponsored by the Central Valley Roadrunners, the meet will get underway at 8 a.m.

"I met him (Moore) but never had the chance to work with him," said longtime Ceres resident Karl Bryant, who served as co-director of the Modesto Relays youth division the last three years and is currently in his seventh year of coaching with the Roadrunners. "He did a lot for the track and field community. We're going to continue to honor him."

The Tom Moore Youth Classic will feature five different divisions of competition, including sub-bantamweight (7-8), bantamweight (9-10), midget (11-12), youth (13-14), intermediate (15-16) and young men and women (17-18).

The Roadrunners have athletes from all over the Central Valley, including Ceres, Turlock, Delhi, Modesto, Ripon, Oakdale and Knights Ferry.

Members practice at Modesto Junior College and Davis Park. They've competed in six meets this season.

The Pacific Association Championships will be held in June.

"Twenty four of our kids went to the Jr. Olympics in Omaha, Nebraska last year," Bryant said. "That doubled our total from the previous season. Eight brought home medals."